5 simple ways to delete empty rows & cells in Google Sheets

This guide provides several methods to efficiently remove blank rows and cells in Google Sheets, improving data accuracy and consistency. No coding is required.

• Manually Deleting Empty Rows and Cells
• Using Filters to Delete or Hide Empty Rows
• Automating Blank Row Removal with Power Tools
• Deleting Empty Rows with Formulas (FILTER and QUERY)
• Removing Blank Cells and Shifting Data
• Replacing Blank Cells with Zero
• Video Tutorial: Deleting Empty Rows

A sample spreadsheet is available at the end of this guide for practice.

Manually Deleting Empty Rows

For small datasets, manually selecting and deleting empty rows is straightforward.

1. Select Blank Rows: Hold Ctrl (Cmd on Mac) while clicking the row numbers of each empty row.
2. Delete: Right-click a selected row and choose "Delete selected rows."

This method is simple but inefficient for large spreadsheets.

Using Filters to Manage Empty Rows

Filters offer a more efficient way to handle empty rows, allowing temporary hiding or permanent deletion.

Temporarily Hiding Empty Rows:

1. Apply Filter: Select your data range and click the "Create a filter" icon.
2. Filter Non-Empty Rows: In a filter dropdown, select "Filter by condition > Is not empty > OK."

This hides empty rows without altering the spreadsheet structure.

Permanently Deleting Empty Rows:

1. Apply Filter: Select your data range and click the "Create a filter" icon.
2. Filter Empty Rows: In a filter dropdown, select "Filter by condition > Is empty > OK."
3. Select and Delete: Select all visible (empty) rows and delete them.
4. Disable Filter: Click the filter icon again to turn it off.

Automating Blank Row Removal with Power Tools

The Ablebits Power Tools add-on provides a one-click solution for removing empty rows.

1. Install Power Tools: [Insert Image of Power Tools Installation Button Here: ]
2. Remove Blanks: Go to Extensions > Power Tools > Quick actions > Remove blanks > Remove all empty rows.

Power Tools also offers options to remove empty columns, unused rows/columns, and shift data to fill gaps. It allows saving frequently used cleanup combinations for quick access.

Deleting Empty Rows with Formulas

The FILTER and QUERY functions can create a new range excluding blank rows. However, this doesn't remove the rows from the original data.

• FILTER: =FILTER(Sheet1!A1:D20,Sheet1!A1:A20"",Sheet1!B1:B20"",Sheet1!C1:C20"",Sheet1!D1:D20"")
• QUERY: =QUERY(Sheet1!A1:D20,"select * where A is not null AND B is not null AND C is not null AND D is not null",1)

These formulas require updating if the data changes. Power Tools remains a more practical solution for most users.

Removing Blank Cells and Shifting Data

Power Tools' "Remove blanks & shift data" feature efficiently removes individual blank cells, shifting remaining data to close gaps. [Insert Image of Power Tools Remove Blanks & Shift Data Option Here: ]

Replacing Blank Cells with Zero

Power Tools' "Fill Blank Cells" feature replaces empty cells with a specified value, such as zero, preventing calculation errors. [Insert Image of Power Tools Fill Blank Cells Option Here: ]

Video Tutorial

[Insert YouTube Video Here: <link as="image" href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/a8zA6SkLvSI/hqdefault.webp" rel="preload"> <lite-youtube loading="lazy" nocookie="" video="" videotitle="Remove blanks in Google Sheets: effortless data cleanup tool"></lite-youtube>]

Practice Spreadsheet

[Link to Practice Spreadsheet Here: "Remove blank rows and cells in Google Sheets (make yourself a copy)"]

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