Delete Blank Rows in Excel: Keyboard Shortcut Guide

To delete blank rows quickly in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, select a column that should contain a value in every real record, press Ctrl+G, choose Special, select Blanks, and click OK. Then press Ctrl+- and choose Entire row. This removes every worksheet row containing a blank in that selected column, so first confirm the column is a reliable way to identify rows that are truly empty. The steps below explain how to check safely and what to do when records have gaps.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook open in the desktop version of Excel. The main keyboard sequence below is for Windows; Excel for the web has fewer selection tools, and Mac instructions are included where useful.
A clear idea of the data range you want to clean, including which rows are headers and which columns contain your records.
A saved copy of the workbook, or at least a chance to review the selection before deleting. Deleting entire rows can affect formulas, formatting, and other data farther down the sheet.

Step-by-Step

Save a copy and identify the data area. Save the workbook before making a bulk change. Find the first and last rows of the list, and note the header row. For example, if row 1 contains headings and records run from row 2 to row 250, do not include row 1 when selecting cells to search. If there are unrelated notes or another table elsewhere on the same worksheet, keep those outside the operation.
Choose a dependable column. Look for a field that should be filled in on every legitimate record, such as an order number or employee ID. If that field is in column A, select only its data cells, such as A2:A250—not the heading and not the whole worksheet. This is the safety-critical part: a blank in the chosen column does not prove that the entire row is blank. If a partially completed record can have an empty ID, use the safer helper-column method later in this guide instead.
Open Go To. Press Ctrl+G on Windows. The Go To dialog appears. You can also use Home > Find & Select > Go To. In the dialog, click Special to open Go To Special. The ribbon route is useful if the shortcut is unavailable or you prefer to see each command.
Select blank cells in the chosen range. In Go To Special, select Blanks, then click OK. Excel highlights the empty cells in the range you selected. Because you selected only the dependable data column, the highlighted cells identify candidate rows, rather than every empty cell in the entire table. If Excel highlights an unexpectedly large number of cells, stop and check the range before deleting anything.
Open the Delete dialog. With the blank cells still selected, press Ctrl+- (Ctrl and the minus key) on Windows. Excel opens the Delete dialog. Do not choose Shift cells up: that moves individual cells and can misalign records across columns.
Delete the entire worksheet rows. In the dialog, choose Entire row and click OK. Excel removes the selected rows, moving the remaining rows up together. If the selection includes multiple blank cells in the same row, Excel still removes that worksheet row just once.
Check the result before continuing. Scan the top, middle, and bottom of the cleaned list. Verify that headings remain, complete records still line up across their columns, and no partly filled rows were removed. If the result is wrong, press Ctrl+Z immediately to undo it. Save again only after the check is satisfactory.

Mac: The Windows Ctrl+- sequence is not the best instruction to rely on for Mac keyboards. In Excel for Mac, use Control+G to open Go To, choose Special, and select Blanks. For deletion, use Home > Delete > Delete Sheet Rows after confirming the intended rows. The menu command makes it clear that whole worksheet rows—not individual cells—are being removed. Menu labels can vary slightly by Excel release.

If no column is always filled: Identify genuinely empty rows across the full width of the data instead of treating blank cells in one field as empty records. A helper column can test each row. With records in A2:F250, enter the following in G2 and fill it down through G250:

=COUNTA(A2:F2)=0

For a row whose cells A2:F2 are all empty, COUNTA returns 0, and the comparison 0=0 returns TRUE. A row with any entry in those six cells returns FALSE. Filter the helper column for TRUE, inspect the matching rows, and delete only those rows. Keep the helper column until you have verified the cleanup, then remove it if you no longer need it. This approach checks all six fields, unlike the single-column shortcut.

Common Mistakes

Selecting the whole table and choosing Blanks. Go To Special then selects blank cells wherever they occur, including empty fields inside otherwise valid records. Deleting entire rows from that selection can erase records that are not empty. Limit the selection to a reliable key column, or check all data columns with a helper column.
Including the heading row. If a heading cell is empty, Excel may treat the header row as a candidate. Select data cells only, starting immediately below the headings, and inspect the highlighted cells before deleting.
Choosing the wrong deletion option. Shift cells up can pull values from different columns into mismatched records. For removing blank rows, choose Entire row in the Delete dialog, or use Delete Sheet Rows from the ribbon.
Assuming a row is empty because it looks empty. A cell may contain a space, an apostrophe, or a formula that displays an empty string. Those cells may not count as blank to Go To Special. Check questionable cells in the formula bar, or use the troubleshooting steps below.
Deleting rows outside the list. Excel deletes full worksheet rows, not just cells in your selected columns. Check whether other information shares those row numbers in another area of the sheet before confirming.

Tips

Use the shortcut on a focused range. Selecting just the data portion of a dependable column makes the result easier to predict and reduces the risk of reaching unrelated cells. You can drag over the range or click its first cell, hold Shift, and click its last cell.
Inspect before pressing Ctrl+-. The highlighted blank cells are a chance to catch a bad selection. If the active range, number of highlights, or highlighted positions look surprising, press Esc and start again with the correct range.
Consider filters for review. If your list has headings, turn on filters with Data > Filter. Filtering a dependable column for blanks can make candidate rows visible for inspection before you delete them. Clear the filter afterward so you can see the full list.
Preserve formulas and worksheet layout. Deleting a full row can change references, named ranges, charts, and formulas elsewhere in the workbook. If the workbook is shared or contains linked sheets, check important totals and references after cleanup.
Use a helper check for irregular data. When legitimate records can have missing values in one or more fields, a row-wide check is safer than a one-column shortcut. Review the helper results before deleting; a TRUE result means every cell in the tested range is empty, not necessarily that the row has no content outside that range.

Troubleshooting

Go To Special does not highlight the rows you expect: Check that you selected the data range before opening Go To Special and that the range starts below the headers. If you clicked a single cell instead, Excel may apply the command to a larger current region. Press Esc, select the exact cells, and repeat. Also confirm that the column you chose is normally populated in every valid record.

Some apparently blank rows remain: The cells may contain spaces or formulas that return an empty-looking result. Click a suspect cell and inspect the formula bar. If there is a formula, Go To Special will not treat the formula cell as an empty cell, even when its displayed result looks blank. If the row is truly empty across the data columns, use the helper-column check and review its TRUE results. For cells containing accidental spaces, clean those values only after confirming they are not meaningful.

Valid rows were deleted: Press Ctrl+Z immediately on Windows, or use Edit > Undo on Mac. Do not save and close the workbook first if you still need to undo. Then repeat with a key column that cannot be blank on a valid record, or use the helper-column method across all columns that define a record. If Undo is no longer available, restore the saved copy or use the workbook’s version history if it is enabled.

The Delete dialog did not appear: Make sure the selected cells are still active and use Ctrl+- on a Windows keyboard. On a laptop, the minus key may require a different key combination depending on the keyboard layout. Alternatively, use Home > Delete > Delete Sheet Rows after selecting the intended row or rows. Avoid clicking the general Delete command without checking which option it will apply.

You are using Excel for the web: If Go To Special is unavailable in your browser version, use a helper column to mark fully empty data rows, then filter that column and review the candidates. Delete selected worksheet rows using the available row context menu or Home delete options. If the controls do not allow you to select and remove only the intended rows, open the workbook in the Excel desktop app and use the Windows or Mac steps above.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the keyboard shortcut to delete blank rows in Excel?
On Windows, select a reliable data column, press Ctrl+G, choose Special > Blanks, then press Ctrl+- and choose Entire row. It is a sequence of commands, not a single shortcut that automatically identifies truly empty rows.

Can I select blanks in the entire worksheet?
You can use Go To Special on a broad selection, but it will find every blank cell, including gaps in valid records. Deleting entire rows from that selection can remove nonblank records. Restrict the selection to a dependable key column or use a row-wide helper check.

Does this delete rows that contain formulas returning an empty result?
Not necessarily. A formula remains in the cell even if it displays nothing, so Go To Special does not treat that cell as genuinely empty. Inspect the formula bar and decide whether those rows should be kept or removed based on your data rules.

Can I undo a row deletion?
Yes. Use Ctrl+Z on Windows or Edit > Undo on Mac immediately after the deletion. Undo may no longer be available after closing the workbook or making other changes, so save a copy before a large cleanup.

Will deleting blank rows change formulas?
It can. Excel may adjust references when worksheet rows are removed, and related formulas, charts, or linked data may be affected. Review key totals and references after deleting rows, especially in a workbook with calculations or multiple related sheets.

What if I only want to remove blank rows from part of a sheet?
Select the relevant data range and use a helper check covering only the columns that define a record. When deleting whole worksheet rows, remember that every cell on those row numbers is removed, including content outside the selected range. Move unrelated content or use a separate worksheet if it must be preserved.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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

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