How to Unhide Sheets in Excel — Including Very Hidden Sheets

Type 1: Standard Hidden Sheets

Standard hidden sheets (xlSheetHidden) are sheets that have been hidden via the right-click menu or Format → Hide & Unhide. They are invisible in the sheet tab bar but can be easily revealed.

How to unhide standard hidden sheets:

1. Right-click on any visible sheet tab at the bottom of the screen
2. Select Unhide from the context menu
3. A dialog box appears listing all hidden sheets
4. Select the sheet you want to reveal and click OK

Note: You can only unhide one sheet at a time using this method. If multiple sheets are hidden, you need to repeat this process for each one.

Unhide all sheets at once (keyboard shortcut method):

Excel does not have a built-in "Unhide All" button, but you can use a simple macro to unhide all sheets at once:

1. Press Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor
2. Press Ctrl+G to open the Immediate Window
3. Type this and press Enter:

For Each s In Sheets: s.Visible = True: Next s

All hidden sheets (including Very Hidden ones) will immediately become visible.

Type 2: Very Hidden Sheets (xlSheetVeryHidden)

Very Hidden sheets are the hidden type that most people do not know exists. They have their Visible property set to xlSheetVeryHidden (value: 2) rather than xlSheetHidden (value: 0).

The key difference: Very Hidden sheets do not appear in the Unhide dialog box at all. If you right-click a sheet tab and select Unhide, Very Hidden sheets will not be listed — making it appear as though the workbook has no hidden sheets when it actually does.

This is often used intentionally by developers who want to store configuration data, helper calculations, or sensitive information in a sheet that casual users cannot find.

Method 1: Unhide Very Hidden sheets via VBA editor

1. Press Alt+F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor
2. In the Project pane on the left, expand the workbook name
3. Click on the sheet you want to unhide (all sheets appear here, including Very Hidden ones)
4. In the Properties pane at the bottom-left, find the Visible property
5. Change it from 2 - xlSheetVeryHidden to -1 - xlSheetVisible
6. Close the VBA editor

Method 2: Use the Immediate Window (faster)

1. Press Alt+F11 to open the VBA editor
2. Press Ctrl+G for the Immediate Window
3. To unhide a specific sheet by name:

Sheets("SheetName").Visible = True

Replace SheetName with the actual name of the sheet (you can see all sheet names in the Project pane).

How to Check if a Workbook Has Hidden Sheets Without Opening VBA

Upload your Excel file to the ExcelErrorFinder audit tool. It automatically detects both standard hidden sheets and Very Hidden sheets (xlSheetVeryHidden) and lists them in the audit report — no VBA required. This is the fastest way to check an unfamiliar workbook for hidden content.

Why Do Workbooks Have Very Hidden Sheets?

Common legitimate uses include:

• Configuration data: Input parameters and settings that should not be edited by users
• Helper calculations: Intermediate computations that would clutter the visible sheets
• Data tables: Lookup tables referenced by formulas throughout the workbook
• Original data backups: A copy of the source data before transformations

However, Very Hidden sheets can also conceal sensitive data or formulas from auditors and reviewers — which is why any thorough spreadsheet audit must check for them.