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How to get the ruler back in excel, it's greyed out

Ian Boggon 20 Reputation points
2026-05-08T14:54:22.65+00:00

How to get the ruler back in excel, it's greyed out

Microsoft 365 and Office | Excel | For business | Windows
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AI answer

2026-05-08T14:54:35.2133333+00:00

In Excel, the ruler only appears in Page Layout view. If the Ruler option is greyed out, switch the workbook to Page Layout view first.

Use these steps:

  1. On the ribbon, select the View tab.
  2. In the Workbook Views group, click Page Layout.
  3. Still on the View tab, in the Show or Ruler area, ensure Ruler is checked.

Once in Page Layout view, the horizontal and vertical rulers will be available to measure column width, row height, and page dimensions.

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  1. Siti Rohayati 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-11T17:09:51.6666667+00:00

    To fix

    1. Go to view tab
    2. Click page layout in workbook view
    3. Check the ruller box

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  2. Hendrix-C 17,230 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-08T15:27:46.2466667+00:00

    Hi @Ian Boggon,

    According to your concern, the previous response of Q&A Assist does provide accurate information. In Excel, the Ruler feature is only available in Page Layout view. If you are currently in a different view (e.g Normal View), the Ruler option will be greyed out.

    Therefore, please go to View tab > ensure Page Layout is selected and also check the box of Ruler.

    If there is any other question or concern, please feel free to share them in the comment of this post. I will be happy to assist you further.

    Thank you for your patience and understanding. Hope to hear from you soon.

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

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