Spreadsheets can quickly become enormous, making it difficult to focus on the data that currently matters. If you have rows containing intermediary calculations, old historical records, or reference data that you don’t want to delete but also don’t need to look at right now, hiding them is the perfect solution.
Hidden rows remain fully functional in Google Sheets. Any formulas referencing them will still calculate perfectly, but the rows themselves will disappear from view, giving you a cleaner workspace.
In this guide, you will learn how to quickly hide and restore rows in Google Sheets.
How to Hide a Single Row
- Open your Google Sheets document.
- Look at the far left edge of your screen where the row numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) are displayed.
- Right-click exactly on the number of the row you want to hide (e.g., right-click the number 5).
- A context menu will appear. Click on Hide row.
The row will immediately disappear. You will notice a gap in the numbering sequence (e.g., it will skip from 4 directly to 6), and a small black triangle icon will appear between the remaining row numbers, indicating that data is hidden there.
How to Hide Multiple Rows at Once
- Click on the number of the first row you want to hide.
- Hold down your mouse button and drag down to select multiple consecutive row numbers. (They will highlight in light blue).
- Right-click anywhere within the highlighted blue numbers.
- Click on Hide rows [X – Y] (e.g., Hide rows 5 – 10).
How to Unhide Rows
When you need to access that hidden data again, restoring it takes only a single click.
- Look at the row numbers on the left side of the screen and find the gap where your rows are hidden (e.g., between rows 4 and 6).
- You will see a small, black icon with two arrows pointing outward in that gap.
- Click directly on the small arrow icon.
The hidden row or rows will instantly pop back into view, restoring your spreadsheet to its original state.