Template Issues

How to Hide Empty Rows in Word Repeating Section Content Controls

Camila Milosovich Sep 25, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to automatically hide table rows containing nested content controls within a repeating section of a Word template when the populated content is blank.

How to Hide Empty Rows in Word Repeating Section Content Controls

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Generating documents using a Word template with repeating sections populated by Power Automate.
Observed behavior: Word leaves blank rows visible when the nested content controls receive empty data, and there is no built-in setting to automatically collapse or hide these blank sections.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to edit the Power Automate flow that populates your Word template, as resolving this issue efficiently requires filtering the data source before it reaches the document.

Solution 1Recommended

Filter Empty Data in Power Automate (Recommended)

Since Word cannot automatically hide empty repeating sections natively, the most effective approach is to filter the data array in Power Automate so that blank rows are never sent to the template.

Instead of trying to hide existing rows in Word, you should control the data being passed into the document. By passing a clean array that omits empty items, the Word repeating section will only generate table rows for actual data.

Open your Power Automate Flow

Navigate to Power Automate and enter the edit mode for the flow that contains the 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action.

Add a Filter Array action

Before the Word template action, insert a 'Filter array' data operation. Select the dynamic content array that you intend to pass into the repeating section.

Define the filter condition

Set up a condition to check the specific field or value. Choose the operator 'is not equal to' and leave the right-hand value blank (or use the null expression) to exclude empty entries.

Map the filtered array to Word

In your 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action, click the array input field for your repeating section and select the 'Body' output from the 'Filter array' action.

Filter Empty Data in Power Automate (Recommended)

Effective Template Management: By sending only populated arrays to the Word connector, the template will only generate rows for valid data, effectively bypassing the need to hide blank rows.

Solution 2

Use a VBA Macro to Delete Empty Rows

If you cannot modify the external data source or Power Automate flow, you can utilize a VBA macro within the generated Word document to search for and delete rows with empty content controls.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does Microsoft Word have a built-in feature to hide blank repeating section rows?

No, Microsoft Word currently does not provide a native setting or checkbox to automatically hide repeating section content controls when their populated content is empty.

Can I use Power Automate to delete rows directly in a Word document?

Power Automate's standard Word connectors cannot delete existing rows or alter document structure dynamically. You must prevent the row from generating in the first place by filtering the data array before it reaches the 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action.

Will hiding empty fields mess up my Word document formatting?

If you handle it by filtering the array in Power Automate, the repeating section simply will not generate the unneeded rows, seamlessly preserving the rest of your table's formatting.

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