Grouping cells lets you collapse and expand sections of your spreadsheet
Grouping in Google Sheets means bundling rows or columns together so you can hide or show them all at once with a single click. When you group, Google Sheets adds a small minus sign (−) next to the grouped rows or columns. Click it to collapse that section and hide the data. Click the plus sign (+) that appears to expand it again. This is useful when you have a spreadsheet with many rows or columns and want to focus on specific parts without deleting anything.
Grouping is different from sorting or filtering. Sorting rearranges your data. Filtering hides rows that don't match certain conditions. Grouping straightforward lets you fold up sections you're not looking at right now — the data stays in place and unchanged.
Key Takeaways
- Select the rows or columns you want to group, then use the Data menu to create the group.
- A collapse button (−) appears next to grouped rows or columns, letting you hide them with one click.
- You can create multiple groups at different levels, and Google Sheets will number them so you can collapse or expand by level.
- Grouped data stays in your spreadsheet — grouping only hides or shows it, it does not delete or move anything.
- Ungrouping removes the collapse buttons and returns the rows or columns to normal view.
How to group rows in Google Sheets
Select the rows you want to group by clicking on the row number of the first row, then holding Shift and clicking the row number of the last row. All rows in between will highlight in blue. If the rows are not next to each other, you cannot group them — grouping only works on consecutive rows or columns.
Once the rows are selected, open the Data menu at the top of the screen. Click Group rows. Google Sheets will add a small box with a minus sign (−) to the left of your selected rows, usually in a gray column. Click that minus sign to hide the rows. The minus sign becomes a plus sign (+). Click the plus sign to show the rows again.
If you select rows that are already part of a group, you can create a group within that group. Google Sheets will number the levels on the left side of the screen (1, 2, 3, and so on). Click any number to collapse or expand all groups at that level at once.
How to group columns in Google Sheets
Select the columns you want to group by clicking on the column letter of the first column, then holding Shift and clicking the column letter of the last column. The selected columns will highlight in blue. Like rows, columns must be next to each other to be grouped.
Open the Data menu and click Group columns. Google Sheets will add a collapse button above your selected columns. Click the minus sign (−) to hide the columns. Click the plus sign (+) to show them again. The collapse button appears in a gray row above the column letters.
Nested groups and outline levels
You can create groups within groups. For example, you might group rows 2–5 as "Q1 Sales", then group rows 2–3 as "January" and rows 4–5 as "February" within that larger group. Google Sheets will show numbers (1, 2, 3) on the left side of the screen. Click the number 1 to collapse everything. Click 2 to show only the larger groups. Click 3 to show all rows.
This is helpful when your spreadsheet has a natural hierarchy — months within quarters, departments within regions, or line items within categories. Each level of grouping adds another outline level, and you can navigate between them without expanding or collapsing individual groups one at a time.
Ungrouping rows or columns
To remove a group, select the rows or columns that are grouped together (you can select just one row or column in the group). Open the Data menu and click Ungroup rows or Ungroup columns. The collapse button disappears, and the rows or columns return to normal view. The data itself is not deleted — only the grouping is removed.
If you have nested groups and ungroup one level, the other levels stay in place. For example, if you have a group for "Q1" containing groups for "January" and "February", ungrouping "Q1" will remove that collapse button but leave the "January" and "February" groups intact.
When grouping is useful in practice
Grouping works well when you have a spreadsheet with many rows or columns and you want to focus on a summary or a specific section. For example, a budget spreadsheet might have detailed line items grouped by department. You can collapse the departments to see only the totals, then expand a specific department to see its details.
Grouping is also useful when you share a spreadsheet with others. You can set up the groups and collapse them before sharing, so the person opening the file sees a clean summary. They can expand any section they want to explore without you having to create separate versions of the file.
Grouping does not work well if your rows or columns are not in a logical order or if you need to hide rows based on their values (use filtering for that instead). Grouping also does not reduce file size or speed up calculations — it only changes what you see on screen.
Troubleshooting common grouping problems
If the Group option is grayed out in the Data menu, check that you have selected consecutive rows or columns. Grouping does not work on non-adjacent rows or columns. Select the rows or columns again, making sure they are next to each other, and try again.
If you create a group and the collapse button does not appear, refresh the page or close and reopen the spreadsheet. Occasionally Google Sheets needs a moment to display the grouping controls. If the problem persists, try ungrouping and grouping again.
If you have many nested groups and the outline numbers (1, 2, 3) are hard to see, they appear in a gray column on the far left of the spreadsheet. Make sure that column is not hidden. You can also click and drag the border between the outline column and the row numbers to make it wider.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I group non-consecutive rows or columns?
No. Grouping only works on rows or columns that are next to each other. If you need to hide non-adjacent rows, use filtering instead — filter by a column value to show only the rows you want to see.
Does grouping delete or move my data?
No. Grouping only hides or shows rows and columns. Your data stays in the same place and is not changed. If you ungroup, all the data reappears exactly as it was.
Can I group rows and columns at the same time?
No. You must group rows and columns separately. Select rows and group them, then select columns and group them. You can have grouped rows and grouped columns in the same spreadsheet, but you create each group independently.
What happens to groups when I share the spreadsheet?
Groups stay in place when you share. If you collapse groups before sharing, the person who opens the file will see the collapsed view. They can expand any group by clicking the plus sign. They cannot change or remove groups unless you give them editing permission.
Can I group cells instead of entire rows or columns?
No. Google Sheets grouping works only on entire rows or columns, not on individual cells. If you need to highlight or organize specific cells, use cell formatting, borders, or conditional formatting instead.