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I am unable to see grid lines

Ryan Ro 0 Reputation points
2026-05-05T15:19:36.9166667+00:00

I have tried checking the gridline box in view. I have tried turning off the fill color. I have a solid white background. The gridlines only are visible when clicking on the select all box in the top right corner.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows
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  1. Hendrix-C 15,095 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-05T16:09:49.2733333+00:00

    Hi @Ryan Ro,

    For your situation with gridlines missing, you can try following this guidance in order to narrow down the issue step by step:

    1/ Reset the fill to No Fill

    • Since you mentioned that you "have a solid white background", may I confirm whether you set the Fill Color as "White" or "No Fill"? The white background is not the same as No Fill and the gridlines can remain hidden.
    • Carefully double check again and ensure you set the fill to "No Fill"

    2/ Check the gridline settings

    • In Excel, go to File > Options > Advanced > scroll down to "Display option for this worksheet"
    • Ensure "Show gridlines" is checked and the color is Automatic or any visible color you prefer like Black, Gray, etc.

    3/ Ensure you're in the Normal View

    • Go to View tab and ensure the Normal View is selected
    • If it's already selected, uncheck and recheck it again to see if it helps resolve the issue.

    Note: If the issue still persists, you can try opening a fresh new worksheet and let me know whether the issue is also reproduced in the fresh new one.

    Please understand that my initial response does not always resolve the issue immediately. However, you can try these steps and let me know if it works for you. If not, we can work together to figure out a solution.

    If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post so I can continue to support you.    

    Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. I'm looking forward to your reply.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

    1 person found this answer helpful.

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  1. Q&A Assist
    2026-05-05T15:19:52.93+00:00
    AI generated content. This question contains an answer created with AI from Q&A Assist. Learn more

    In Excel for Windows, gridlines can be hidden either by the View setting or by cell fill color. Based on the description, both need to be checked in a specific way:

    1. Ensure gridlines are turned on for the sheet
      1. Select the worksheet where gridlines are missing.
      2. Go to the View tab.
      3. In the Show group, make sure the Gridlines check box is selected.
    2. Remove any fill color from the cells Gridlines do not show through any fill color (including white). The fill must be completely removed.
      1. Select the affected cells (or press Ctrl+A twice to select the entire sheet).
      2. Go to the Home tab.
      3. In the Font group, click the arrow next to Fill Color.
      4. Choose No Fill.
      Note: Changing the fill color to white is not sufficient; gridlines remain hidden. Only No Fill will allow gridlines to show.
    3. Understand gridline scope Gridlines apply to the entire worksheet or workbook and cannot be applied to specific cells only. If lines are needed only around certain cells, use borders instead of gridlines.

    If gridlines appear only when everything is selected, it usually means the cells have a fill color (often white) that hides the gridlines; removing the fill with No Fill restores them.

    References:

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