Hiding rows in Excel keeps the data in your workbook while clearing space on the sheet. Use the row header menu for a quick manual hide, or use filters, grouping, Sheet View, and PivotTable controls when the rows follow a pattern.
Start with the fastest method, then move to the option that matches how your worksheet is built.
Hide selected rows from the row header
Select the row number for the row you want to hide. To hide several rows, select multiple row numbers; for nonadjacent rows, hold Ctrl while selecting each row.
Right-click the selected row numbers, then choose Hide. Excel removes those rows from view without deleting their contents.
If this method fails, use the ribbon path under Home, Cells, Format, Hide & Unhide, Hide Rows.
Fix right-click hide when it stops working
A common cause is a protected worksheet with row formatting turned off. When Format rows is cleared in the sheet's protection settings, Excel blocks row formatting commands, including hiding rows.
On a sheet that is already protected, the Review tab shows Unprotect Sheet. If you control the sheet, select Review, Unprotect Sheet and enter the password if prompted. Then select Review, Protect Sheet, select Format rows in the Allow all users of this worksheet to list, and protect the sheet again. If the file belongs to work, school, or another owner, ask that owner to change the protected sheet settings.
Use the keyboard shortcut
Select the row or rows you want to hide, then press Ctrl+9. When your cursor is inside a cell, press Shift+Space to select the full row, then press Ctrl+9 to hide it. Use a hardware keyboard for this shortcut on mobile Excel apps.
Hide rows from the ribbon
The ribbon method is useful when you prefer menus or the right-click menu is unavailable. Select the row or rows, then go to Home, Cells, Format, Hide & Unhide, and choose Hide Rows.
Excel also lets you change row height through Home, Cells, Format, Row Height. Setting row height to 0 hides the row from view, but Hide Rows is the cleaner everyday command.
If this method fails, check the sheet's protection settings. On a protected sheet, select Review, Unprotect Sheet, then reopen Protect Sheet and confirm that Format rows is selected.
Filter rows you do not want to see
This fixes sheets where you want to show only matching records instead of hiding individual rows by hand. Select the data range, then open Data. In Sort & Filter, select Filter.
Select the filter arrow in the column header. Clear Select All, then choose the values you want to keep visible, or use Search. Select OK.
Group detail rows under summaries
Grouping is best when your sheet has detail rows under a visible summary row. Select the rows to group, then use Data, Outline, Group, Group.
In the Group dialog box, choose Rows, then select OK. Excel adds outline controls beside the row numbers.
Select the minus button to hide the detail rows, or press Alt+Shift+-. Use outline level buttons such as 1, 2, or 3 to show or hide levels.
Excel for the web supports grouping and outlining rows and columns, with limits on styles and summary-row position.
Use Sheet View while others edit
Store the workbook in OneDrive or SharePoint. Go to View, Sheet View, New. This starts a separate Sheet View; if you hide rows in the default view instead, the change persists across all Sheet Views and alters what your collaborators see.
Inside that Sheet View, hide rows normally by right-clicking selected row headers and choosing Hide, or apply filters to show only the rows you need. When you are finished, select View, Sheet View, Exit. Sheet Views are supported in Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2021 for files stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.
Hide PivotTable rows
Use these controls when the rows are PivotTable items, subtotals, or grand totals.
- 1.Select one or more items in the PivotTable field you want to filter.
- 2.Right-click one selected item, choose Filter, then select Hide Selected Items.
- 3.To hide subtotal rows, click inside the PivotTable, go to Design, Subtotals, and choose Do Not Show Subtotals.
- 4.To hide grand totals, use Design, Grand Totals, then choose Off for Rows and Columns or the row or column option you want.
Automate repeated row hiding
When imported data needs the same filtering every time, set up a repeatable filter instead of hiding rows by hand. For regular worksheet ranges, create a criteria range with matching column labels and criteria. Select a cell in the list range, go to Data, Sort & Filter, Advanced, choose Filter the list, in-place, enter the criteria range, and confirm.
For Power Query output, select a cell in the loaded query data, then select Query, Edit. Use the column filter arrow to keep the values you want, select OK, then return the result with Home, Close & Load.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does hiding a row delete the data in Excel?
No. Hiding a row only removes it from view. The data stays in the worksheet.
What is the keyboard shortcut to hide rows in Excel?
Select the row or rows, then press Ctrl+9. From inside a cell, press Shift+Space first to select the entire row.
Can I hide rows only for myself in a shared workbook?
Yes. Use Sheet View for a workbook stored in OneDrive or SharePoint, then hide rows or apply filters inside that view.
Should I set row height to 0 to hide rows?
Use Excel's Hide Rows command for normal row hiding. Row height 0 works as an alternate workaround through the Row Height control.