Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated October 16, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
Sam has a document that contains some tables in which he wants to delete some rows. The rows contain specific text, which he can certainly delete by using Find and Replace, but he wants to delete the entire rows that contain that text.
There is no way to do this (delete rows) using the normal Find and Replace features of Word. Instead, you need to use a macro that will find the text and then delete the entire row. Here is a relatively simple macro that will do the job:
Sub DeleteRowWithSpecifiedText() Dim sText As String sText = InputBox("Enter text for row to be deleted") Selection.Find.ClearFormatting With Selection.Find .Text = sText .Wrap = wdFindContinue End With Do While Selection.Find.Execute If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) Then Selection.Rows.Delete End If Loop End Sub
This macro first displays an input box that asks the user to specify the text to be searched for. It then starts searching for all instances of that text. If an instance is found, then the selection is checked to make sure it is within a table. If it is, then the entire row is deleted, and the macro moves on to the next occurrence.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13148) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Finding and Deleting Rows.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
When editing a document that contains footnotes, you may want to perform a Find and Replace operation that is limited to ...
Discover MoreFinding and replacing text when the text being searched for has mixed formatting can be a challenge. You may, however, ...
Discover MoreThe Find and Replace tool can get rid of trailing spaces in paragraphs quite nicely. If those spaces are at the end of ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-10-20 09:12:08
Arya
Thank you. The macro saved my day
2022-04-01 10:31:59
Ariel <3
this is a KING post
thanks to you i learned what macros are, and how to achieve my desired outcome. thank you very much :)
Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments