How to Unhide Rows and Columns in Excel

Hidden rows and columns in Excel are a common source of confusion—you know the data is there, but it seems to have vanished from view. This guide shows you the fastest ways to bring them back, whether you need to unhide a single row, a group of columns, or everything on the sheet at once. You’ll learn the mouse methods, the right-click shortcuts, and the keyboard tricks that work in Excel 2016, 2019, 2021, and Microsoft 365.

What You’ll Need

A Windows PC or Mac with Microsoft Excel installed.
A workbook that contains hidden rows or columns.
Basic familiarity with selecting cells and using the mouse or keyboard.

Step-by-Step

Method 1: Unhide a Single Row or Column

Identify the hidden row or column. Look at the row numbers on the left side or the column letters at the top. A gap in the sequence (e.g., rows jump from 3 to 5, or columns go from B to D) indicates a hidden row or column.
Select the surrounding rows or columns. Click the row number above the hidden row and drag down to the row number below it. For a hidden column, click the column letter to the left and drag to the column letter on the right. For example, if row 4 is hidden, select rows 3 and 5 by clicking on “3” and dragging to “5”.
Right-click the selection. A context menu appears.
Choose “Unhide”. The hidden row or column will immediately reappear, and the selection will expand to include it.

Method 2: Unhide Multiple Rows or Columns at Once

Select a range that spans all the hidden rows or columns. For instance, if rows 4, 7, and 9 are hidden, select rows 3 through 10. Click the first row number, hold the Shift key, and click the last row number. Do the same with column letters for hidden columns.
Right-click the highlighted selection.
Click “Unhide”. All hidden rows or columns within that selected range will become visible at once.

Method 3: Unhide All Rows and Columns on the Entire Sheet

Select the entire worksheet. Click the small triangle button located at the intersection of the row numbers and column letters (top-left corner of the sheet, just above row 1 and to the left of column A). Alternatively, press Ctrl + A (Windows) or Cmd + A (Mac) twice if the cursor is inside a cell with data.
Right-click any row number or column letter.
Click “Unhide”. Every hidden row and column on the sheet will be revealed.

Method 4: Unhide Using the Ribbon (Home Tab)

Select the range that includes the hidden rows or columns (as described in Method 1 or 2).
Go to the “Home” tab in the ribbon at the top of Excel.
Find the “Cells” group (usually on the right side of the ribbon).
Click “Format”.
Under “Visibility”, hover over “Hide & Unhide”.
Click “Unhide Rows” or “Unhide Columns” depending on what you need.

Method 5: Unhide the Very First Row (Row 1) or Column (Column A)

Row 1 and Column A are special cases because there’s no row above or column to the left to select. Here’s how to handle them:

For Row 1: Click the row number “2” in the row header. Then, go to the Home tab, click Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. Alternatively, type A1 in the Name Box (the box to the left of the formula bar) and press Enter. Then go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.
For Column A: Click the column letter “B” in the column header. Then go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Columns. Or type A1 in the Name Box, press Enter, and then use the same ribbon path.

Method 6: Keyboard Shortcut

Select the rows or columns that surround the hidden ones (as in Method 1).
Press Ctrl + Shift + 9 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + 9 (Mac) to unhide rows.
Press Ctrl + Shift + 0 (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + 0 (Mac) to unhide columns.

Common Mistakes

Selecting only the hidden row itself. You can’t unhide a row by selecting it directly because it’s not visible to click. You must select rows on both sides of it.
Forgetting to select the full range. If you select only rows 3 and 5 when row 4 is hidden, that works. But if rows 4 and 6 are hidden, you need to select rows 3 through 7 to catch both.
Using “Hide” instead of “Unhide”. Double-check the menu option you click. It’s easy to misread when you’re in a hurry.
Assuming unhiding works across sheets. Hidden rows/columns are specific to each worksheet. Unhiding on Sheet1 does nothing to Sheet2.

Tips

Check for filters. If rows are missing but you can’t unhide them, the sheet might have an AutoFilter active. Look for a funnel icon next to the column headers. Click it and choose “Clear Filter From…” to bring back all rows.
Use the Name Box for quick jumps. Type a cell reference like D5 into the Name Box and press Enter. This selects that cell even if it’s in a hidden area, making it easier to then unhide the surrounding rows/columns.
Unhide everything before printing. Hidden rows or columns will not print. If your printout looks incomplete, press Ctrl+A to select all, then use the ribbon method to unhide everything.
Grouped rows can look hidden. If you see a bracket with a plus (+) sign on the left margin, the rows are grouped and collapsed. Click the plus sign to expand them—this is not the same as hiding.

Troubleshooting

“Unhide” is grayed out. This usually means you haven’t selected a valid range. Make sure you’ve selected rows or columns that actually span a hidden one. If you’ve selected the entire sheet (Ctrl+A), the option should be available.

Rows are still hidden after unhiding. Check if the row height is set to a very small value (like 0 or 1). Select the rows, right-click, choose “Row Height”, and enter a value like 15. Similarly, column width might be set to 0. Right-click the columns and choose “Column Width” to set it to 8 or 10.

You see a blank area but no gap in row numbers. This might not be hidden rows—it could be a filter, or the rows might have a white font on a white background. Clear any filters and check the font color.

Keyboard shortcut doesn’t work. On some keyboard layouts, Ctrl+Shift+0 is intercepted by the operating system. Use the right-click method or the ribbon instead.

Hidden rows are on a protected sheet. If the worksheet is protected, you’ll need the password to unprotect it first. Go to the Review tab > Unprotect Sheet, enter the password, then try unhiding again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I unhide rows in Excel?
Most often it’s because you haven’t selected rows on both sides of the hidden ones. Other causes include a protected sheet, a filter, or rows with a height of zero. Try selecting the entire sheet (Ctrl+A) and then using the Unhide command.

How do I unhide all rows in Excel at once?
Click the triangle at the top-left corner of the sheet to select everything, then right-click any row number and choose “Unhide”. Alternatively, use the ribbon: Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows.

What is the shortcut to unhide columns in Excel?
Select the columns around the hidden ones, then press Ctrl+Shift+0 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+0 (Mac). If that doesn’t work, use the right-click method.

How do I unhide the first row in Excel?
Click on row 2, then go to Home > Format > Hide & Unhide > Unhide Rows. Or type A1 in the Name Box, press Enter, and then use the same ribbon command.

Can I unhide rows that were hidden by a filter?
Yes. Click the filter icon (funnel) in the column header and select “Clear Filter From [Column Name]”. This will show all rows that match the unfiltered criteria.

Why is my Excel sheet showing rows 1, 2, then 4, 5?
That means row 3 is hidden. Select rows 2 and 4, right-click, and choose “Unhide”. The same logic applies to columns with missing letters.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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