How to Fold Rows in Excel with Grouping

Folding rows creates an outline group: the rows remain in the worksheet, but you can collapse them to make a sheet easier to scan and expand them when you need the details. You do not need an add-in. Save a copy first if you are working with important data, and check that the rows you select form a sensible group.

What You’ll Need

An Excel workbook with the rows you want to fold.
Permission to edit the workbook. If it is protected or read-only, you may need the owner to enable editing or remove protection.

Step-by-Step

Arrange the rows. Put the detail rows you plan to fold next to one another. If you want a heading or total to stay visible, place it just outside the rows you will group. For example, keep a section title above the detail rows, then group only the detail rows.
Select the row numbers. Click the number of the first row in the group, then drag down the row headings to the last row. To select a nonadjacent set, use Ctrl on Windows or Command on Mac while selecting, but grouping is usually clearest with one continuous block. Selecting row headings groups entire worksheet rows, not just the cells in a column.
Open the grouping command. Go to the Data tab and find the Outline section. Choose Group, then choose Rows if Excel asks whether you want to group rows or columns. Menu positions and wording may differ slightly by Excel version.
Check the outline controls. Excel adds a bracket beside the grouped rows and a minus button near the row headings. If the controls are not obvious, look along the left edge of the row numbers; in some layouts, outline symbols may be above or below the group.
Fold the group. Click the minus button beside the bracket. The grouped rows disappear from view, and the control changes to a plus. The rows are hidden by the outline, not deleted.
Unfold or remove the group. Click the plus button to show the rows again. To remove the outline group while keeping the data, select its rows, open Data > Ungroup, and choose Rows if prompted. Ungrouping does not delete the row contents.

Common Mistakes

Selecting cells instead of row headings: Selecting a range of cells can make Excel group columns or offer a different grouping choice. Select the numbered row headings when you intend to fold full rows.
Including the heading or total: If the heading is part of the group, it will disappear when you collapse it. Select only the detail rows if you want the label or total to remain visible.
Using Hide instead of Group: Right-clicking and choosing Hide conceals rows but does not create the outline bracket and plus/minus controls. Use Data > Group for a collapsible outline.
Assuming hidden rows were deleted: A collapsed group is still in the worksheet. Expand it before editing or copying if you need to see all its contents.
Grouping rows that are not together: A group is most useful when its rows form a continuous section. For separate sections, create separate groups rather than selecting a large block that includes unrelated rows.

Tips

Use an outline level button, such as 1 or 2, near the top-left of the sheet to collapse or expand groups at that level, where those buttons are shown.
You can create nested groups for detail within a larger section. Group the smaller blocks first, then group the broader range. Test the plus and minus controls to confirm the levels behave as intended.
Keep a visible heading or summary row outside the detail group so readers can identify a collapsed section.
To fold several separate sections, make a group for each block. This lets you open one section without expanding every other one.
Save the workbook after setting up the outline if you want its collapsed or expanded view to be retained when you reopen it.

Troubleshooting

No plus or minus buttons appear: Check that the group was created with Data > Group, and look beside the row numbers for the outline bracket. Excel may have outline symbols hidden. In Excel for Windows, check File > Options > Advanced and the display options for the worksheet to see whether “Show outline symbols if an outline is applied” is enabled. The path and wording may differ slightly by version. On other platforms, look in Excel preferences or help for outline display options.
Group is unavailable or does not work: Confirm that the workbook is editable and the worksheet is not protected. If the sheet is protected, ask its owner to allow outlining or unprotect it before grouping. Shared or restricted workbooks may also limit changes.
The wrong rows fold: Click the plus button to expand the group, then select the correct row headings and use Data > Ungroup to remove the incorrect outline. Create the group again with the intended rows.
Rows are hidden but there is no outline control: They may have been hidden manually. Select the row headings above and below the hidden section, right-click, and choose Unhide. Then select the intended rows and group them using the Data tab.
Outline levels behave unexpectedly: Expand all groups with the highest visible outline level button, then check which rows belong to each bracket. Remove confusing groups and rebuild them from the innermost section outward.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does folding rows in Excel mean?

It means collapsing an outline group so its rows are temporarily hidden from view. The contents remain in the worksheet and can be shown again with the plus button.

Can I fold rows without deleting data?

Yes. Grouping only changes what is displayed. It does not delete the rows or their cell contents.

How do I fold multiple sections separately?

Select and group the row headings for each continuous section separately. Each group gets its own outline control, so you can collapse or expand sections independently.

Can I group rows that are not next to each other?

Excel outlines work best with contiguous blocks. For nonadjacent sections, create separate groups; do not include unrelated rows just to put them under one bracket.

How do I remove row grouping but keep the rows?

Expand the group if needed, select its row headings, then choose Data > Ungroup and select Rows if Excel asks. This removes the outline, not the data.

Sources: Microsoft Support. Menus and buttons can differ slightly by version. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.