To filter data in Excel, follow these steps:
- Ensure your data has a header row with column names.
- Select any cell within your data range.
- Add a filter by any of these methods:
- On the Data tab, click the Filter button in the Sort & Filter group.
- On the Home tab, click Sort & Filter, then Filter.
- Use the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + L to toggle filters on or off.
- You will see drop-down arrows appear in each header cell.
- Click the drop-down arrow in the column you want to filter.
- Uncheck Select All to clear all selections, then check the boxes for the data you want to see.
- Click OK to apply the filter. The column will show only the rows that match the selected criteria, hiding others.
Additional filtering options include filtering by multiple columns, filtering blanks or non-blanks, using criteria with AND/OR logic, and applying number or text filters for more complex rules. You can also filter using wildcards or the FILTER function for dynamic array filtering. This method helps to quickly sort and view specific portions of data in Excel without rearranging or deleting information.
