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In this article
TRIMRANGE removes empty rows and columns from the outside of a range, so formulas can point at whole columns without processing a million blanks.
Syntax
=TRIMRANGE(range, [trim_rows], [trim_cols])| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
trim_rows |
0 none, 1 leading, 2 trailing, 3 both (default). |
Examples
Example 1
=UNIQUE(TRIMRANGE(A:A))Unique values from a column that keeps growing.
TRIMRANGE in practice
Where you will use it
- Ignore empty rows at the bottom of a range
- Dynamic ranges without OFFSET
- Faster whole-column formulas
Worked example
| Range | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| A1:A1000 with 25 filled rows | =ROWS(TRIMRANGE(A1:A1000)) | 25 |
| B:B with 3 filled rows | =ROWS(TRIMRANGE(B:B)) | 3 |
| C1:C10 all filled | =ROWS(TRIMRANGE(C1:C10)) | 10 |
Worked out step by step, not calculated here: TRIMRANGE needs the latest Microsoft 365.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Older Excel | Needs the latest Microsoft 365 |
| Trim refs | A1:.A1000 is the short form |
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📎 Practice files for this article
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Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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