Formatting Issues

How to Remove Excel Cell Background Colors and Borders

Khadija Khan Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to remove unwanted background colors, such as yellow from built-in styles, and borders from Excel cells.

How to Remove Excel Cell Background Colors and Borders

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Cleaning up spreadsheet formatting where built-in styles or unintentional borders have been applied.
Observed behavior: Cells display unwanted yellow backgrounds and visible borders that were not intentionally added.

Before you start

Identify the specific cells or range of cells in your spreadsheet that contain the unwanted formatting before applying these changes.

Solution 1Recommended

Clear Fill Color and Borders via the Home Tab

The quickest way to remove unwanted cell backgrounds and borders using the standard Excel ribbon tools.

This method allows you to specifically target and remove the background color and borders without affecting other formatting elements like font style or number formats.

Select the cells

Click and drag to highlight all the affected cells that have the unwanted background color or borders.

Remove the background color

Go to the Home tab, locate the Font group, click the arrow next to the Fill Color icon (the paint bucket), and select 'No Fill'.

Remove the borders

Still in the Font group on the Home tab, click the arrow next to the Borders icon and choose 'No Border' from the dropdown menu.

Clear Fill Color and Borders via the Home Tab

Quick Tip: If you want to remove all formatting entirely, you can use the 'Clear Formats' option under the Editing group on the Home tab.

Easily Manage Spreadsheet Formatting with WPS Office

WPS Office provides an intuitive and free alternative for managing spreadsheets. You can easily clear formatting, remove backgrounds, and adjust cell borders with full compatibility with Microsoft Excel files.

1. Open your file in WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office and open your .xlsx file.
2. Select the target cells: Highlight the cells containing the unwanted background colors or borders.
3. Clear formatting: Navigate to the Home tab, click on the Eraser icon (Clear), and select 'Clear Formats' to remove backgrounds and borders instantly.

Free and lightweight spreadsheet editorFully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) formatsOne-click tool to clear all cell formatting instantlyFamiliar ribbon interface for a seamless transition

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my Excel cells turn yellow automatically?

This often happens if a built-in cell style, such as 'Neutral', 'Notes', or 'Explanatory Text', was accidentally applied to the cells. Clearing the fill color will resolve this.

Does removing the fill color delete my cell data?

No, changing the fill color to 'No Fill' only removes the background formatting. Your text, numbers, and formulas will remain entirely intact.

How can I remove all formatting from a cell at once?

You can remove all formatting by selecting the cell, going to the Home tab, clicking on the 'Clear' button in the Editing group (often represented by an eraser icon), and selecting 'Clear Formats'.

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