Formatting Issues

How to Automate Merging Cells and Deleting Alternate Rows in Excel

WPS Content Manager Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs an efficient method to clean up imported database records by deleting alternating rows that contain unnecessary data and fixing merged cells.

How to Automate Merging Cells and Deleting Alternate Rows in Excel

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Cleaning up imported database records where individual records are split across two rows, often with merged cells and unnecessary email data on the second row.
Observed behavior: Manually unmerging cells and deleting thousands of split-row records is highly impractical and consumes too much time.

Before you start

Inspect the first few rows of your spreadsheet to confirm that the rows you want to delete consistently contain a blank cell in the first column, as this predictable pattern is required for the filtering method to work accurately.

Solution 1Recommended

Unmerge Cells and Delete Rows Using Blank Cell Filters

Use Excel's built-in filtering tool to isolate and delete alternate rows containing unnecessary data by targeting blank cells in the primary column.

When dealing with thousands of rows, manual deletion is not feasible. By unmerging the dataset first, Excel automatically pushes the data to the top-left cell and leaves the rest of the previously merged area blank. You can then use the Filter tool to isolate these blank rows and delete them all at once.

Unmerge the dataset

Select the entire data range by clicking the triangle in the top-left corner of the worksheet. Go to the Home tab, locate the Alignment group, click the Merge & Center dropdown, and choose Unmerge Cells.

Apply a filter

Click on the header of your first column (which should now have blank cells in the alternate rows). Navigate to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon and click the Filter button.

Filter for blank cells

Click the newly appeared filter dropdown arrow on the first column's header. Uncheck 'Select All', scroll to the bottom of the list, check the box for '(Blanks)', and click OK.

Delete the visible rows

Select all the currently visible rows containing the unnecessary data. Right-click the row numbers on the far left side of the screen and select Delete Row from the context menu.

Clear the filter

Go back to the Data tab and click the Filter button again to turn off the filter. Your records will now be properly consolidated into single rows without the alternating clutter.

Unmerge Cells and Delete Rows Using Blank Cell Filters

Data Cleanup Complete: Your database records are now properly aligned in single rows, making it much easier to sort, analyze, or export the dataset.

Efficient Data Cleanup

Clean Up Large Datasets Easily with WPS Spreadsheet

WPS Spreadsheet offers powerful, user-friendly data formatting and filtering tools that make cleaning up imported database records and deleting alternate rows a breeze.

1. Open your file: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your imported database file.
2. Unmerge cells: Select your data, go to the Home tab, and click the 'Merge and Center' icon dropdown to select 'Unmerge Cells'.
3. Filter the data: Highlight the top row, go to the Data tab, and click 'AutoFilter'.
4. Remove unwanted rows: Filter the first column for '(Blanks)', select all visible rows, right-click the row headers, and choose 'Delete'.
5. Restore view: Click 'AutoFilter' again to clear the filter and view your properly formatted database records.

Seamless compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) file formatsAdvanced filtering tools to quickly isolate blank or alternate rowsFast performance even when processing thousands of complex recordsIntuitive interface for bulk-unmerging and formatting cells

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Frequently Asked Questions

How can I delete alternate rows if there are no blank cells to filter?

If your data doesn't have blank cells to target, create a temporary 'helper column' next to your data. Enter the formula =MOD(ROW(),2) and drag it down. This returns a 1 for odd rows and a 0 for even rows. Apply a filter to this helper column for either 0 or 1, delete those visible rows, and then delete the helper column.

What happens to the data inside a merged cell when I unmerge it?

When you unmerge cells in Excel, the existing data is placed entirely into the top-left cell of the formerly merged area. All other adjacent cells that were part of the merge will become blank, which makes them perfect targets for filtering.

Can I fully automate this process if I have to do it frequently?

Yes. If you perform this exact cleanup task regularly on files with identical structures, you can use the 'Record Macro' feature located under the Developer tab. By recording yourself unmerging and filtering the data once, you can run the saved macro to clean up future datasets instantly with one click.

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