How to Delete Rows in Excel (Beginner-Friendly Guide)

In this article, you will learn how to delete single and multiple rows in Excel workbooks.

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Method 1: Deleting a row in Excel using the ‘Delete’ function

Step 1: Select the row which you wish to delete by left-clicking on the row header.

Step 2: Right-click on the row header and select the ‘Delete’ option. The row selected in step 1 will be removed.

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Method 2: Removing a row in Excel using keyboard shortcuts

Step 1: Select the row which you wish to delete by left-clicking on the row header.

Step 2: Using the keyboard, press and hold the “CTRL” (“Command” in case of Mac) and “-” keys. The row selected in step 1 will be deleted from the Excel tab.

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How do I quickly delete multiple rows in Excel?

Excel can be used to delete multiple rows that are placed in order. In other words, only adjacent rows can be deleted together in Excel worksheets. To delete non-adjacent rows in Excel sheets, you will need to separately select and delete each row.

Method 1: Deleting multiple rows in Excel using the ‘Delete’ function

Step 1: Select all the adjacent rows you wish to delete.

Learn how to select many adjacent rows here: How to Select Multiple Rows in Excel

Step 2: Right-click on the row header and select the ‘Delete’ option. The rows selected in step 1 will be removed.

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Method 2: Removing multiple rows in Excel using keyboard shortcuts

Step 1: Select all the adjacent rows you wish to delete.

Learn how to select many adjacent rows here: How to Select Multiple Rows in Excel

Step 2: Using the keyboard, press and hold the “CTRL” (“Command” in case of Mac) and “-” keys. The multiple rows selected in step 1 will be deleted from the Excel tab.

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Case Study: Deleting multiple rows from Excel

Consider a Profit and Loss statement originally created with account-level details. As reflected in the image below, The ‘Total Income’ (row 17) includes Online Sales, Retail Sales, Uncategorized Income, and Sales of Product Income, which are account-level details (rows 12-16).

If you now wish to remove the account-level details -> select rows 12-16 as shown in the image below -> right-click on the row header and select the ‘Delete’ option. Rows 12-16 will be removed from the Profit and Loss statement.

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In conclusion, removing rows in Excel workbooks is a straightforward process. We hope this beginner-friendly guide helped you learn the two different methods. Remember to double-check your work and save changes. With these quick Excel tips, you can manage data and streamline your Excel workflow better!