How Do I Remove Blanks from Sheets?

Removing blank rows in Google Sheets is straightforward, whether you need to delete a single row or multiple rows. Here's how:

Deleting a Single Blank Row

1. Select the Row: Click on the row number on the left-hand side of the sheet to select the entire row you want to remove.
2. Right-Click: Right-click on the selected row.
3. Delete: A menu will appear. Select "Delete row" (often represented by a trash can icon). The row will be removed, and subsequent rows will shift up to fill the gap.

Deleting Multiple Blank Rows

There are a few ways to delete multiple blank rows:

Method 1: Manually Deleting Multiple Rows

1. Select the Rows: Click and drag down the row numbers on the left-hand side to select all the blank rows you want to remove. You can select non-contiguous rows by holding down the Ctrl key (Cmd on Mac) while clicking the row numbers.
2. Right-Click: Right-click on any of the selected row numbers.
3. Delete: Select "Delete rows" from the menu. All selected rows will be deleted.

Method 2: Using a Filter

This method is helpful when you want to remove many blank rows and don't want to scroll through the entire sheet to find them. This method assumes that the blank rows are actually completely blank.

1. Select the data range: Select the entire data range you want to filter. If you want to include the header row, select that, too.
2. Create a Filter: Go to Data > Create a filter. Filter icons will appear at the top of each column in your data range.
3. Filter for Non-Blanks:
   • Click on the filter icon in a column that should contain data in every row (e.g., a column with customer names).
   • Under "Filter by values," uncheck "(Blanks)".
   • Click "OK". Now, only rows that are not blank in that column will be displayed. All the blank rows will be hidden.
4. Delete the Visible Rows: Select all of the visible rows (the non-blank rows). You can do this by clicking the numbered column and dragging or by using Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) to select all, and then holding Ctrl or Cmd to deselect the column headers.
5. Invert the Selection (Optional but recommended): Because it's easy to accidentally delete the wrong rows, invert your selection. Go to Edit > Invert Selection. This will select all of the hidden (blank) rows that are not currently filtered out.
6. Delete the Selected Rows: Right-click on any of the selected row numbers and select "Delete Rows".
7. Remove the Filter: Go to Data > Turn off filter. This will reveal all the rows again, with the blank rows now deleted.

Important Considerations

• Hidden Data: Be careful when deleting rows, as you might accidentally delete rows with hidden data. Double-check your sheet before deleting to ensure you're only removing the intended blank rows.
• Formulas: Deleting rows can affect formulas that reference those rows. Review your formulas after deleting rows to ensure they still work correctly.
• Completely Blank vs. Seemingly Blank: A row may appear blank but contain a single space character, a formula that results in a blank output, or formatting. Make sure the rows are truly empty before deleting them, or use =ISBLANK(A1) in a helper column to identify completely blank rows and filter on that helper column.