Blank Cells
Count blank cells with COUNTBLANK, test truly empty cells with ISBLANK, and check the whole record before deleting a row. In Excel for Windows, Go To Special > Blanks selects individual empty cells, not entirely empty records. A missing date beside an order number must not cause that order to be deleted. Use =COUNTA(A2:C2)=0 to review whether all three record cells are empty; this deliberately keeps formulas that return empty text. Before deleting worksheet rows, copy the records to a separate empty worksheet so unrelated columns are not removed too.
The formula
=COUNTBLANK(B2:B6)3 in the example: includes the formula returning empty text=ISBLANK(B3)TRUE: B3 is genuinely empty=ISBLANK(B6)FALSE: B6 contains a formula=COUNTA(A3:C3)=0FALSE: the order number and amount must be kept=COUNTA(A4:C4)=0TRUE: every record cell in A4:C4 is emptyD2: =COUNTA(A2:C2)=0fill through D6 to review each three-column recordA worked example
On a separate otherwise empty worksheet, set A1:C1 to Order, Date, Amount. A2:C2 contains O-101 | 2026-10-01 | 25; A3:C3 contains O-102 | [empty] | 40; A4:C4 is entirely empty; A5:C5 contains O-103 | 2026-10-03 | 0; A6:C6 contains O-104 | ="" | 10. Leave the [empty] cell genuinely empty and enter ="" as a formula in B6.
In D2 enter =COUNTA(A2:C2)=0 and fill through D6. Only D4 is TRUE. On this separate worksheet, select row heading 4, then right-click > Delete (Windows).
The records occupy A1:C5 after deleting original row 4. O-101, O-102, O-103 and O-104 remain in order; O-102 still has its missing date and amount 40, O-103 still has amount 0, and O-104 still has its formula in the Date cell. Before deletion, Go To Special > Blanks on A2:C6 would select B3 and A4:C4. Deleting all rows touched by that selection would wrongly remove O-102. Selecting a wider range does not fix that mistake.
Which one do I need?
| If you want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Counting blank cells, including formulas returning empty text | =COUNTBLANK(B2:B6); zero and a space are not blank |
| Testing whether one cell is genuinely empty | =ISBLANK(B3); a formula returning empty text is not an empty cell |
| Selecting blank cells without deleting records (Excel for Windows) | Select the exact data range, then Home > Find & Select > Go To > Special > Blanks |
| Removing entirely empty records | Copy the records to a separate empty worksheet, review all record columns with COUNTA, then delete only the confirmed rows |
| Inserting blank rows instead of removing them | Select the row heading where the new row should go, then right-click > Insert (Windows) |
Frequently asked questions
Why does COUNTBLANK count B6 while ISBLANK does not?
B6 contains ="", which returns empty text. COUNTBLANK includes that result, but ISBLANK returns FALSE because a formula occupies the cell. COUNTA also counts the formula, so =COUNTA(A6:C6)=0 returns FALSE and keeps the record.
Does selecting every column make Go To Special safe for deleting blank rows?
No. It still selects individual blank cells, including a missing field inside a valid record. In the example, B3 is selected even though A3 and C3 contain an order number and amount. Delete only a row confirmed empty across every record column; do not delete all rows touched by the blank-cell selection.
Why copy the records to a separate empty worksheet first?
Deleting a worksheet row removes that row across all columns, including data outside the record range. The example checks A:C only. On a busy worksheet, that check cannot establish that the rest of the worksheet row is safe to remove.
Do zero, spaces and formulas returning empty text count as empty records?
The COUNTA test keeps all of them: a zero, a space or a formula is content. This conservative rule removes only records whose checked cells are genuinely empty. If a business rule treats other values as missing, review those separately instead of silently discarding records.
Function references
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