DON’T delete rows like this in Excel

There are a tonne of videos out there showing how to delete blank rows in Excel. And the method shown is pretty much the same each time.

However, I’ve noticed most of them do not mention one notable flaw.

Firstly, what is the method?

1. Select your data.
2. Go to Home > Find & Select > Go To Special.
3. Choose Blanks.
4. Select OK.
5. Go to Home > Delete.

Alternatively, use this keyboard sequence after selecting your data:

1. Ctrl + G
2. Alt + S
3. K
4. Enter
5. Ctrl + -
6. U
7. Enter

Here’s the caveat…

This approach only works if every row with data is fully populated.

If even one cell is blank, Excel shifts the remaining cells up — breaking the alignment between rows. You might not even know this has happened until later on!

The solution?

Use this formula:

=
FILTER(

IF(A2:C29="","",A2:C29),

BYROW(
A2:C29,
COUNTA
)

)

The benefits:

• Removes only entirely blank rows
• Keeps all data aligned
• Updates automatically whenever your dataset changes

Watch the video