Excel is a powerhouse when it comes to managing and analyzing data, but dealing with large datasets can be overwhelming. That’s where filtering comes in handy – it allows you to focus on specific portions of your data. But what if you need to get rid of those filtered rows that are no longer relevant or useful?
In this article, we will explore a variety of methods of how to delete filtered rows in Excel and streamline your data cleansing process. Whether you’re a seasoned Excel pro or just getting started, you’ll find a technique that suits your needs.
1. The Classic ‘Delete’ Method:
- Step 1: Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the worksheet containing the data you want to filter and delete rows from.
- Step 2: Apply a filter to the column(s) you want to use as criteria for filtering.
- Step 3: Select the rows that meet your filter criteria by clicking the numbers on the left of your data. These are typically highlighted when filtered.
- Step 4: Right-click on the selected rows.
- Step 5: From the context menu, choose “Delete…”.
- Step 6: A dialog box will appear; select “Entire row” and click “OK.” This action will delete the filtered rows.
2. Excel’s ‘Filter’ Option:
- Step 1: Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the worksheet containing the data to be filtered and rows deleted.
- Step 2: Apply a filter to the column(s) you want to use for filtering.
- Step 3: Select the rows that meet your filter criteria by clicking the numbers on the left of your data. These are typically highlighted when filtered.
- Step 4: Right-click on the selected rows.
- Step 5: From the context menu, choose “Delete Rows.” Excel will automatically delete the rows based on your filter criteria.
3. The ‘Go To Special’ Technique:
- Step 1: Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the worksheet containing the data.
- Step 2: Apply a filter to the column(s) you want to use for filtering.
- Step 3: Select the rows that meet your filter criteria by clicking the numbers on the left of your data.
- Step 4: Go to the ‘Home’ tab in the Excel ribbon.
- Step 5: Click on ‘Find & Select’ in the ‘Editing’ group.
- Step 6: Choose ‘Go To Special’ from the dropdown menu.
- Step 7: In the ‘Go To Special’ dialog box, select “Visible cells only” and click “OK.”
- Step 8: The filtered cells are now selected. Right-click on the selected cells.
- Step 9: From the context menu, choose “Delete,” followed by “Entire row.”
4. The ‘Advanced Filter’ Trick:
- Step 1: Open your Excel workbook and navigate to the worksheet containing the data.
- Step 2: Set up a criteria range by specifying your filter conditions in a separate area of the worksheet.
- Step 3: Apply the Advanced Filter by going to the ‘Data’ tab and selecting ‘Advanced’ in the ‘Sort & Filter’ group.
- Step 4: In the ‘Advanced Filter’ dialog box, specify the criteria range and where you want to copy the filtered results (usually a different location in the same worksheet or another worksheet).
- Step 5: Click “OK.” Excel will filter the data based on your criteria.
- Step 6: You can now delete the original data, knowing that the filtered rows have been copied to another location.
5. VBA Macro Magic
For those comfortable with Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), creating a macro to delete filtered rows can be a powerful automation tool. Here’s a simple VBA code snippet to get you started:
Sub DeleteFilteredRows()
Dim wsAs Worksheet
Dim rng As Range
Set ws = ThisWorkbook.Sheets(“Sheet1”) ‘ Change the sheet name as needed
Set rng = ws.UsedRange
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
‘ Apply AutoFilter if not already applied
If Not ws.AutoFilterModeThen
rng.AutoFilter
End If
‘ Specify the filter criteria (adjust to your needs)
ws.AutoFilter.Filters(1).Criteria1 = “Filter Criteria”
‘ Delete visible rows
On Error Resume Next
ws.AutoFilter.Range.Offset(1, 0).SpecialCells(xlCellTypeVisible).EntireRow.Delete
On Error GoTo 0
‘ Turn off the AutoFilter
ws.AutoFilterMode = False
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub
This code will delete rows that meet the specified filter criteria on “Sheet1.” Remember to customize the sheet name and filter criteria as needed.
6. Power Query for Advanced Data Cleansing:
- Step 1: Open your Excel workbook.
- Step 2: Go to the ‘Data’ tab and click on ‘Get Data’ or ‘Get & Transform Data’ (depending on your Excel version).
- Step 3: In Power Query, load your data by connecting to your data source.
- Step 4: Apply filters within Power Query to isolate the rows you want to delete.
- Step 5: Use filtering and sorting options in Power Query to remove unwanted rows.
- Step 6: Once your data is clean, load it back into Excel.
Conclusion:
Excel is a versatile tool for data management and analysis, and knowing how to delete filtered rows in Excel is an essential skill. Whether you prefer traditional methods, advanced filtering techniques, or automation through VBA, Excel provides multiple options to cater to your needs. Additionally, Power Query and specialized add-ins offer more advanced capabilities for extensive data cleansing tasks.
By mastering these methods, you’ll be better equipped to handle large datasets, streamline your data-cleaning processes, and make the most out of Excel’s powerful features. So go ahead and declutter your data, and make Excel work for you like never before!
