Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Finding and Deleting Rows.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 5, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
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:
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here:
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 (3838) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Finding and Deleting Rows.
Do More in Less Time! An easy-to-understand guide to the more advanced features available in the Microsoft 365 version of Word. Enhance the quality of your documents and boost productivity in any field with this in-depth resource. Complete your Word-related tasks more efficiently as you unlock lesser-known tools and learn to quickly access the features you need. Check out Microsoft 365 Word For Professionals For Dummies today!
Need to search for information in a table? Word allows you to easily limit your search to an entire column or row, as ...
Discover MoreCan you really use Find and Replace to change the case of text in your document? Not really, but that shouldn't stop you ...
Discover MoreSmart quotes look great in a document, but may not be right for all instances of quote marks or apostrophes. If you need ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-06-27 12:19:09
Allen,
Could this code be modified to delete the specified text in the first row only of the table?
To be clear, only delete the first row of a table if it contains the specific text - not any other row that might contain the text.
Thank you so much for your help!
A.
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon 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