How to Remove Line Breaks in Excel?

Removing line breaks in Excel is essential for cleaning data, improving readability, and ensuring proper calculations. You can efficiently remove these unwanted characters using various methods, including Excel's built-in Find and Replace tool, basic manual deletion, or specialized functions like CLEAN and SUBSTITUTE.

Understanding Line Breaks in Excel

Line breaks, often created by pressing Alt + Enter within a cell or imported from external data sources, force text onto a new line within the same cell. While useful for formatting, they can cause issues with formulas, sorting, and data consistency. These characters are typically non-printable, making them invisible to the naked eye, but they still occupy space within the cell's content.

Using Find and Replace (For Multiple Line Breaks)

The Find and Replace tool is one of the most powerful and versatile methods for removing a large number of line breaks across your worksheet. It can target specific non-printable characters and replace them with spaces or simply remove them.

Method 1: Removing "Alt + Enter" Line Breaks (Line Feed CHAR(10))

Most line breaks created manually in Excel are "Line Feed" characters (ASCII code 10).

1. Select Your Range: Highlight the cells or columns where you want to remove line breaks. If no range is selected, Excel will apply the action to the entire worksheet.
2. Open Find and Replace: Press Ctrl + H on your keyboard to open the "Find and Replace" dialog box.
3. Enter Find What:
   • Click into the "Find what:" field.
   • Press Ctrl + J. You won't see anything appear, but a tiny blinking dot or character may indicate the line break character has been registered. This combination inserts the Line Feed character.
4. Enter Replace With:
   • In the "Replace with:" field, enter a single space (` `) if you want to replace the line break with a space. This prevents words from merging together.
   • Leave it blank if you want to completely remove the line break without adding any character.
5. Execute Replacement: Click "Replace All" to remove all instances in your selected range, or "Replace" to go through them one by one.

For more details on using Find and Replace, you can refer to the Microsoft Support page.

Method 2: Removing Imported Line Breaks (Carriage Return CHAR(13))

Sometimes, especially with data imported from other systems or web pages, you might encounter "Carriage Return" characters (ASCII code 13) or a combination of both. While Ctrl + J often targets the most common line break, you might need functions for more specific scenarios.

Manual Deletion (For Single Instances)

For individual line breaks that you spot, the quickest way to remove them is manually.

1. Double-click the Cell: Double-click the cell containing the line break to enter edit mode.
2. Position Cursor: Place your cursor directly next to the line break.
3. Delete or Backspace: Use either the Delete key (if the cursor is before the line break) or the Backspace key (if the cursor is after the line break) to remove it.
4. Replace with Space: Optionally, type a space or another character to maintain proper word spacing.
5. Press Enter: Press Enter to confirm the changes.

Using Excel Functions for Dynamic Removal

For more dynamic or formula-based solutions, Excel offers several functions. These are particularly useful if your data changes frequently or if you want to create a new column with cleaned text without altering the original data.

1. The CLEAN Function

The CLEAN function removes all non-printable characters from text. This is a quick solution for many types of line breaks.

• Syntax: =CLEAN(text)
• Example: If cell A1 contains text with line breaks, in cell B1 you would enter:

  =CLEAN(A1)

• Limitations: While effective for Line Feed (CHAR(10)) and Carriage Return (CHAR(13)), CLEAN does not remove all non-printable characters, such as non-breaking spaces (CHAR(160)), which sometimes appear in web-scraped data.

Learn more about the CLEAN function on Microsoft Support.

2. The SUBSTITUTE Function

The SUBSTITUTE function is more precise, allowing you to replace specific characters (including non-printable ones identified by their ASCII codes) with another character or nothing.

• Syntax: =SUBSTITUTE(text, old_text, new_text, [instance_num])

Removing Line Feeds (CHAR(10))

To replace "Alt + Enter" line breaks (Line Feed) with a space:

=SUBSTITUTE(A1, CHAR(10), " ")

Removing Carriage Returns (CHAR(13))

To replace Carriage Return characters with a space (less common but found in some imports):

=SUBSTITUTE(A1, CHAR(13), " ")

Removing Both Line Feeds and Carriage Returns

You can nest SUBSTITUTE functions to remove both types of line breaks:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A1, CHAR(10), " "), CHAR(13), " ")

Combining with CLEAN and TRIM for Comprehensive Cleaning

For the most robust cleaning, especially with imported data, combine CLEAN with SUBSTITUTE and TRIM (to remove extra spaces that might result from replacements).

=TRIM(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(CLEAN(A1), CHAR(10), " "), CHAR(13), " "))

Explore the SUBSTITUTE function further on Microsoft Support.

Quick Reference for Line Break Codes

Line Break Type	Character Code	Find & Replace Input	Function Input (CHAR)
Line Feed (LF)	CHAR(10)	Ctrl + J	CHAR(10)
Carriage Return (CR)	CHAR(13)	(Varies; try Ctrl+J or use function)	CHAR(13)

Important Considerations

• TRIM() Function: After removing line breaks and replacing them with spaces, you might end up with multiple spaces between words or leading/trailing spaces. Always wrap your CLEAN or SUBSTITUTE functions with TRIM() (e.g., =TRIM(CLEAN(A1))) to ensure your text is perfectly clean.
• Copy and Paste Special > Values: If you use formulas to remove line breaks, remember to copy the column with the formulas and then "Paste Special > Values" back into the original or a new location to convert the formulas into static text. This prevents future issues if your original data changes or if you delete the formula column.

By utilizing these methods, you can effectively manage and remove unwanted line breaks, leading to cleaner, more manageable Excel data.