How do I hide cell content in Excel without hiding the row or column?

Press Ctrl+1 to open Format Cells, go to the Number tab, click Custom, and type ;;; (three semicolons). The cell content becomes invisible but the value is retained.

Does the ;;; custom format affect the cell's actual value?

No - the value is still there and can be used in formulas. The ;;; format only hides the display; the cell is not empty.

How do I reveal the hidden cell content again?

Select the cell, press Ctrl+1, go to Custom, and delete the ;;; format code. Replace it with General or the appropriate format for the content type.

Mask Cell Content in Excel Without Hiding Rows

There are instances when you need to hide the content of a cell that is in plain sight, and you do not want to have to hide a row or column to achieve this. You could make the font colour the same as the cell colour (white in majority of cases) so that the cell content blends in, but if an update to the Excel worksheet requires changes to the cell colours it means these will need to be updated as well. Cell contents can easily be masked in Excel by adjusting the cell’s number format. Press Ctrl + 1 to bring up the cell format dialog box. Go to “Custom” and type 3 semi-colons “;;;” to set the cell’s format to an invisible view: Screen Shot 2018-10-18 at 9.35.12 PM

Hide Cell Content in Excel Without Hiding Rows or Columns

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