Unhide Rows in Excel Not Working? Fix the Hidden Rows

If Unhide does nothing in Excel, select the row headers on both sides of the missing rows, right-click the selection, and choose Unhide. To reveal every manually hidden row, select the whole sheet using the triangle at the upper-left corner of the grid, then choose Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. If rows remain missing, a filter, zero row height, outline group, or sheet protection may be responsible. These checks help you find the cause and make the data visible again.

What You’ll Need

The workbook open in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, with permission to edit the sheet.
If the sheet is protected, the password or permission needed to unprotect it. You can still inspect some settings without changing them.
For a shared or important workbook, consider saving a copy before changing filters, outline settings, or protection.

Excel for Mac and Excel for the web have similar ways to select rows and clear filters, although ribbon layouts and context menus can differ slightly. The steps below use the Windows desktop version.

Step-by-Step

Check that rows are actually hidden. Look at the row numbers along the left edge of the worksheet. If the numbering jumps from 5 to 9, rows 6 through 8 are not displayed. A very small gap or a double boundary between row numbers can also signal hidden rows. If the numbers are consecutive but expected records are missing, skip to the filter check in step 5; filtering does not hide rows in the same way as the Unhide command.
Select the row headers around the missing rows. If row 6 is hidden between visible rows 5 and 7, click the row number 5, then hold Shift and click row number 7. This selects the full span, including the hidden row. Right-click one of the selected row numbers and choose Unhide. For a larger gap, select the visible row immediately above and below it. Do not select only a cell in the worksheet body: selecting row headers makes it clear to Excel which rows you want to restore.
Unhide all rows in the worksheet. Click the Select All button, the small triangle where the column letters and row numbers meet. Then choose Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. This is useful when you do not know which rows were hidden. It applies to the current worksheet, not every sheet in the workbook, so repeat it on other tabs as needed. On Mac, use the equivalent Home and Format controls; in Excel for the web, select the sheet and use the row-header context menu or Home formatting controls available in your ribbon.
Check the first row separately. Row 1 has no visible row above it, so selecting the row headers on either side is not possible. Click the Select All button and use Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. You can also click the Name Box to the left of the formula bar, type A1, and press Enter; then use the row-height method in step 4 if needed. Avoid trying to drag the top edge of the grid if the row boundary is difficult to locate.
Restore a row whose height is zero or too small. A row can look hidden even if Excel does not treat it as a normally hidden row. Select the affected row headers, or select the whole sheet if you are unsure which rows are affected. Choose Home > Format > Row Height, enter a positive value such as 15, and select OK. Alternatively, choose Home > Format > AutoFit Row Height. AutoFit is helpful when cell contents should determine the height, but a fixed positive height is a useful diagnostic if AutoFit does not reveal the row.
Clear a filter that is excluding records. If the row numbers are consecutive but some records are absent, the sheet may be filtered. Select Data > Sort & Filter > Clear to remove the current filter criteria while leaving filter controls available. If you want to turn filtering off entirely, select a cell in the filtered range and choose Data > Sort & Filter > Filter to toggle the filter arrows. You can also open an individual column’s filter arrow and choose Clear Filter From that column. In Excel for Mac or the web, use the Data tab or the column’s filter menu; wording and placement may vary.
Expand any grouped or outlined rows. Look along the left side of the row numbers for outline symbols, such as a plus sign, minus sign, or level buttons marked 1, 2, or 3. A plus sign beside a group means its detail rows are collapsed. Click the plus sign to expand that group. To show details from the ribbon, select a summary row and choose Data > Outline > Show Detail, when available. If a group is collapsed, Unhide may not be the right fix because the rows are being hidden by the outline state.
Check sheet protection if commands are unavailable. Choose Review > Unprotect Sheet. If Excel requests a password, enter it only if you are authorized to edit the workbook. Once protection is removed, try the row-header Unhide command or change the row height. If the command is disabled because the sheet is protected, ask the workbook owner for access rather than trying to bypass the protection. You can protect the sheet again after making the intended change.

After each change, check the affected row numbers and records before moving on. If you use Unhide on the whole sheet and nothing changes, that is useful evidence: investigate filters, grouping, row height, and protection instead of repeating the same command.

Common Mistakes

Selecting cells instead of row numbers. A selection inside the grid may not include the hidden row in the way you expect. Select the row headers, including the visible row above and below the gap, before using Unhide.
Choosing Unhide when a filter is active. Filtered records are excluded from view, not necessarily manually hidden. Clear the filter criteria or adjust the column filter to bring those records back.
Assuming the row is hidden when its height is zero. Unhide may appear to have no effect if the row height has been set to zero or an extremely small amount. Set a positive row height to test this.
Missing a collapsed outline. A plus sign or outline level control can make a block of rows disappear. Expand the group rather than repeatedly applying Unhide.
Trying to change a protected sheet. Protection can disable row-formatting commands. Check Review > Unprotect Sheet and get the required password or permission from the owner.
Working on the wrong worksheet. Unhide affects the active sheet. Confirm the selected sheet tab before changing rows, especially in workbooks with many similarly named tabs.

Tips

Use the row numbers as a clue. A jump in numbering usually points to hidden rows; continuous numbering with missing entries more often points to a filter or a different data range.
Test a small selection first. If you know the missing span, unhide just those rows rather than changing the whole sheet. This makes it easier to spot whether the problem is a filter or an outline.
Check every filter column. A record can be excluded by one column even when the visible filter arrow is not obvious. Open the relevant arrows and review selected values, search text, and date or number conditions.
Keep the difference between hide and filter in mind. Manually hidden rows usually have a numbering gap and respond to Unhide. A filter changes which matching records are displayed and is best corrected from the filter menu.
Save after confirming the result. Once the rows are visible and correct, save the workbook. If you changed a shared file, make sure your change is allowed and that you have not unintentionally cleared criteria someone else relies on.

Troubleshooting

Unhide is missing or greyed out: Confirm that you selected row headers, not just cells, and that your selection spans the hidden rows. If the worksheet is protected, use Review > Unprotect Sheet if you have permission. Also check that you are not looking at a filtered or grouped range.

The row numbers still jump after using Unhide: Select the entire worksheet with the Select All button and run Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows once more. If the gap remains, select the rows around it and set a positive Row Height. If that still fails, look for a collapsed outline and expand it. Repeat the check on the correct sheet tab.

The row numbers are consecutive, but data is missing: Clear active filters using Data > Sort & Filter > Clear, then inspect each filter arrow. Also check whether the visible table or range ends before the missing records; records outside the selected range will not be affected by that range’s filter.

Only some rows return: There may be more than one cause. Clear the filter, expand all relevant outline groups, and then use Unhide on the remaining numbering gaps. If several rows have different heights, select the affected range and set a positive height. Make one change at a time so you can tell which setting caused the issue.

The sheet is protected and you do not know the password: Ask the file owner or administrator to unprotect it or grant the required permission. Do not alter a shared workbook through workarounds that could compromise its controls. If you only need to read the missing information, request an authorized unprotected copy.

Excel for the web does not show the same command: Select the relevant row headers and open the context menu, or open the Home tab’s formatting options. If the needed control is not available in the browser, use Open in Desktop App and follow the Windows steps. The exact menu placement can change with the web interface, but the selection and filter checks remain the same.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Unhide do nothing in Excel?
Most often, the rows are filtered, grouped, set to zero height, or on a protected sheet rather than simply hidden. Select the row headers around the gap first, then check those other causes if the command has no effect.

How do I unhide every row at once?
Click the Select All triangle at the upper-left of the worksheet, then choose Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. This applies to the active sheet only. It does not clear filters or expand collapsed outline groups.

How can I tell whether rows are filtered or hidden?
A jump in row numbers commonly indicates hidden rows, while consecutive row numbers with records missing commonly indicate a filter. Check the column filter arrows and use Data > Sort & Filter > Clear to test whether excluded records return.

Can I unhide rows if the worksheet is protected?
Only if the protection settings allow that action or you can unprotect the sheet with the required password. Choose Review > Unprotect Sheet if you are authorized. Otherwise, contact the workbook owner.

How do I unhide row 1?
Select the whole worksheet with the Select All button and choose Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. Because there is no row above row 1, selecting adjacent row headers is not an option; setting row 1 to a positive height is another way to restore it.

Will Unhide remove my filters or outline groups?
No. Unhide restores manually hidden rows but does not clear filter criteria or expand collapsed outline groups. Clear the relevant filter or click the outline’s plus sign to display those rows.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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