[Excel VBA] How to Remove Table Formatting | Converting ListObject to a Normal Range

Introduction

Excel Tables (ListObjects) are powerful features that offer easy sorting, filtering, and structured referencing. However, there are times when these features become restrictive, and you need to convert the data back to a standard range of cells.

In this article, I will explain how to use VBA to clear table styles and convert a ListObject back into a normal range.

Common Use Cases

• Cleaning up data: You received a workbook where someone used a Table, but you need raw data for your specific format.
• Macro processing: You need to temporarily remove the table structure to perform operations that are restricted within tables (like merging cells or specific deletions).
• Removing constraints: You want to treat the data as a generic range without the automatic expansion or formula filling features of Tables.

VBA Code Example

The following code targets a specific table named “CustomerData” on the active sheet. It removes the visual style first and then converts it to a standard range.

Sub RemoveTableFormat()

    Dim tbl As ListObject

    ' Retrieve the table by its name
    ' (Ensure a table named "CustomerData" exists on your sheet)
    Set tbl = ActiveSheet.ListObjects("CustomerData")

    ' Clear style and convert to range
    With tbl
        .TableStyle = ""   ' Removes visual formatting (colors, borders)
        .Unlist            ' Removes the Table structure (ListObject)
    End With

End Sub

Explanation of Properties and Methods

Alternative Ways to Select the Table

If you do not know the specific name of the table, you can retrieve it dynamically:

' 1. Get the table that the Active Cell belongs to
Set tbl = ActiveCell.ListObject

' 2. Get the first table on the sheet (by Index)
Set tbl = ActiveSheet.ListObjects(1)

Important Notes

1. Reference Loss: Once .Unlist is executed, the ListObject no longer exists. Any subsequent code trying to reference variables like tbl will fail.
2. Naming Errors: If you specify a table name (like “CustomerData”) that does not exist on the sheet, VBA will throw an error.
3. Style vs. Structure: If you only want to remove the colors but keep the table functionality, just use .TableStyle = "". If you want to keep the colors but remove the functionality, skip the .TableStyle line and just use .Unlist.

Summary

By utilizing Excel VBA, you can easily convert existing Tables back into standard cell ranges.

This allows for flexible data manipulation and simplifies macro processing when Table constraints get in the way. It is particularly useful when finalizing documents for sharing or preparing templates where raw data is preferred over structured tables.