Free Row Cleanup for Google Sheets

How to automatically move or delete rows in Google Sheets based on a cell value (free)

Two jobs come up in almost every shared tracker:

Move finished rows out of the way: when a task’s Status becomes “Done”, move the whole row to a Done tab.
Clean up: delete rows where a column is blank or 0, or archive rows older than a few months.

Google Sheets can filter these rows, but it can’t move or delete them on its own. This guide sets up Row Cleanup, a free, MIT-licensed Apps Script that does both from a short list of rules.

Step 1: Add the script

Make a copy of your sheet to test on (File → Make a copy). The script deletes rows, so test before pointing it at real data.
In the copy: Extensions → Apps Script. Replace Code.gs with this Code.gs.

Step 2: Write your rules

At the top of the script is a RULES list. Each rule names a tab, a column, a condition, and what to do:

const RULES = [
  { tab: 'Tasks', column: 'D', when: 'equals:Done', action: 'move:Done' },
];

That rule reads: on the Tasks tab, when column D equals “Done”, move the row to the Done tab. (If there’s no Done tab, it’s created with your header row.)

Condition	Matches
`blank`	an empty cell
`zero`	the number 0
`checked`	a ticked checkbox
`equals:Done`	exactly “Done”, ignoring case and extra spaces
`contains:test`	any text containing “test”
`older than:90`	a date more than 90 days ago
`always`	every row (menu and nightly run only)

The action is delete, move:Tab name, or clear:B:F, which empties columns B to F of the row but keeps the row, its formatting and its checkboxes. Click Save when you’re done.

Step 3: Run it

Instantly: rules with equals, contains or checked run the moment someone edits that column. Set a task to Done and watch the row move.
From the menu: reload the sheet, then 🧹 Cleanup → Run Cleanup Now runs every rule over the whole tab.
Every night: 🧹 Cleanup → Run Daily runs every rule around 2 AM. Good for blank, zero and older than rules.

The first time you use the menu, approve Google’s prompt (“Google hasn’t verified this app” → Advanced → Go to (your project name) → Allow). It’s your own script.

Recipes

// Done tasks to a Done tab, the moment they're marked
{ tab: 'Tasks', column: 'D', when: 'equals:Done', action: 'move:Done' },
// Tick a checkbox in column A to archive the row
{ tab: 'Orders', column: 'A', when: 'checked', action: 'move:Archive' },
// Delete rows with no email
{ tab: 'Leads', column: 'C', when: 'blank', action: 'delete' },
// Delete zero-quantity lines
{ tab: 'Stock', column: 'E', when: 'zero', action: 'delete' },
// Archive log entries older than 90 days, nightly
{ tab: 'Log', column: 'A', when: 'older than:90', action: 'move:Archive' },
// Reset a daily checklist every night: untick column B and clear notes in C
{ tab: 'Checklist', column: 'A', when: 'always', action: 'clear:B:C' },
// Tick a "Reset" checkbox in column F to clear that row's entries
{ tab: 'Orders', column: 'F', when: 'checked', action: 'clear:B:F' },

FAQ

Why didn’t my blank rule delete a row when I cleared a cell? On purpose: clearing a cell to retype it shouldn’t delete the row. blank and zero rules run from the menu and the nightly run only.

Do moved rows keep formatting? They keep values. Formatting, checkboxes and data validation aren’t copied, and formulas arrive as their results.

Can I undo? Yes, with Edit → Undo right after, or File → Version history later.

Does it work with Google Forms responses? Form submissions don’t trigger the instant mode, but the nightly run handles them. Rules on the Form Responses tab work like any other tab.

Get the script on GitHub · More free Google Sheets scripts

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