In Excel, “delete data in cells” usually means clearing the cells’ contents—not removing the cells themselves. Choose Home > Clear > Clear Contents to remove values or formulas while keeping the cells in place, along with their formatting and comments. Use Delete Cells only when you want cells removed and neighboring cells shifted into the gaps.
What “delete data in cells” means in Excel
Excel separates clearing a cell’s contents from deleting the cell. Clearing removes its value or formula, but the cell remains in its worksheet position. Deleting cells removes them and shifts surrounding cells to fill the space. Microsoft’s guidance covers Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel 2021; the exact interface may vary on other platforms or versions. Microsoft Support: Clear cells of contents or formats
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How to clear contents and keep formatting
- Select the cells, rows, or columns whose contents you want to remove.
- On the Home tab, open the arrow beside Clear in the Editing group.
- Choose Clear Contents. The selected cells stay in place; their formats and comments remain.
For the same result, select the cells and press Delete or Backspace. These keys clear contents without removing formatting or comments.
Choose the command that matches what you want removed
| Command | What it removes | What remains | Do surrounding cells shift? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear Contents | Values or formulas | Cell position, formatting, and comments | No |
| Delete or Backspace | Values or formulas | Cell position, formatting, and comments | No |
| Clear Formats | Formatting | Cell position and contents | No |
| Clear Comments and Notes | Comments and notes | Cell position and other cell properties | No |
| Clear Hyperlinks | Hyperlinks | Cell position and other cell properties | No |
| Clear All | Contents, formats, and comments | Cell position | No |
| Delete Cells | The selected cells themselves | Other cells, shifted to fill the space | Yes |
In the Clear menu, choose a property-specific command when you want to remove only that property. To remove cells and shift adjacent cells, use the Delete menu and choose Delete Cells instead.
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What happens to formulas that refer to cleared cells?
Microsoft states that after you use Clear All or Clear Contents, a formula referring to the cleared cell receives a value of 0 (zero). If a result changes unexpectedly after clearing a cell, check whether another formula refers to it.
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