Use AutoFilter or built-in comparison operators like «greater than» and “top 10” in Excel to show the data you want and hide the rest. Once you filter data in a range of cells or table, you can either reapply a filter to get up-to-date results, or clear a filter to redisplay all of the data.
Use filters to temporarily hide some of the data in a table, so you can focus on the data you want to see.
Filter a range of data
-
Select any cell within the range.
-
Select Data > Filter.
-
Select the column header arrow
. -
Select Text Filters or Number Filters, and then select a comparison, like Between.
-
Enter the filter criteria and select OK.
.
Filter data in a table
When you put your data in a table, filter controls are automatically added to the table headers.
-
Select the column header arrow
for the column you want to filter. -
Uncheck (Select All) and select the boxes you want to show.
-
Click OK.
The column header arrow
changes to a Filter icon. Select this icon to change or clear the filter.
Related Topics
Excel Training: Filter data in a table
Guidelines and examples for sorting and filtering data by color
Filter data in a PivotTable
Filter by using advanced criteria
Remove a filter
Filtered data displays only the rows that meet criteria that you specify and hides rows that you do not want displayed. After you filter data, you can copy, find, edit, format, chart, and print the subset of filtered data without rearranging or moving it.
You can also filter by more than one column. Filters are additive, which means that each additional filter is based on the current filter and further reduces the subset of data.
Note: When you use the Find dialog box to search filtered data, only the data that is displayed is searched; data that is not displayed is not searched. To search all the data, clear all filters.
The two types of filters
Using AutoFilter, you can create two types of filters: by a list value or by criteria. Each of these filter types is mutually exclusive for each range of cells or column table. For example, you can filter by a list of numbers, or a criteria, but not by both; you can filter by icon or by a custom filter, but not by both.
Reapplying a filter
To determine if a filter is applied, note the icon in the column heading:
-
A drop-down arrow
means that filtering is enabled but not applied.When you hover over the heading of a column with filtering enabled but not applied, a screen tip displays «(Showing All)».
-
A Filter button
means that a filter is applied.When you hover over the heading of a filtered column, a screen tip displays the filter applied to that column, such as «Equals a red cell color» or «Larger than 150».
When you reapply a filter, different results appear for the following reasons:
-
Data has been added, modified, or deleted to the range of cells or table column.
-
Values returned by a formula have changed and the worksheet has been recalculated.
Do not mix data types
For best results, do not mix data types, such as text and number, or number and date in the same column, because only one type of filter command is available for each column. If there is a mix of data types, the command that is displayed is the data type that occurs the most. For example, if the column contains three values stored as number and four as text, the Text Filters command is displayed .
Filter data in a table
When you put your data in a table, filtering controls are added to the table headers automatically.
-
Select the data you want to filter. On the Home tab, click Format as Table, and then pick Format as Table.
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In the Create Table dialog box, you can choose whether your table has headers.
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Select My table has headers to turn the top row of your data into table headers. The data in this row won’t be filtered.
-
Don’t select the check box if you want Excel for the web to add placeholder headers (that you can rename) above your table data.
-
-
Click OK.
-
To apply a filter, click the arrow in the column header, and pick a filter option.
Filter a range of data
If you don’t want to format your data as a table, you can also apply filters to a range of data.
-
Select the data you want to filter. For best results, the columns should have headings.
-
On the Data tab, choose Filter.
Filtering options for tables or ranges
You can either apply a general Filter option or a custom filter specific to the data type. For example, when filtering numbers, you’ll see Number Filters, for dates you’ll see Date Filters, and for text you’ll see Text Filters. The general filter option lets you select the data you want to see from a list of existing data like this:
Number Filters lets you apply a custom filter:
In this example, if you want to see the regions that had sales below $6,000 in March, you can apply a custom filter:
Here’s how:
-
Click the filter arrow next to March > Number Filters > Less Than and enter 6000.
-
Click OK.
Excel for the web applies the filter and shows only the regions with sales below $6000.
You can apply custom Date Filters and Text Filters in a similar manner.
To clear a filter from a column
-
Click the Filter
button next to the column heading, and then click Clear Filter from <«Column Name»>.
To remove all the filters from a table or range
-
Select any cell inside your table or range and, on the Data tab, click the Filter button.
This will remove the filters from all the columns in your table or range and show all your data.
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data tab, click Filter.
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, click Choose One, and then enter your filter criteria.
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter.
Notes:
-
You can apply filters to only one range of cells on a sheet at a time.
-
When you apply a filter to a column, the only filters available for other columns are the values visible in the currently filtered range.
-
Only the first 10,000 unique entries in a list appear in the filter window.
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data tab, click Filter.
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, click Choose One, and then enter your filter criteria.
-
In the box next to the pop-up menu, enter the number that you want to use.
-
Depending on your choice, you may be offered additional criteria to select:
Notes:
-
You can apply filters to only one range of cells on a sheet at a time.
-
When you apply a filter to a column, the only filters available for other columns are the values visible in the currently filtered range.
-
Only the first 10,000 unique entries in a list appear in the filter window.
-
Instead of filtering, you can use conditional formatting to make the top or bottom numbers stand out clearly in your data.
You can quickly filter data based on visual criteria, such as font color, cell color, or icon sets. And you can filter whether you have formatted cells, applied cell styles, or used conditional formatting.
-
In a range of cells or a table column, click a cell that contains the cell color, font color, or icon that you want to filter by.
-
On the Data tab, click Filter .
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, in the By color pop-up menu, select Cell Color, Font Color, or Cell Icon, and then click a color.
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter.This option is available only if the column that you want to filter contains a blank cell.
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data toolbar, click Filter.
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
In the (Select All) area, scroll down and select the (Blanks) check box.
Notes:
-
You can apply filters to only one range of cells on a sheet at a time.
-
When you apply a filter to a column, the only filters available for other columns are the values visible in the currently filtered range.
-
Only the first 10,000 unique entries in a list appear in the filter window.
-
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data tab, click Filter .
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, click Choose One, and then in the pop-up menu, do one of the following:
To filter the range for
Click
Rows that contain specific text
Contains or Equals.
Rows that do not contain specific text
Does Not Contain or Does Not Equal.
-
In the box next to the pop-up menu, enter the text that you want to use.
-
Depending on your choice, you may be offered additional criteria to select:
To
Click
Filter the table column or selection so that both criteria must be true
And.
Filter the table column or selection so that either or both criteria can be true
Or.
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data toolbar, click Filter .
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, click Choose One, and then in the pop-up menu, do one of the following:
To filter for
Click
The beginning of a line of text
Begins With.
The end of a line of text
Ends With.
Cells that contain text but do not begin with letters
Does Not Begin With.
Cells that contain text but do not end with letters
Does Not End With.
-
In the box next to the pop-up menu, enter the text that you want to use.
-
Depending on your choice, you may be offered additional criteria to select:
To
Click
Filter the table column or selection so that both criteria must be true
And.
Filter the table column or selection so that either or both criteria can be true
Or.
Wildcard characters can be used to help you build criteria.
-
Click a cell in the range or table that you want to filter.
-
On the Data toolbar, click Filter.
-
Click the arrow
in the column that contains the content that you want to filter. -
Under Filter, click Choose One, and select any option.
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In the text box, type your criteria and include a wildcard character.
For example, if you wanted your filter to catch both the word «seat» and «seam», type sea?.
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Do one of the following:
Use
To find
? (question mark)
Any single character
For example, sm?th finds «smith» and «smyth»
* (asterisk)
Any number of characters
For example, *east finds «Northeast» and «Southeast»
~ (tilde)
A question mark or an asterisk
For example, there~? finds «there?»
Do any of the following:
|
To |
Do this |
|---|---|
|
Remove specific filter criteria for a filter |
Click the arrow |
|
Remove all filters that are applied to a range or table |
Select the columns of the range or table that have filters applied, and then on the Data tab, click Filter. |
|
Remove filter arrows from or reapply filter arrows to a range or table |
Select the columns of the range or table that have filters applied, and then on the Data tab, click Filter. |
When you filter data, only the data that meets your criteria appears. The data that doesn’t meet that criteria is hidden. After you filter data, you can copy, find, edit, format, chart, and print the subset of filtered data.
Table with Top 4 Items filter applied
Filters are additive. This means that each additional filter is based on the current filter and further reduces the subset of data. You can make complex filters by filtering on more than one value, more than one format, or more than one criteria. For example, you can filter on all numbers greater than 5 that are also below average. But some filters (top and bottom ten, above and below average) are based on the original range of cells. For example, when you filter the top ten values, you’ll see the top ten values of the whole list, not the top ten values of the subset of the last filter.
In Excel, you can create three kinds of filters: by values, by a format, or by criteria. But each of these filter types is mutually exclusive. For example, you can filter by cell color or by a list of numbers, but not by both. You can filter by icon or by a custom filter, but not by both.
Filters hide extraneous data. In this manner, you can concentrate on just what you want to see. In contrast, when you sort data, the data is rearranged into some order. For more information about sorting, see Sort a list of data.
When you filter, consider the following guidelines:
-
Only the first 10,000 unique entries in a list appear in the filter window.
-
You can filter by more than one column. When you apply a filter to a column, the only filters available for other columns are the values visible in the currently filtered range.
-
You can apply filters to only one range of cells on a sheet at a time.
Note: When you use Find to search filtered data, only the data that is displayed is searched; data that is not displayed is not searched. To search all the data, clear all filters.
Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.
Try it!
Use filters to temporarily hide some of the data in a table, so you can focus on the data you want to see.
Filter a range of data
-
Select any cell within the range.
-
Select Data > Filter.
-
Select the column header arrow
. -
Select Text Filters or Number Filters, and then select a comparison, like Between.
-
Enter the filter criteria and select OK.
Filter data in a table
When you Create and format tables, filter controls are automatically added to the table headers.
-
Select the column header arrow
for the column you want to filter. -
Uncheck (Select All) and select the boxes you want to show.
-
Click OK.
The column header arrow 
changes to a 
Filter icon. Select this icon to change or clear the filter.
Want more?
Filter data in a range or table
Filter data in a PivotTable
Need more help?
Data filters are essential for reporting and decision making. In Excel, you will get filter arrows by default when you create a new table. In this guide, we’re going to show you tips about how to filter Excel Tables.
How to add filters
Excel shows filter controls (arrows) when you create a table by default. Alternatively, you can add or remove filters from the Design or Data tabs in the Ribbon. Let’s begin with the Design tab properties.
- Click on a cell in your table
- Open the Design tab
- Check / uncheck the Filter Button option in the Table Style Options section
The alternative to this method is using the Data tab for filtering options.
- Click on a cell in your table
- Open the Data tab
- Click the Filter button to display or hide filter arrows
How to use filters
Begin by clicking the filter arrow on a column you want to filter. A dialog with sorting and filtering options will be displayed.
Excel will automatically detect the structure of your data and make smart suggestions. You will get an option specific to the active column’s data type in addition to the default options.
For example, in the screenshot above, there are 4 items for filtering a text column:
Clear Filter From «Generation»
Clears the filtering and lists all items for the active column. This is the default option for all data types. Label includes the column name as well.
Filter by Color
This option allows filtering based on the background color of the cell. This is the default option for all data types.
Text Filters
The «Text» here indicates that this column contains text values. This option is contextual, and depends on the data type, «Number» for numbers, «Date» for date values etc.
Item List
Item list displays each item in the column to allow filtering out specific items. Although this section is available for every data type as well, its type will depend on the data type of the column. If you use date values, for example, the dates will be grouped by years and months.
Tips
You can filter more than one column at a same time. Excel displays items that meet every filtering condition.
You can use the Clear button under the Data tab to clear all filters with a single click.
What is Filter in Excel?
The filter in excel helps display relevant data by eliminating the irrelevant entries temporarily from the view. The data is filtered as per the given criteria. The purpose of filtering is to focus on the crucial areas of a dataset. For example, the city-wise sales data of an organization can be filtered by the location. Hence, the user can view the sales of selected cities at a given time.
A filter is necessarily required when working with a huge database. Being a widely used tool, the filter converts a comprehensive view into an easy-to-understand one. To apply filters, the dataset must contain a header row which specifies the name of every column.
Table of contents
- What is Filter in Excel?
- How to Filter in Excel?
- Method 1: With Filter Option Under the Home tab
- Method 2: With Filter Option Under the Data tab
- Method 3: With the Shortcut key
- How to Add Filters in Excel?
- Example #1–“Number Filters” Option
- Example #2–“Search Box” Option
- Option while you Drop Down the Filter Function
- The Techniques of Filtering in Excel
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Recommended Articles
- How to Filter in Excel?
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How to Filter in Excel?
You can download this Filter Column Excel Template here – Filter Column Excel Template
It is good to work with filters because they fit our needs the way we want to. In order to filter data, select the entries to be visible and deselect the rest of the items.
The three methods to add filters in excel are listed as follows:
- With filter option under the Home tab
- With filter option under the Data tab
- With the shortcut key
Let us consider a dataset to go through the three methods of adding filters.
The following table shows the invoices issued to the buyers of different cities. We want to filter the data using different methods.
Method 1: With Filter Option Under the Home tab
In the Home tab, there is a “filter” option under the “sort and filter” drop-down of the “editing” section, as shown in the following image.
Step 1: Select the data and click “filter” under the “sort and filter” drop-down.
Step 2: The filters are added to the selected data range. The drop-down arrows, shown within the red boxes in the following image, are filters.
Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow of the column “city” to view the different names of the cities.
Step 4: To see the invoice values of “Delhi” only, select “Delhi” and uncheck all the remaining boxes.
Step 5: The data for the city “Delhi” is filtered and displayed in the following image.
Method 2: With Filter Option Under the Data tab
In the Data tab, there is a “filter” option under the “sort and filter” section, as shown in the following image.
Method 3: With the Shortcut key
The keyboard shortcutsAn Excel shortcut is a technique of performing a manual task in a quicker way.read more are a good way to speed up the daily tasks. Select the data and add the filter using either of the following shortcuts:
- Press the keys “Shift+Ctrl+L” together.
- Press the keys “Alt+D+F+F” together.
Note: The preceding shortcuts for adding filtersUsing sorting and filtering, we can see the data category wise. With filtering data quickly you can easily navigate through menus or clicking through a mouse in less time.read more are toggle keys. Repetitive pressing helps to turn on and turn off the filters.
How to Add Filters in Excel?
We can filter numbers using advanced techniques. Let us consider some examples to understand the working of filters in Excel.
Example #1–“Number Filters” Option
Working on the data under the preceding heading (methods of filtering in Excel), we want to apply the following filters:
a. To filter column B (invoice value) for numbers greater than 10000
b. To filter column B for numbers greater than 10000 but less than 20000
Let us go through the two cases one by one.
a. Filter numbers greater than 10000
Step 1: Open the filter in column B (invoice value) by clicking on the filter symbol.
Step 2: In “number filters,” choose the “greater than” option, as shown in the following image.
Step 3: The “custom autofilter” box appears.
Step 4: Enter the number 10000 in the box to the right of “is greater than.”
Step 5: The output displays the invoice values greater than 10000. The symbol within the red box is the filter icon. It indicates that the filter has been applied to column B.
b. Filter numbers greater than 10000 but less than 20000
Step 1: In “number filters,” choose the “greater than” option.
Step 2: In the “custom autofilter” box, select “is less than” in the second box to the left-hand side. This is shown in the following image.
Step 3: Enter the number 10000 in the box to the right of “is greater than.” Enter the number 20000 in the box to the right of “is less than.”
Step 4: The output displays the invoice values greater than 10000 but less than 20000.
Example #2–“Search Box” Option
Working on the data under the preceding heading (methods of filtering in Excel), we have replaced the first column (city) with product IDs.
We want to filter the details of product ID “prd 1.”
The steps are listed as follows:
Step 1: Add filters to the columns “product ID” and “invoice value.”
Step 2: In the search boxA search box in Excel finds the needed data by typing into it, then filters the data and displays only that much info. When working with large datasheets, this simple tool may save a lot of time.read more, enter the value that is to be filtered. So, enter “prd 1.”
Step 3: The output displays only the filtered value from the list, as shown in the following image. Hence, we can see the invoice value of the product ID “prd 1.”
Option while you Drop Down the Filter Function
- Sort A to Z and Sort Z to A: If you wish to arrange your data ascending or descending order.
- Sort by Color: If you want to filter the data by color if a cell is filled by color.
- Text filter: When you want to filter a column with some exact text or number.
- Filter cells that begin with or end with an exact character or the text
- Filter cells that contain or do not contain a given character or word anywhere in the text.
- Filter cells that are exactly equal or not equal to a detailed character.
For example:
- Suppose you want to use the filter for a specific item. Click on to text filter and choose equals.
- It enables you the one dialogue, which includes a Custom Auto-Filter dialogue box.
- Enter fruits under category and click Ok.
- Now you will get the data of fruits category only as shown below.
The Techniques of Filtering in Excel
The following techniques must be followed while filtering data:
- If the dataset is large, type the value to be filtered. This filters all the possible matches.
- If numerical data has to be filtered by specifying the greater than or the less than number, use the “number filters” option.
- If data has to be filtered by the color of specific rows, use the “filter by color” option.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are filters and how to add them in Excel?
Filtering is a technique which displays the required information and removes the unwanted data from the view. It helps the user focus on the relevant data at a given time.
The steps to add filters in Excel are listed as follows:
• Ensure that a header row appears on top of the data, specifying the column labels.
• Select the data on which filters are to be added.
• Add filters by any of the three given methods.
o Click the “filter” option under the “sort and filter” (editing section) drop-down of the Home tab.
o Click the “filter” option under the “sort and filter” section of the Data tab.
o Press the keys “Shift+Ctrl+L” or “Alt+D+F+F.”
Note: As soon as the filters are added, a drop-down arrow appears on the particular column header.
2. How to apply filters to one or more columns?
The steps to apply filters to one or more columns are listed as follows:
• Click the drop-down arrow of the column to be filtered.
• Uncheck the “select all” option which helps deselect all data.
• Select the boxes to be displayed.
• Click “Ok.”
The drop-down arrow changes to the filter icon as soon as a filter is applied. When filters are applied to multiple columns, the filter icon appears on each one of them. Hovering over the filter icon shows the filters that have been applied.
Note: The drop-down arrow on a column header indicates a filter is added. The filter icon indicates a filter has been applied.
3. How to use filters in Excel?
The filters can be applied to numbers, text values, and dates. These cases are discussed as follows:
Filter numbers
• Click on the “number filters.”
• Select any of the options like “equals,” “does not equals,” “greater than,” “less than,” “between,” “above average,” and so on.
• Specify the required fields in the dialog box that appears. This box may or may not be displayed.
For instance, in “equals,” enter the number against which the values should be compared. The filtered results show the matching numerical values.
Filter text and date values
• To filter text and date values, select “text filters” and “date filters” from the respective drop-down arrows.
• The “text filters” allow filtering text strings which contain specific characters or words. The “date filters” allow filtering dates for a particular year, month, week, and so on.
Note: The “plus” and the “minus” sign of the date filters are used for expanding and collapsing the various levels respectively.
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to Filter in Excel. Here we discuss how to use/add filters in excel along with step by step examples and a downloadable template. You may learn more about Excel from the following articles –
- VBA FilterThe VBA Filter tool is used to sort out or fetch the desired data. However, this function accepts optional arguments, and the only required argument is an expression that covers the range, such as worksheets(«Sheet1»). Range(“A1”).read more
- How to Filter Pivot Table?By right-clicking on the pivot table, we can access the pivot table filter option. Another approach is to use the filter options available in the pivot table fields.read more
- Advanced Filter in ExcelThe advanced filter is different from the auto filter in Excel. This feature is not like a button that one can use with a single click of the mouse. To use an advanced filter, we have to define criteria for the auto filter and then click on the “Data” tab. Then, in the advanced section for the advanced filter, we will fill our criteria for the data.read more
- Types of Filters in Power BIThe filter function in Power BI is more commonly used to read data or reports based on multiple criteria. Visual level filters, page-level filters, report-level filters, drill-through filters, and so on are all available filters in Power Bi.read more
Data Filter in Excel (Table of Contents)
- Data Filter in Excel
- Uses of Data Filter in Excel
- Types of Data Filter in Excel
- How to Add Data Filter in Excel?
Data Filter in Excel
Data Filter in excel has many purposes apart from filtering the data. Although its main purpose is to filter the data as per the required condition, apart from this, we can sort, arrange the data, filter the data as per the color of cells or fonts or any condition available in the Text filter in the column where the filter is applied. To apply the filter, first, select the row where we need a filter, then from the Data menu tab, select Filter from Sort & Filter section. Or else we can apply filter by using short cut key ALT + D + F + F simultaneously or Ctrl + Shift + L together.
Uses of Data Filter in Excel
- If the table or range contains a huge number of datasets, it’s very difficult to find & extract the precise requested information or data. In this scenario, the Data Filter helps out.
- Data Filter in Excel option helps out in many ways to filter the data based on text, value, numeric or date value.
- The Data Filter option is very helpful to sort out data with simple drop-down menus.
- The Data Filter option is significant to temporarily hide few data sets in a table so that you can focus on the relevant data we need to work on.
- Filters are applied to rows of data in the worksheet.
- Apart from multiple filtering options, auto-filter criteria provide the Sort options also relevant to a given column.
Definition
Data Filter in Excel: it’s a quick way to display only the relevant or specific information which we need & temporarily hide irrelevant information or data in a table.
To activate the Excel data filter for any data in excel, select the entire data range or table range and click on the Filter button in the Data tab in the Excel ribbon.
(keyboard shortcut – Control + Shift + L)
Types of Data Filter in Excel
There are three types of data filtering options:
1. Data Filter Based On Text Values – It is used when the cells contain TEXT values; it has below mentioned Filtering Operators (Explained in example 1).
Apart from multiple filtering options in a text value, AutoFilter criteria provide the Sort options also relevant to a given column. i.e. Sort by A to Z, Sort by Z to A, and Sort by Color.
2. Data Filter Based on Numeric Values – It is used when the cells contain numbers or numeric values
It has below mentioned Filtering Operators (Explained in example 2)
Apart from multiple filtering options in Numeric value, AutoFilter criteria provide the Sort options also relevant to a given column. i.e. Sort by Smallest to Largest, Sort by Largest to Smallest, and Sort by Color.
3. Data Filter Based On Date Values – It is used when the cells contain date values (Explained in example 3)
Apart from multiple filtering options in date value, AutoFilter criteria provide the Sort options also relevant to a given column. i.e. Sort by Oldest to Newest, Sort by Newest to Oldest, and Sort by Color.
How to Add Data Filter in Excel?
This Data Filter is very simple easy to use. Let us now see how to Add a Data Filter in Excel with the help of some examples.
You can download this Data Filter Excel Template here – Data Filter Excel Template
Example #1 – Filtering Based on Text Values or Data
In the below-mentioned example, the Mobile sales data table contains a huge list of datasets.
Initially, I have to activate the Excel data filter for the Mobile sales data table in excel, select the entire data range or table range, and click on the Filter button in the Data tab in the Excel ribbon.
Or click (keyboard shortcut – Control + Shift + L)
When you click on Filter, each column in the first row will automatically have a small drop-down button or filter icon added at the right corner of the cell i.e.
When excel identifies that the column contains text data, it automatically displays the option of text filters. In the mobile sales data, if I want sales data in the northern region only, irrespective of date, product, sales rep & units sold. I need to select the filter icon in the region header; I have to uncheck or deselect all the regions except the north region. It returns mobile sales data in the northern region only.
Once a filter is applied in the region column, Excel pinpoints you that table is filtered on a particular column by adding a funnel icon to the region column’s drop-down list button.
I can further filter based on brand & sales rep data. Now with this data, I further filter in the product region where I want the sales of the Nokia brand in the north region only irrespective of the sales rep, units sold & date.
I have to just apply the filter in the product column apart from the region column. I have to uncheck or deselect all the products except the NOKIA brand. It returns Nokia sales data in the north region.
Once the filter is applied in the product column, Excel pinpoints you that table is filtered on a particular column by adding a funnel icon to the product column’s drop-down list button.
Example #2 – Filtering Based on Numeric Values or Data
When excel identifies that the column contains NUMERIC values or data, it automatically displays the option of text filters.
If I want data of units sold in the mobile sales data, which is more than 30 units, irrespective of date, product, sales rep & region. For that, I need to select the filter icon in the units sold header; I have to select the number of filters, and under that greater than an option.
Once greater than option under number filter is selected, pop up appears, i.e. Custom auto filter, in that under the unit sold, we want datasets of more than 30 units sold, so enter 30. Click ok.
It returns mobile sales data based on the units sold. i.e. more than 30 units only.
Once the filter is applied in the units sold column, Excel pinpoints you that table is filtered on a particular column by adding a funnel icon to the units sold column drop-down list button.
Sales data can be further Sorted by Smallest to Largest or Largest to Smallest in units sold.
Example #3 – Filtering based on Date Value
When excel identifies that the column contains DATE values or data, it automatically displays the option of DATE filters.
Date filter lets you filter dates based on any date range. For example, you can filter on conditions such dates by day, week, month, year, quarter, or year-to-date.
In the mobile sales data, if I want mobile sales data only on or for the date value, i.e. 01/15/17, irrespective of units sold, product, sales rep & region. I need to select the filter icon in the date header; I have to select the date filter, and under that equals to option.
Custom AutoFilter dialog box will appear; enter a date value manually, i.e. 01/15/17
Click ok. It returns mobile sales data only on or for the date value, i.e. 01/15/17
Once a filter is applied in the date column, Excel pinpoints you that table is filtered on a particular column by adding a funnel icon to the date column drop-down list button.
Things to Remember
- Data filter helps out to specify the required data that you want to display. This process is also called “Grouping of data, ” which helps out better analyse your data.
- Excel data can also be used to search or filter a data set with a specific word in a text with the help of a custom auto filter on the condition it contains ‘a’ or any relevant word of your choice.
- Data Filter option can be removed with the below-mentioned steps:
Go to the Data tab > Sort & Filter group and click Clear.
A Data Filter option is Removed.
- Excel data filter option can filter the records by multiple criteria or conditions, i.e. by filtering multiple column values (more than one column) explained in example 1.
- Excel data filter helps out to sort out blank & non-blank cells in the column.
- Data can also be filtered out with the help of wild characters, i.e.? (question mark) & * (asterisk) & ~ (tilde)
Recommended Articles
This has been a guide to a Data Filter in Excel. Here we discuss how to Add a Data Filter in Excel with excel examples and downloadable excel templates. You may also look at these useful functions in Excel –
- Excel Filter Shortcuts
- Excel Column Filter
- Advanced Filter in Excel
- VBA Filter