How to quickly remove all numberings or bullet points from an Excel column?
It is common to receive or work with Excel sheets that contain a list of items formatted with various types of bullet points or numbering. While these formats can help organize information visually, they are not always needed for sorting, analysis, or when preparing data for export or integration into other systems. In scenarios such as data cleaning, importing into databases, or preparing standardized datasets, quickly removing redundant bullets or numbering from a column can greatly improve workflow efficiency.
This tutorial provides practical solutions for efficiently removing all types of bullet points and numberings from an Excel column. These methods cover built-in Excel functions, formula approaches, handy add-ins, and automated VBA solutions, catering to different user requirements and technical backgrounds. Select the solution that best fits your scenario, depending on the column's complexity and your need for automation or precision.
Remove multiple bullets with Find and Replace function
Remove multiple numberings or bullets with formula
Insert or remove multiple numbering or bullets with Kutools for Excel
Remove multiple bullets with Find and Replace function
If your data contains bullet points at the beginning or within cell text, the Find and Replace feature in Excel offers a straightforward way to locate these symbols and remove them in bulk. This efficient solution is best for simple bullet characters and works especially well for lists where a single bullet type is used.
1. Select the cell range you want to clean bullet points from. Press Ctrl + H to open the Find and Replace dialog box. In the Find what field, hold the Alt key and, on your numeric keypad, type 0149 to enter the standard bullet character. Leave the Replace with field empty. This configuration tells Excel to search for bullets and replace them with nothing, effecting their removal.
Tip: If your bullet points use different symbols (such as "•", "●", "○", or custom marks), copy any bullet from your sheet, paste it directly into the Find what box, and repeat the replacement. This approach works for all visible bullet characters and can save time in complex sheets.
2. Click Replace All. Excel quickly scans your selected range and replaces all matching bullet symbols. A notification will appear, indicating the number of replacements made.
Precautions: Check your selected range carefully, especially if some cells contain bullet symbols as part of the required data. Maintain a backup copy of your original data before executing the replacement function to avoid accidental loss of information.
3. Click OK to close the dialog and confirm the updated results in your worksheet.
This method is fast for standard bullets but may require multiple passes if your data contains more than one type of bullet or non-standard symbols. For numbered lists or leading numerals, see formula or VBA-based solutions below.
Remove multiple numberings or bullets with formula
For lists that start with consistent numbering (such as "1. Apple", "2. Banana") or bullet symbols, Excel formulas offer a precise approach to remove these prefixes automatically, making it suitable for columns with organized list patterns. This method is ideal when you want the cleaned text to appear in a separate column, providing a non-destructive solution that preserves the original data.
Select a blank cell where you want to display the modified result. Enter the following formula to remove the first two characters (useful for formats like "1. " or "* "):
=RIGHT(D10, LEN(D10)-2)Here, D10 is the reference to the cell containing the numbered or bulleted text. The number 2 specifies how many characters to remove from the start of the cell's content. If your prefix uses more or fewer characters (e.g., "10. ", "a) "), adjust this value accordingly.
Press Enter to apply the formula, then drag the fill handle down to apply it to all necessary rows. See screenshot:
Insert or remove multiple numbering or bullets with Kutools for Excel
Kutools for Excel provides easy-to-use options for both inserting and removing bullet points or numberings from a group of cells, perfect for users who frequently organize or reformat lists. This approach is beneficial in scenarios where you want precise control over formatting or need to remove formatting previously applied using Kutools.
Insert Bullets
Highlight the cells you want to add bullets to, then navigate to Kutools > Insert > Insert Bullet and pick your preferred bullet style. See screenshot:
Immediately, all selected cells are updated with your chosen bullet point.
Remove Bullets
Select any range with existing bullets, and click Kutools > Insert > Insert Bullet > None. All bullet points disappear instantly.
Insert Numberings
To add numbering, select your target cells, go to Kutools > Insert > Insert Numbering, and choose your numbering style. See screenshot:
Numbering is applied to all highlighted cells.
Remove Numberings
For quick cleanup, select the cell range with numberings, then choose Kutools > Insert > Insert Numbering > None to strip the numbers.
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Demo: Insert or remove multiple numbering or bullets with Kutools for Excel
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