How to do filtering in excel

Watch Video – Excel Advanced Filter

Excel Advanced Filter is one of the most underrated and under-utilized features that I have come across.

If you work with Excel, I am sure you have used (or at least heard about the regular excel filter). It quickly filters a data set based on selection, specified text, number or other such criteria.

In this guide, I will show you some cool stuff you can do using the Excel advanced filter.

But First… What is Excel Advanced Filter?

Excel Advanced Filter – as the name suggests – is the advanced version of the regular filter. You can use this when you need to use more complex criteria to filter your data set.

Here are some differences between the regular filter and Advanced filter:

• While the regular data filter will filter the existing dataset, you can use Excel advanced filter to extract the data set to some other location as well.
• Excel Advanced Filter allows you to use complex criteria. For example, if you have sales data, you can filter data on a criterion where the sales rep is Bob and the region is either North or South (we will see how to do this in examples). Office support has some good explanation on this.
• You can use the Excel Advanced Filter to extract unique records from your data (more on this in a second).

EXCEL ADVANCED FILTER (Examples)

Now let’s have a look at some example on using the Advanced Filter in Excel.

Example 1 – Extracting a Unique list

You can use Excel Advanced Filter to quickly extract unique records from a data set (or in other words remove duplicates).

In Excel 2007 and later versions, there is an option to remove duplicates from a dataset. But that alters your existing data set. To keep the original data intact, you need to create a copy of the data and then use the Remove Duplicates option. Excel Advanced filter would allow you to select a location to get a unique list.

Let’s see how to use an advanced filters to get a unique list.

Suppose you have a dataset as shown below:

As you can see, there are duplicate records in this data set (highlighted in orange). These could be due to an error in data entry or result of data compilation.

In such a case, you can use Excel Advanced Filter tool to quickly get a list of all the unique records in a different location (so that your original data remains intact).

Here are the steps to get all the unique records:

This will instantly give you a list of all the unique records.

Caution: When you are using Advanced Filter to get the unique list, make sure you have also selected the header. If you don’t, it would consider the first cell as the header.

Example 2 – Using Criteria in Excel Advanced Filter

Getting unique records is one of the many things you can do with Excel advanced filter.

Its primary utility lies in its ability to allow using complex criteria for filtering data.

Here is what I mean by complex criteria. Suppose you have a dataset as shown below and you want to quickly get all the records where the sales are greater than 5000 and the region is the US.

Here is how you can use Excel Advanced Filter to filter the records based on the specified criteria:

This would instantly give you all the records where the region is the US and the sales are more than 5000.

The above example is a case where the filtering is done based on two criteria (US and sales greater than 5000).

Excel Advanced filter allows you to create many different combinations of criteria.

Here are some examples of how you can construct these filters.

Using the AND Criteria

When you want to use AND criteria, you need to specify it below the header.

For example:

Using the OR Criteria

When you want to use OR criteria, you need to specify the criteria in the same column.

For example:

By now, you must have realized that when we have the criteria in the same row, it is an AND criteria, and when we have it in different rows, it is an OR criteria.

Example 3 – Using WILDCARD Characters in Advanced Filter in Excel

Excel Advanced Filter also allows the usage of wildcard characters while constructing the criteria.

There are three wildcard characters in Excel:

1. * (asterisk) – It represents any number of characters. For example, ex* could mean excel, excels, example, expert, etc.
2. ? (question mark) – It represents one single character. For example, Tr?mp could mean Trump or Tramp.
3. ~ (tilde) – It is used to identify a wildcard character (~, *, ?) in the text.

Now let’s see how we can use these wildcard characters to do some advanced filtering in Excel.

• To filter records where the sales rep name starts from J. 

Note that * represent any number of characters. So any rep with the name starting with J would be filtered with these criteria.

Similarly, you can use the other two wildcard characters as well.

Note: In case you’re using Office 365, you should check out the FILTER function. It can do a lot of things that advanced filter can do with a simple formula.

NOTE:

1. Remember, the headers in the criteria should be exactly the same as that in the data set.
2. Advanced filtering cannot be undone when copied to other locations.
   

You May Also Like the Following Excel Tutorials:

• Dynamic Excel Filter – Extract Data as you Type.
• Filtering Cells with Bold Font Formatting.
• How to Filter Cells that have Duplicate Text Strings (Words) in it.
• How to Filter Data in a Pivot Table in Excel
• MS Guide for Advanced Filter in Excel.
• How to Compare Two Columns in Excel.
• Excel VBA Autofilter
• 20 Advanced Excel Functions and Formulas (for Excel Pros)

This post will guide you how to extracts matched values using FILTER function in Microsoft Excel 365. And also will introduce that how to use FILTER function with same examples in Excel 365.

The FILTER function “filters” a set of data according to the conditions specified. The outcome is an array of values that match those in the original range. Simply said, the FILTER function extracts matched records from a collection of data using one or more logical checks. The include argument specifies logical tests, which might encompass a wide variety of formula conditions. For instance, FILTER may match data from a given year or month, data containing specific content, or numbers above a specified threshold.

=FILTER(array,include,[if empty])

Three parameters are required for the FILTER function: array, include, and if empty.

Where:

• Array – This is required argument. The range or array to filter is specified by array.
• Include – This is required argument. Include one or more logical tests in the include These tests should return TRUE or FALSE depending on the array values evaluated.
• If_empty – This is option argument. The last input, if empty, specifies the value to return if FILTER does not discover any matching values. Typically, this is a message along the lines of “No records found,” although other values may also be returned. To show nothing, provide an empty string (“”).

Entering FILTER Formula in Excel

FILTER provides dynamic results. When the values in the source data change or the size of the source data array changes, the FILTER results are updated automatically. The results of FILTER will “leak” into numerous cells on the worksheet.

To filter data in Excel using the FILTER function, follow these steps:

Step1: To begin your filter formula, enter =FILTER(.

Step2: Enter the address for the range of cells containing the data you want to filter, for example, A2:C10.

Step3: Type a comma, followed by the filter's condition, such as B2:B20>3 (To specify a condition, type the address of the “criteria column,” such as C1:C, followed by an operator symbol such as greater than (>), and finally the criterion, such as the number 3.

Step4: Complete the parenthesis with a closing parenthesis and then hit enter on the keyboard. Your full formula will appear as follows: =FILTER(A2:C10, B2:B20>3)

I’ll begin with the fundamentals of utilizing the FILTER function, and then demonstrate some more advanced uses of the FILTER function. This article discusses the FILTER function as a formula entered into spreadsheet cells, not the filter command accessible from the toolbar and pop-up menus.

While using the FILTER function in Excel is almost identical to using it in Google Sheets, there are some subtle variations.

Excel filtering by a single criteria

To begin, let’s review how to use Excel’s FILTER function in its simplest version, with a single condition/criteria.

I’ll demonstrate how to filter data using a number, a cell value, a text string, or a date… and I’ll also demonstrate how to utilize a variety of “operators” in the filter condition (Less than, Equal to, etc…).

Example 1: How to use a number as a filter

In this first demonstration of how to use the filter tool in Excel, we have a list of students and their grades and wish to create a filtered list of only students with flawless grades.

The assignment: Display a list of students and their grades, but only those who have earned an A.

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:B10 for values larger than 0.7 in the column B2:B10 (70 percent ). Then you can use the following FILTER formula,type:

=FILTER(A2:B10, B2:B10 >0.7)

Example 2: How to filter in Excel by a cell value

In this excel filter function example, we want to do the same thing as stated before, but rather than inputting the condition straight into the formula, we’re going to use a cell reference.

When you filter in Excel by a cell value, your sheet is configured in such a way that you may alter the value in the cell at any moment, which updates the value to which the filter criterion is tied.

In this example, rather than explicitly entering the value “0.8” into the formula, the filter criterion is set to cell G1, which contains the “0.8” value.

The assignment: Display a list of students and their grades, but only those with a score of less than 80%.

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:B10 to the extent that B2:B10 is smaller than the value supplied in column G1 (0.8).

You can use the following FILTER formula, type:

=FILTER(A2:B10, B2:B10 <G1)

Example 3: Using Excel’s text filter

In this example, we’ll utilize a text string as the filter formula’s criterion. This is fairly similar to using a number, except that the text to filter must be enclosed in quote marks.

We are filtering a list of customers and their payment status in this instance, and we want to present just customers with a payment status of “Payed“.

The objective is to provide a list of clients that have paid on their payments.

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:B6 by substituting the string “ Payed ” for B2:B6.

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the cell (E1).

=FILTER(A3:B12, B2:B6=" Payed ")

Example 4: Using NOT EQUAL TO as a FILTER condition in Excel

Now that you have a working knowledge of how to use the filter function in Excel, here is another example of filtering by a string of text, but this time we will use the “not equal” operator (<>) to demonstrate how to filter a range and return data that is NOT equal to the criteria you set.

Additionally, we will utilize a bigger data set in this example to show a more comprehensive usage of the FILTER function in the real world.

You may be surprised at how often a circumstance arises in which you need to filter data that is “not equal to” a certain number or piece of text.

In this example, we’ll use a report/spreadsheet to display data from sales calls that occur at your organization, and we’ll filter the data to exclude a certain sales person (Scott) from the result.

The assignment: Display sales call statistics for all sales representatives except ” Scott “.

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:C10 for values A2:A10 that DO NOT match the string “Scott “.

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the cell (E1).

=FILTER(A2:C10, A2:A10 <>"Scott")

Take note that the filtered data on the right side of the figure above does not include any of Scott ‘s rows/calls.

 Example 5: How to use the date filter in Excel

Filtering in Excel by a date may be accomplished in a few different methods, which I will demonstrate below. If you attempt to put a date into the FILTER function in the same way that you would typically type into a cell, the formula will fail to operate properly.

Therefore, you may either enter the date you want to filter into a cell and then reference that cell in your formula… Alternatively,  you may use the DATE function.

When filtering by date, the same operators (>, =, etc…) are available as they are in other FILTER function applications. Each individual day/date in Excel is merely a number that has been formatted differently. In Excel, for example, the date “01/30/2022” is just the serial number “44591” formatted as a date. Each time you add a day to the calendar, this number increases by one… For example, “44591” “44592” “44593”

Thus, if one date is farther in the future, it might be regarded “greater than” another. In contrast, if one date is farther in the past, it might be considered to be “less than” another.

In this example, we’ll use a cell reference to filter on a date. This is identical to the example discussed in Example 2, except that we are dealing with dates instead of percentages.

Consider the following scenario: we want to filter a list of students, their exam results, and the dates on which the tests were administered… and we wish to display only tests conducted before to June (05/01/2022).

=FILTER(A2:C10, C2:C10 <G1)

Example 6: Filtering by date in Excel

In this example of date filtering in Excel, we’ll use the same data as in the previous one and attempt to obtain the same results… however, instead of referencing a cell, we’ll utilize the DATE function, which allows you to put the date straight into the FILTER function.

When using the DATE function to provide a date, you must first input the year, followed by the month and finally the day… each denoted with a comma (shown below).

The assignment: Display only exams given before to May

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:C10 so that C2:C10 is less than or equal to the date (05/01/2022).

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the cell (D3).

=FILTER(A2:C10,C2:C10<DATE(2022,5,1))

Example 7: Filtering based on two Conditions

When utilizing the Excel FILTER function, you may want to produce data that fits many criteria. I’ll demonstrate two methods for filtering by several criteria in Excel, depending on the scenario and the desired behavior of the calculation.

The conventional method of adding another condition to your filter function (as shown by the Excel formula syntax) allows you to provide a second condition, where both the first AND second conditions must be fulfilled in order for the filter output to be returned.

However, I will demonstrate how to make a little tweak to the function so that you may choose to return/display in the filter function’s output/destination a second condition where EITHER condition might be satisfied. (To utilize AND logic, separate the conditions with an asterisk, or use a plus symbol to separate the criteria.)

In this example, we’re going to filter a collection of data and show those rows that satisfy BOTH the first and second conditions.

To utilize a second condition in this manner (using AND logic), just insert it after the first condition in the formula, separated by an asterisk (*). Each condition must be included in a separate pair of parentheses.

When a filter formula is used with several conditions, the columns referenced in each condition must be distinct.

In this case, we’d want to filter a list of clients based on their payment status and region… and to display those customers who are both current members AND paid on their payment status.

The objective is to provide a list of customers who are paid on payments, but only those who are in East region.

The reasoning: Filter the range A2:C6 such that B2:B6 equals the text “Paid,” AND C2:C6 equals the text “East“.

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the blue cell (E1).

=FILTER(A2:C6,( B2:B6="Paid")*( C2:C6 ="East"))

Example 8: Filtering Based on Two Conditions using OR Logic

In this example, we’re going to filter a collection of data and show those rows that satisfy either the first OR the second criterion.

To utilize a second condition in this manner (using OR logic), just insert it after the first condition in the formula, separated by a plus sign. Each condition must be included in a separate pair of parentheses (shown below).

When used in this manner, the FILTER formula allows you to choose criteria from the same or separate columns.

In this case, we’re filtering the same customer data as in the previous example, but this time we’re displaying a list of customers who either are in East region OR have paid on a payment. This will generate a list of clients to whom a payment notification have paid… whether they are current members or east region who have paid on their last payment.

The objective is to provide a list of customers who are in East region, as well as customers who have paid on payments regardless of whether they are in East region.

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the cell (E1).

=FILTER(A2:C6, (B2:B6="Paid ")+(C2:C6=" East ")

Example 9: Filter Data in Excel from Another Sheet

You may often encounter instances in Excel when you need to filter data from another sheet, where your raw unfiltered data is on one tab and your filter formula is on another sheet.

This may be accomplished by simply referring to a certain sheet’s name when providing the filter’s ranges. Thus, while you would typically give a range such as “A1:B4,” when referring another sheet when filtering, you indicate the sheet name by preceding the range with the sheet name and an exclamation mark, as in “SheetName!A1:B4“.

However, if the sheet name contains a space, an apostrophe must be used before and after the sheet name, as in "Sheet Name!" A1:B4.

The following is an example of how to filter data in Excel from a separate sheet, where the filter formula is located on a different sheet than the source range.

Consider the following scenario: On one sheet, you have a list of customers and their payment status, and you wish to present a filtered list of  paid customer on another sheet.

The job is to filter the list of customers on the Sheet3 and to display a separate list of customer names with a pay status on another worksheet.

The reasoning: Filter the range using the Sheet3‘ command! A2:C6, where ‘ Sheet3′ is the range! B2:B6 corresponds to the phrase “Paid“.

The following formula: In this example, the formula below is typed in the cell (A3).

=FILTER(Sheet3! A2:C6, Sheet3!B2:B6="Paid")

Example 10: Providing Maximum Number of Rows of Filtered Data

If your FILTER formula provides a large number of rows but your worksheet is restricted in space and you are unable to erase the data below, you may limit the amount of rows returned by the FILTER function.

Let us demonstrate how it works using a simple formula that filter data that grade is less than 0.7 from filter value in Cell F1:

=FILTER(A2:C10, B2:B10<F1)

The preceding formula produces all records that it discovers, in this instance five rows. However, imagine you only have room for two. To output just the first two rows discovered, follow these steps:

Step1: Incorporate the FILTER formula into the INDEX function’s array parameter

Step2: Use a vertical array constant such as 1;2 as the row num input to INDEX. It specifies the number of rows to return (2 in our case).

Step3: Use a horizontal array constant such as 1,2 for the column num parameter. It defines the columns that should be returned (the first 2 columns in this example).

Step4: To account for any mistakes caused by the absence of data meeting your criteria, you may wrap your calculation in the IFERROR function.

The entire excel filter formula is as follows:

=IFERROR(INDEX(FILTER(A2:C10, B2:B10<F1), {1;2},{1,2}), "No Found")

Conclusion

This section discusses the FILTER function and its many uses. In general, when it comes to time management, we need this feature for a variety of reasons. I demonstrated various techniques with accompanying examples, however there might be countless further iterations based on a variety of circumstances. If you know of another way to use this function, please share it with us.

• Excel IFERROR function
  The Excel IFERROR function returns an alternate value you specify if a formula results in an error, or returns the result of the formula.The syntax of the IFERROR function is as below:= IFERROR (value, value_if_error)….
• Excel INDEX function
  The Excel INDEX function returns a value from a table based on the index (row number and column number)The INDEX function is a build-in function in Microsoft Excel and it is categorized as a Lookup and Reference Function.The syntax of the INDEX function is as below:= INDEX (array, row_num,[column_num])…

Excel program is one of the most used spreadsheet programs.

If you don’t know its advantages, then let me tell you, with the excel program you can do various calculations, advanced filter excels, maintain data, perform mathematical operations, auto filter excel, create spreadsheets, and lots more features are there provided by excel program.

Today, we will be discussing the procedure of How to filter in excel. If you don’t know what actually a filter function is, the basic intro is given below. Have a look at that.

Filtering in excel simply means displaying certain data. In other words, filtering means setting a condition, so that only certain data is displayed.

For example, when you have a large number of data, and you want to display particular information, then all you will have to do is, filter the data. Once the data is filtered, and the condition is set to show the certain data, the only data that you chose to filter would display.

How to Filter in Excel

In excel filter multiple columns can also be done. In the article, we will let you know the complete step-by-step guide to filter the data. Along with the filtering in excel. We will be also telling you the procedure for advance filtering.

Check out the guide and let me know, how do you find it. The steps are described below. If you face any difficulty in any step, do ask that by dropping the comment below.

Step 1: First of all, enter the data in the excel sheet you want to filter. For example, as you can see below, in the image I have mentioned some data. In the data below, I have mentioned the rows with Sr. No., Customer ID, amount, Country, and years. Check the image below.  

Now here, we have to filter the data. For example, I want to display the Country UK, along with the year 2015. So how do we do that? I have shown it below. Simply follow the second step.

Step 2: In order to apply the filter function to the sheet, first select the rows you want to apply the filter function to, and then go to the Data tab from the menu bar, and select Filter. The screenshot is given below.

Step 3: As sooner you click on the filter option, a drop-down arrow will appear in the header cell for each column. Check out the image below.

Remember, In order for filtering data properly, your worksheet should include a header row, it is used to identify the name of each column. As in our example sheet, we have taken the header column as Sr. No., Customer ID, amount, Country, and years.

Step 4: Now, as we have to filter the Country UK, we will have to click n the drop-down arrow from the country column. Once done, apply the same procedure for the year or for any data you want to filter.

As sooner you will click on the arrow button. you will see a screen as I have mentioned below.

Step 5: As you can see in the above image, there are basically three options appearing. UK, USA, and Select All. If there would be more countries, all would have been showing in the list. But as I have mentioned only two of the countries, we have to select from them.

As I told you above, I want to display the list of Uk, I will check the box of UK and Uncheck the rest of the checkboxes. As sooner I will do that, the only country UK will start displaying.

And the filtering arrow in the table header changes to this icon. This indicates a filter is applied. To make any changes or clear the filter, click on this icon.

I have mentioned the screenshot below. If you finding difficulty in understanding, keep referring to the screenshots.

Step 6: And you are done. This is how we filter data in an excel program.

This was the first method to perform a filter in excel. Another method is given below.

Step 1: To perform the filter, select the cell first. Once done, right-click on it and then click Filter. See the screenshot below.

Step 2: As it is clearly visible in the above image, after clicking on the filter option, a small drop-down will appear. All you have to do is click on the Filter by Selected Cell’s Value. And you are done!!

So, these were the basic two methods to perform filters in excel. I hope you got all the steps clear. You must have. Along with the steps, I also have provided the screenshot. But still, if you find any difficulty you can drop the comment below.

Ok, so this was about how to filter in excel. The methods I shown above are simple filtering methods. But below, I am going to show you how excel advanced filter is performed.

However, an advanced filter in excel is not as easy as simple filtering. You may find advanced filtering a little complex than the simple filter. But, once you manage to perform the advanced filter, you may find it more beneficial. Check out the given below.

Step 1: To perform advanced filter in excel. first, click on the Data tab from the menu bar. And then select Advanced. 

Step 2: After you click on the advanced option, the Advanced Filter dialog box will open up. And you will see a screen as I have mentioned below.

Now here, all you have to do is fill in the details, and then click the OK button to filter the data. And the data would be filtered.

So, this how-to filter in excel. I hope the given guide will help you to perform a filter in your excel sheet. In case, of any confusion, you can drop your comment. We will try to reach out to you as soon as possible.

If you know any other method to perform filter in excel, you can share it with us.

Also, do check out our previous guide excel by clicking here. You can also consider sharing the guide if you find it useful.

Quick Links 

• How To Multiply In Excel
• How To Create A Drop Down List in Excel
• How To Update Google Chrome  A Basic Guide To Update Google Chrome

Filtering is a common everyday action for most Excel users. Whether using AutoFilter or a Table, it is a convenient way to view a subset of data quickly. Until the FILTER function in Excel was released, there was no easy way to achieve this with formulas. When Microsoft announced the changes to Excel’s calculation engine, they also introduced a host of new functions. One of those new functions is FILTER, which returns all the cells from a range that meet specific criteria.

At the time of writing, the FILTER function is only available in Excel 365, Excel 2021 and Excel Online. It will not be available in Excel 2019 or earlier versions.

Download the example file: Click the link below to download the example file used for this post:

Watch the video:

Watch the video on YouTube

Arguments of the FILTER function

Before we look at the arguments required for the FILTER function, let’s look at a basic example to appreciate what it does.

Here the FILTER function returns all the values in cells B3-B10 where the number of characters is greater than 15. Not a scenario that many of us will need, but it perfectly demonstrates the power of the new FILTER function.

FILTER has three arguments:

=FILTER(array, include, [if_empty])

• array: The range of cells, or array of values to filter.
• include: An array of TRUE/FALSE results, where only the TRUE values are retained in the filter.
• [if_empty]: The value to display if no rows are returned.

Examples of using the FILTER function

The following examples illustrate how to use the FILTER function.

Example 1 – FILTER returns an array of rows and columns

In this example, cell F3 contains a single formula, but this formula returns an array of values into the neighboring rows and columns.

The formula in cell F3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,C3:C10>100)

This single formula is returning 2 rows and 3 columns of data where the values in C3-C10 are higher than 100.

Example 2 – #CALC! error caused by the FILTER function

The screenshot below displays what happens when the result of the FILTER function has zero results; we get the #CALC! error.

The formula in cell F3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,C3:C10>200)

As no rows meet the criteria of Invoice Value being higher than 200, the FILTER cannot return a value, so the #CALC! error is displayed.

Thankfully, Microsoft has given us the if_empty argument, which displays a message if there are no rows returned.

The formula in cell F3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,C3:C10>200,"No Results")

In the screenshot above, No Results displays instead of the #CALC! error.

If we wanted to display a result in each column, we could include a constant array within the if_empty argument. The following shows n/a in the Invoice Value and Days Due columns.

=FILTER(B3:D10,C3:C10>200,{"No Results","n/a","n/a"})

This formula would result in the following:

Example 3 – FILTER expands automatically when linked to a table

This example shows how the FILTER function responds when linked to an Excel table.

The FILTER is set to show items where Invoice Value is higher than 100. New records added to the Table which meet the criteria are automatically added to the spill range of the function. Amazing stuff!

Example 4 – Using FILTER with multiple criteria.

Example 4 shows how to apply FILTER with multiple criteria.

The formula in cell F3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,(C3:C10>50)*(D3:D10>30))

For anybody who has used the SUMPRODUCT function, this method of applying multiple conditions will be familiar. Multiplication creates AND logic (i.e., all the criteria must be TRUE). The example above shows where the Invoice Value is greater than 50 and the Days Due is greater than 30.

Addition creates OR logic (i.e., any individual condition can be TRUE).

The formula in cell G3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,(C3:C10>50)+(D3:D10>30))

The example above shows where the Invoice Value is greater than 50 or the Days Due is greater than 30.

Example 5 – Using FILTER for dependent dynamic drop-down lists

Drop-down lists are a data validation technique. Dependent drop-down lists are an advanced technique where the lists change depending on the result of another cell. For example, if the first drop-down list displays country names, the second drop-down list should only display cities that exist in that country. In Excel 2019 and before there are only tedious methods to achieve this effect, but the new FILTER function makes this super easy.

The formula in cell H3 is:

=UNIQUE(B3:B10)

The UNIQUE function creates a unique list to populate the drop-down in cell F4.

The formula in cell I3 is:

=FILTER(C3:C10,B3:B10=F4)

Depending on the value in cell F4, the values returned by the FILTER function change. The second drop-down in cell F6 changes dynamically based on the value in Cell F4.

Example 6 – Using FILTER with other functions

In this final example, FILTER is nested inside the SORT function.

The formula in cell F3 is:

=SORT(FILTER(B3:D10,D3:D10<=30))

First, the FILTER function returns the cells based on the Days Due being less than or equal to 30. The SORT function then puts the Customers into ascending alphabetical order.

Example 7 – Using FILTER to show matching items from a list

How can we match a list of items that could have an unknown size? We can’t keep updating our FILTER function by adding and removing criteria. And, if we had a lot of items to match, it would soon become unmanageable. So, let’s see how we can solve this.

In the example below, the formula in cell H3 returns only the customers listed in F3:F4.

The formula in cell H3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,COUNTIFS(F3:F4,B3:B10),"No results")

The COUNTIFS function returns a positive number if the item exists in both the data and the list, or zero if it exists in only one. Since positive numbers are always TRUE and zeros are always FALSE, this provides the TRUE/FALSE logic required for the FILTER function to return only the matching items.

NOTE: If the list starting in F3 were generated by another array formula, or by Power Query this solution would be completely dynamic (that is outside the scope of the current post, so we have used static ranges for this example).

Example 8 – Simulating wildcard search with FILTER

The FILTER function does not allow wildcard characters in the criteria. However, by using a combination of SEARCH and ISNUMBER we can simulate a similar effect.

In the example below, the formula in cell H3 returns only the items where the customer name contains the letters in cell F3.

The formula in cell H3 is:

=FILTER(B3:D10,ISNUMBER(SEARCH(F3,B3:B10)),"No results")

SEARCH returns a number if the search term in cell F3 is found in each value in B3-B10.

ISNUMBER returns TRUE or FALSE for each value depending on if SEARCH returns a number. This TRUE/FALSE value provides the logic needed by FILTER to return the matching items.

In this scenario only, Milkshake Junction and Sunset Satay contain un as a substring, therefore only these customers are returned.

Want to learn more?

There is a lot to learn about dynamic arrays and the new functions. Check out my other posts here to learn more:

• Introduction to dynamic arrays – learn how the excel calculation engine has changed.
• UNIQUE – to list the unique values in a range
• SORT – to sort the values in a range
• SORTBY – to sort values based on the order of other values
• FILTER – to return only the values which meet specific criteria
• SEQUENCE – to return a sequence of numbers
• RANDARRAY – to return an array of random numbers
• Using dynamic arrays with other Excel features – learn to use dynamic arrays with charts, PivotTables, pictures etc.
• Advanced dynamic array formula techniques – learn the advanced techniques for managing dynamic arrays