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How to delete blank rows in Excel – our guide to removing an empty row

Got annoying blank rows in your spreadsheet? Follow these simple steps to delete them in a few different ways.
Kevin Pocock
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Reviewed By: Kevin Pocock

How to delete blank rows in Excel – our guide to removing an empty row
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Table of Contents

If you want to learn how to delete blank rows in Excel, then we’ve got you covered right here.

Excel is all about organization and efficiency, so having blank rows can be really annoying on a spreadsheet. However, removing these blank rows from an Excel sheet can be a big headache, especially if you’re dealing with a large dataset. The worst part is that you can end up accidentally removing important rows if you’re not careful enough.

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To help you out, we’ll explain three different ways that can help you get rid of empty rows in Excel.

1

Using right-click

This step is easy to do when an empty row appears due to error or when you just spot a singular one.

Step

1

Select an empty row

First, select an empty row which you wish to delete from the sheet.

Step

2

Use right-click

Now, press right-click top open a menu. From this, select ‘Delete’ and then select ‘Entire Row.’ This will remove the empty row from the sheet.

Screenshot of an Excel spreadsheet with cells displaying models and values, with a context menu open highlighting the "Delete" option to remove empty rows.
Delete button
2

Using a Ribbon

You can also remove an empty row in Excel using a Ribbon.

Step

1

Highlight the row

Simply highlight the row by clicking on it.

Step

2

Click on ‘Delete’

Go to the ‘Home' tab and click the ‘Delete'' Ribbon which will open another drop down box. From this drop down menu, select ‘Delete sheet rows'.

Screenshot of Microsoft Excel showing the "Delete Sheet Rows" option highlighted in the drop-down menu under the "Delete Cells" button.
Delete Ribbon
3

Using a keyboard shortcut

For those who want efficiency, this keyboard shortcut can save lots of time.

Step

1

Select a blank row

First, select a blank row on the sheet. You can either select an individual row or several at once.

Step

2

Use the keyboard shortcut

Now, press CTRL – + on your keyboard. Make sure to press all three of them simultaneously. This will open up a menu on the screen, from where you can select ‘Entire row’ and click ‘OK’ to delete the selected blank rows.

Screenshot of Microsoft Excel menu displaying options including "Delete," "Shift cells left," "Shift cells up," with "Entire row" selected.
Delete menu

Final thoughts

As you can see, there are many ways to delete a blank row from an Excel sheet. This can help you keep your sheet organized. By using the methods mentioned in our guide, you can either delete a single blank row or get rid of several at once.

If you want to learn more about Excel and how it works, we’d recommend giving these guides a read:

About the Author

Kevin Pocock

Kevin has a broad interest and enthusiasm for consumer electronics, PCs, and all things consumer tech. And more than 17 years experience in tech journalism.