How to Reduce Excel File Size

Today's WikiHow will show you how to reduce Microsoft Excel file storage space by removing some formats, compressing images, or saving the file in a lighter format.

Save the file as a binary file

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 1How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 1

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 2How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 2

To save a new file, click File .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 3How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 3

Select Save As… (save as…).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 4How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 4

Continue, type the new file name into the dialog box.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 5How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 5

Then, click the drop-down menu located under "File Format" .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 6How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 6

Select the Excel Binary Workbook format under "Specialty Formats." Files saved in this format are much smaller than files with the standard .xls extension.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 7How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 7

Finally, click the Save button . The smaller Excel file will be saved to the computer.

Remove formatting from blank rows and columns

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 8How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 8

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and then select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 9How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 9

Select all empty rows. Click on the number of the first empty row, then press and hold the key combination Ctrl+ ⇧ Shift+ (Windows) or + ⇧ Shift+ (Mac).

Navigation keys are usually located in the lower right corner on most keyboards.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 10How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 10

Next, click on the Home tab (Windows) or Edit tab (Mac) located in the menu bar.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 11How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 11

Click the Clear button .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 12How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 12

To finish, select Clear All for Windows operating systems or Format for Mac operating systems. This will remove unnecessary formatting from unused cells.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 13How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 13

Select all empty columns. Click on the letter that defines the first empty row, then press and hold the key combination Ctrl+ ⇧ Shift+ (Windows) or + ⇧ Shift+ (Mac).

Navigation keys are usually located in the lower right corner on most keyboards.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 14How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 14

Continue, click on the Home tab (Windows) or Edit tab (Mac) located in the menu bar.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 15How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 15

Click the Clear button .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 16How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 16

Finally, click Clear All (Windows) or Format (Mac). This will remove unnecessary formatting from unused cells.

Remove conditional formatting

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 17How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 17

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and then select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 18How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 18

Click the Home tab located at the top of the screen.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 19How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 19

Next click the Conditional Formatting button located in the "Styles" section of the control panel.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 20How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 20

Select the Clear Rules option (delete the rules).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 21How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 21

Finally, click Clear Rules from Entire Sheet (delete rules in all sheets).

Remove formatting from blank cells on Windows

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 22How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 22

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and then select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 23How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 23

Click the Home tab located at the top of the screen.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 24How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 24

Continue, click the Find & Select button located in the "Editing" section on the control bar.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 25How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 25

Click on the Go To… option (go to…).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 26How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 26

Click on Special… (special…)

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 27How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 27

Click the Blanks button (blank cells).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 28How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 28

Select OK . Then, all blank cells in the data will be highlighted.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 29How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 29

Then, click the Clear button shaped like an eraser.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 30How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 30

Finally, click Clear All to finish.

Remove formatting from blank cells on Mac

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 31How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 31

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and then select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 32How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 32

Click on the Edit tab located at the top of the screen.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 33How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 33

Select the Find option (search)

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 34How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 34

Click on Go To… .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 35How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 35

Next, click on Special… .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 36How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 36

Click the Blanks button .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 37How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 37

Then you click OK . All blank cells in the data will be highlighted.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 38How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 38

Continue, click on Edit in the menu bar.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 39How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 39

Click the Clear button .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 40How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 40

Finally, click Format to complete.

Compress images

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 41How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 41

Open the Microsoft Excel file. Double click on the white Excel application with the green X , then click the File button, click on the Open. option and then select the file you want to work with.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 42How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 42

Open the Compression dialog box by:

On Windows, click on the image in the current Excel file, then click the Format tab and select the Compress option in the toolbar.

On the Mac operating system, click File then select Reduce File Size. (reduce file size).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 43How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 43

Then, click the drop-down menu next to "Picture Quality " .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 44How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 44

Please choose a lower image resolution.

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 45How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 45

Don't forget to check the "Delete cropped areas of pictures" box .

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 46How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 46

Continue, click on All pictures in this file (all images in the current file).

How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 47How to Reduce Excel File Size Picture 47

Finally, click OK . Necessary images in the file will be compressed, and irrelevant images will be deleted.

5 ★ | 1 Vote