10 Proven Ways to Reduce Excel File Size on Windows & Mac

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Get a smaller, quicker Excel workbook
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If saving an Excel workbook results in a large XLS or XLSX file, there are easy ways to reduce the file size. This wikiHow guide teaches you how to reduce Excel file size using simple tricks like compressing images, saving it as a binary file, removing unneeded formatting, and more.

Reducing File Size in Excel

To decrease the size of an Excel file, save it as a binary workbook. To do this, click the File menu, select "Save As," then select "Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb)" as the file type or format. Click Save, and you'll now have a smaller file.

Method 1
Method 1 of 10:

Saving as a Binary Workbook

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  1. One way to reduce an Excel file's size is to save it as a .xlsb file instead of.xlsx (the default Excel file type). [1]
  2. This option may also be called "Save files in this format." If you're using Microsoft Office 365 on Windows, the drop-down you're looking for is below the file's name in the right panel—click the menu, then select Excel Binary Workbook (*.xlsb) .
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  3. The smaller Excel file is now saved. You can continue working on the file in Excel.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 10:

Deleting Unneeded Worksheets

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  1. Each tab at the bottom of your workbook represents a worksheet, and each worksheet takes up space in your Excel file. Click through the tabs at the bottom to see what's on each worksheet. If there's a worksheet you don't need, you can delete it by right-clicking or control-clicking its tab and selecting Delete .
    • If you don't see any worksheets you want to delete, make sure there aren't any hidden worksheets. To check for hidden worksheets, click the Window menu at the top and select Unhide . [2]
Method 3
Method 3 of 10:

Removing Formatting from Empty Rows and Columns

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  1. If there is special formatting on empty rows or columns, removing this formatting will reduce your Excel file's overall size. To do so, click on the first empty row number, then press and hold Ctrl (Windows) or ⌘ (Mac). As you select additional rows.
  3. It's the option with an eraser icon in the top toolbar.
  4. When you save the Excel file, it will result in a smaller file size.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 10:

Compressing an Excel File

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  1. Whether you're using a Windows PC or Mac, compressing a file into a ZIP file will result in a smaller file.
    • Windows: Right-click the Excel file in File Explorer, select Send to , then choose Compressed (zipped) folder . This creates a new file with the same name, but ending with the ".zip" file extension. When you want to extract the file, just right-click it, click Extract all , and follow the on-screen instructions. [3]
    • Mac: Control + click the Excel file in Finder and select Compress from the menu. This creates a new file with the same name, but with ".zip" at the end. The ZIP version of the file is smaller than the original. You can decompress the file at any time by double-clicking it. [4]
Method 5
Method 5 of 10:

Compressing Images

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  1. High-resolution or large images can greatly increase your Excel file's size. Compressing one or more of the images and re-saving the file will reduce the overall size of the Excel file.
    • Even if you want to compress multiple images, you only need to select one now.
  2. This tab only appears when a picture is selected.
    • If you don't see the tab, click the image again, then click the small photo icon beside it to open a larger version.
  3. On some Macs, you may need to click the File tab and select Reduce File Size instead.
  4. For the lowest resolution and the smallest file size, select Email (96 ppi) . The lower the resolution, the smaller the resulting file will be.
  5. If you only want to compress one image, leave "Apply only to this picture" checked. To compress all images in the file, uncheck this box.
  6. This should be selected by default, but check its box if not.
  7. The images in the Excel file are now compressed, and extraneous data has been deleted. Next time you save the file, it will be in a reduced size.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 10:

Reducing Image Resolution

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  1. If you have images in your Excel file, you can use this trick to reduce their resolution and save a smaller Excel file.
    • If you don't see Options , click More… first.
  2. It's on the left panel.
  3. You'll see this under "Image Size and Quality."
  4. This ensures that any high-resolution images are downsized.
    • Do not check the box next to "Do not compress images in file." It's not selected by default, but if it is, uncheck it.
  5. When you save your Excel file, the images will be saved at a reduced resolution, making the entire file smaller.
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Method 7
Method 7 of 10:

Removing Conditional Formatting

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  1. Conditional formatting can clutter your workbook, increase its file size, and even make the spreadsheet slower to use. [5] Removing conditional formatting from an entire sheet or selected cells/rows/columns can reduce the file size.
    • To remove all conditional formatting from a sheet, just click the tab for the sheet at the bottom of Excel.
    • To remove conditional formatting from certain columns or rows, select the column letters or row numbers now.
  3. It's in the ribbon at the top of Excel.
  5. Alternatively, if you're clearing formatting from selected columns or rows, select Clear Rules from Selected Cells . When you save the Excel file, it will result in a smaller file size.
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Method 8
Method 8 of 10:

Saving Without Pivot Table Cache

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  1. If you have a pivot table in your Excel file, you'll automatically save the pivot table cache with your file each time you save it. If your Excel file sizes are too large, you can decrease the file size by not saving the pivot table cache.
    • Clicking in your pivot table opens the PivotTable Analyze tab.
  2. You'll see this in the PivotTable group in the bar at the top of Excel. This opens the PivotTable Options menu.
  4. To do this, you'll need to remove the checkmark from "Save source data with file," and add a checkmark to "Refresh data when opening the file."
  5. Now, when you save the file again, it will save without the pivot table cache. The pivot table will refresh when you open the spreadsheet instead. [6]
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Method 9
Method 9 of 10:

Removing Formatting from Blank Cells (Windows)

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  1. Find & Select is the button with a magnifying glass at the top. If there are any blank cells in your workbook with formatting applied, removing the formatting from these cells will make your file smaller. This tool will help you find those cells.
  5. All the empty cells in the data set will be highlighted.
  6. The Clear menu has an eraser icon.
  7. This deletes formatting from the selected cells.
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Method 10
Method 10 of 10:

Removing Formatting from Blank Cells (Mac)

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  1. It's in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
  4. All the empty cells in the data set will be highlighted.
  7. Now when you save the file, it will be smaller.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    My Excel file contains many pivot tables and the tables often get corrupted because the files are so large. Is there anything I can do to remedy this?
    Community Answer
    Make sure you are not saving the source data with the pivot table. Go to Pivot Table Options --> data tab --> uncheck "Save Source data with file." The pivot table will not update again without being refreshed because it needs to re-read the source data to refresh, but this will reduce the file size.
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  • Question
    When I try to enter an amount in a cell, it jumps to another cell, and nothing is added to either one. What could be causing this?
    Community Answer
    The first reason this could be happening is that you are using the Enter or Tab keys while trying to enter the data in a cell; don’t do that until you are done. There could also be some VBA code activating on the Change event. Finally, your workbook could be corrupted, in which case you would need to build a fresh copy.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/reduce-the-file-size-of-your-excel-spreadsheets-c4f69e3a-8eea-4e9d-8ded-0ac301192bf9#ID0EBN=Office_2016
      2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/hide-or-unhide-worksheets-69f2701a-21f5-4186-87d7-341a8cf53344
      3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/zip-and-unzip-files-8d28fa72-f2f9-712f-67df-f80cf89fd4e5
      4. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/zip-and-unzip-files-and-folders-on-mac-mchlp2528/mac
      5. ↑ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/troubleshoot/excel/clean-workbook-less-memory
      6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/reduce-the-file-size-of-your-excel-spreadsheets-c4f69e3a-8eea-4e9d-8ded-0ac301192bf9#ID0EBN=Office_2016

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Open the file.
      2. Click the File menu.
      3. Click Save As .
      4. Click the “Save as type” or “Format” menu.
      5. Select Excel Binary Workbook .
      6. Click Save .

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      • Mihir Thakkar

        Mar 21, 2017

        "Your article helped tremendously, enabled me to reduce about 50 images size in Excel. My file size reduced from 33 ..." more
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