How to unhide or show columns & rows in Excel?
Hiding columns and rows in Excel is a common practice to streamline your view and focus on relevant data without deleting information that might be useful later. However, you may need to bring these hidden elements back into view for further modifications or reviews. This article explains how to unhide or show all columns and rows in Excel effectively.
- show the hidden columns and rows one by one with built-in features
- show the hidden columns and rows at a time with Kutools
- Which Method Should You Use?
- Conclusion
Show the hidden columns and rows one by one with built-in features
Step 1: Select the range containing the hidden column and rows, or press "Ctrl + A" to select the entire worksheet.
Step 2: Move to "Home" > "Format" > "Hide/Unhide" > "Unhide Rows" or "Unhide columns". See screenshot:
Note: You cannot unhide all the rows and columns at a time but have to display them individually.
Show the hidden columns and rows at a time with Kutools for Excel
While Excel itself does not provide a direct option to unhide all hidden columns and rows at once, the third-party tool Kutools for Excel fills this gap with its "Unhide All Ranges" function. This feature is especially beneficial for users who work with complex spreadsheets where multiple columns and rows have been hidden over time for various reasons.
After installing Kutools for Excel, click "Kutools" > "View" > "Unhide All Ranges". See screenshot:
The following example shows how the feature works. We had hidden rows 3, 4, and 5 earlier, and after clicking "Unhide All Ranges", the hidden rows are displayed as normal.
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Which Method Should You Use?
| Feature | Excel Built-in Hide/Unhide | Kutools |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Unhiding a few hidden rows or columns with Excel’s built-in tools | Quickly showing all hidden rows and columns in a worksheet |
| Shows rows and columns together | No; hidden rows and columns must be unhidden separately | Yes; all hidden rows and columns can be displayed at once |
| Range selection required | Yes; select the range containing the hidden rows or columns, or select the entire worksheet | No complex range selection is required |
| Main advantage | Built into Excel and requires no additional software | Restores all hidden ranges with one command |
| Recommended use | Best for occasional or small-scale unhiding tasks | Best for worksheets containing many hidden rows and columns |
Conclusion
Showing hidden rows and columns in Excel is easy, but the most suitable method depends on how much hidden data you need to restore.
Use Excel’s built-in Hide & Unhide commands when you only need to reveal a few hidden rows or columns. If a worksheet contains many hidden areas, Kutools for Excel can display all hidden rows and columns at once, saving repeated selection and menu operations.
Tip: When using Excel’s built-in method, make sure the selected range includes the hidden rows or columns you want to restore.
Choose the built-in method for occasional tasks, or use Kutools when you need a faster way to restore multiple hidden ranges.
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