How to Hide Tasks in Microsoft Project (Without Deleting – Quick Filter Method)

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Are your project schedules cluttered? Does it make it hard to focus on key phases? Would you like to hide tasks in Microsoft Project when you need to show just the Development and Testing tasks to stakeholders—without deleting (or restoring) anything else?

In this article, I’ll show you my favorite trick to hide tasks in your Microsoft Project using the built-in “Marked” column: a simple filter that hides tasks temporarily. It’s saved me hours in client meetings and still works flawlessly in Microsoft Project through Microsoft 365 (updated and tested December 2025).

Follow these 7 quick steps below or click here to watch the 2-minute video on my Youtube channel or click the image below.

Hide Columns in Microsoft Project

Hide Tasks in Microsoft Project: Understand the Purpose

Imagine you have an important meeting with project stakeholders, and you only want to show them tasks from the Development and Testing section of your project. You will need to hide all other tasks to make the presentation more focused.

Step-by-Step: Hide Tasks Using the Marked Column

  1. Open your project in Microsoft Project (desktop version).
  2. Insert the Marked column
    Right-click any column header (e.g., Duration) → Insert Column → type “Marked” → select Marked → OK.
  3. Mark the tasks you want to KEEP visible
    In the new Marked column, change the cells from “No” to Yes for every task you want to show.
    (Tip: You can drag-fill or multi-select rows, then type “Yes” once.)
  4. Apply the filter
    Click the dropdown arrow in the Marked column header → uncheck (No) → leave only (Yes) checked → OK.
    Only your marked tasks remain visible.
  5. (Optional) Hide the Marked column
    Right-click the Marked column header → Hide Column for a completely clean look.
  6. To show everything again
    Just press F3 (or View tab → Filter → No Filter).

That’s literally it. No tasks are deleted, nothing is changed permanently, and the filter travels with the file.

This little trick can be a real time-saver when you’re preparing for presentations or meetings. I hope you found this blog post article helpful. If you did, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more useful tips and tricks. Don’t forget to hit the notification bell to stay updated on new content. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to share them in the Comment section below. Thanks for reading!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does this hide subtasks too?
Yes—if you mark the parent task “Yes,” subtasks hide with it. For granular control, mark them individually.

How do I unhide everything?
Just press F3 (Clear Filter) or go to View > Filter > No Filter. All tasks reappear instantly.

Will this work in Project for the Web or Planner?
The Marked filter is desktop-only (Project 2016+). For web versions, use Groups or export to Excel for filtering.

Alternative: Hide via Outline Levels?
For summary tasks, collapse with the +/- icons (View > Outline > All Subtasks). But Marked is better for non-hierarchical hiding.

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