Excel rows can stay hidden after you choose Unhide, and the culprit is usually a filter, collapsed group, tiny row height, or a protected sheet. Start with the regular unhide commands, then move through the settings that make rows disappear or block the command completely.
Try the normal unhide commands first
Start here when you know exactly which rows are missing.
- 1.Select the row headers above and below the hidden rows, right-click the selected row headers, then choose Unhide.
- 2.Find the double line between two visible row headers, then double-click that boundary.
- 3.Select the adjacent rows, then choose Home > Cells > Format > Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.
- 4.Select the adjacent row range, then press Ctrl+Shift+9 on Windows. On Mac, press Shift+Ctrl+9 or Shift+Ctrl+(.
Clear filters that hide rows
A filter can make rows vanish even though Excel has not marked those rows as hidden. Click the Filter button next to the column heading, then choose Clear Filter from that column.
To clear every active filter on the worksheet, open Data and select Clear. To remove AutoFilter from the range, open Data and select Filter.
If the rows still do not return, check row height next because a row set to zero is treated as hidden.
Reset zero or tiny row height
The most common cause after filters is row height set to 0, which Excel treats as hidden.
Select the row or rows around the missing area.
Go to Home > Cells > Format > Cell Size > Row Height.
Type a nonzero value such as 15 in Row height, then select OK.
For rows that are too short to read, use Home > Cells > Format > Cell Size > AutoFit Row Height. To autofit the whole sheet, choose Select All, then double-click the boundary below one of the row headings.
Bring back row one
Row 1 needs a different route because there is no row above it to select. Click the Name Box next to the formula bar, type A1, and press Enter.
Use Home > Cells > Format > Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. Excel reveals the first row.
You can also right-click the row 2 header and choose Unhide Rows. If Unhide Rows is missing, right-click directly inside the row label area.
Expand grouped rows
Use this fix when outline controls appear beside the row numbers or detail rows collapse under a summary row. Grouped rows are collapsed, so expanding the outline brings the detail back.
Select the plus button for the group, or press Alt+Shift+=.
Select an outline level number when you want to expand or collapse the worksheet to that level.
If outline symbols are hidden, go to File > Options > Advanced, turn on Show outline symbols if an outline is applied under Display options for this worksheet, then select OK.
To remove the outline, click the worksheet and use Data > Outline > Ungroup > Clear Outline. If rows remain hidden afterward, select the adjacent visible row numbers and use Home > Cells > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.
Check panes and saved views
Frozen panes can make rows look stuck or missing while you scroll. Open View > Freeze Panes > Unfreeze Panes.
Split panes create separate scroll areas in one worksheet. Select View > Window > Split again to remove the split.
In a SharePoint or OneDrive workbook, a Sheet View can use different filtering or row visibility. Use View > Sheet View > Exit to return to the default view, or open View > Sheet View and pick another view.
For saved workbook views, open View > Workbook Views > Custom Views, select a view, then choose Show or Delete. Custom Views are unavailable anywhere in a workbook if any worksheet contains an Excel table.
Remove protection and editing blocks
When Excel blocks row formatting or hiding commands, remove the editing restriction first.
- 1.If a yellow Message Bar appears, select Enable Editing.
- 2.If a red Message Bar appears, select File > Edit Anyway.
- 3.In desktop Excel, use File > Info > Protect > Unprotect Sheet, or use Review > Changes > Unprotect Sheet.
- 4.Enter the sheet password in the Unprotect Sheet dialog box, then select OK.
- 5.In Excel for the web, select Review > Manage Protection, then turn protection off or adjust the options in the task pane.
Find hidden areas first
The most common cause of a failed selection is grabbing the wrong row range, especially in a large worksheet.
In Excel for Windows, select the worksheet and press Ctrl+G, then choose Special.
You can also use Home > Editing > Find & Select > Go To Special.
Under Select, choose Visible cells only and select OK. Excel marks hidden rows and columns with borders next to visible rows or columns, so select the correct adjacent row headers and unhide them.
Go To Special for hidden-cell locating is not available in Excel for the web. Open the workbook in desktop Excel when you need this locator tool.
Use scripts or macros for stubborn workbooks
For a workbook with many hidden rows, Office Scripts can show hidden rows in the used range with a script that calls setRowHidden(false). Use Automate > New Script > Create in Code Editor, replace the default code with your unhide script, and select Run.
In desktop Excel, VBA can set entire rows to visible by setting the row range Hidden property to False. Open Developer > Visual Basic, place the cursor inside the macro, then press F5 or use Run > Run Macro.
VBA macros cannot be created, edited, or run in Excel for the web. Open the workbook in the Excel desktop app for macro-based fixes.
If scripts or macros fail because macro settings block the workbook, use Enable Content only for a trusted file, or contact your administrator on a managed work or school device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Unhide Rows grayed out in Excel?
The sheet can be protected, the file can be in Protected View, or editing can be restricted. Select Enable Editing when the message bar appears, then use Unprotect Sheet if you have the password.
Why do row numbers skip but Unhide does nothing?
Those rows can be filtered, collapsed in an outline, saved in a different Sheet View or Custom View, or set to zero height. Clear filters first, then check row height and grouping.
How do I unhide the first row in Excel?
Click the Name Box next to the formula bar, type A1, press Enter, then choose Home > Cells > Format > Visibility > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.
Can Excel for the web run VBA to unhide rows?
No. Excel for the web cannot create, edit, or run VBA macros. Use desktop Excel for VBA, or use Office Scripts when the Automate tab is available.
