If you regularly work with data sets in Excel, you know how important it is to be able to quickly find the information you need. Whether you're analyzing sales figures, tracking inventory, or managing budgets, the ability to filter data is essential.
Luckily, Microsoft Excel has a powerful built-in tool that can help: the FILTER function. By using the FILTER function, you can quickly sort through large data sets and extract the data you need based on specified conditions.
What is the FILTER function?
The FILTER function in Excel allows you to extract a subset of data from a range based on one or more criteria. This function evaluates each value in a range of data and returns rows or columns that meet the criteria you set. The criteria are expressed as a formula that evaluates to a logical value.
The FILTER function uses the following syntax:
=FILTER(array, include, [if_empty])
In there:
- array. array is the range of cells you want to filter.
- include. include represents the condition you want to use to filter your data. This can be a single criterion or multiple criteria separated by Excel's logical functions.
- [if_empty] is an optional argument that specifies the return value if no data meets the specified condition.
How to use the FILTER function in Excel
Let's look at an example to understand how to use the FILTER function in Excel. Suppose you have a data table that includes columns for Name, Age, and Gender, and you want to filter the table to show only females. You will use the following formula:
=FILTER(A2:C10, C2:C10="Female")

To parse the formula, the array argument is A2:C10 and the criteria argument is C2:C10=”Female”. This formula will return an array of values that includes only rows where Gender is “Female”.
Let's look at another example! Suppose you have a data table that includes columns for Product Name, Category and Price. You want to filter the table to only show rows with a price less than or equal to $400. You will use the following formula:
=FILTER(A2:C10, C2:C10

The FILTER function uses the logical operator (Price according to the condition is less than or equal to 400 USD.
Use multiple criteria in the FILTER function
Excel's FILTER function allows you to specify more than one criteria to filter data. To add multiple criteria in the FILTER function, you need to use the logical functions “AND” or “OR”.
The AND function requires all of the criteria to be true for a row to be included in the filter results, while the OR function requires at least one of the criteria to be true for a row to be included in the results.
The following is an example of using the AND function in the FILTER function to extract data from a range based on two criteria:
=FILTER(A2:C10, (B2:B10="Tech")*(C2:C10>400))

This formula returns rows that meet the two specified criteria. The first criterion is what the value in column B should be Tech and the second criterion is the value in right column C greater than 400. Asterisk symbol (*) represents the AND operator, which combines two criteria.
How to use FILTER with other Excel functions
The FILTER function in Excel can be used with many other functions to perform advanced calculations and analysis on specific sets of data in a large table.
A common way to use FILTER with other functions is to first filter a range of data using the FILTER function, then apply another function to the filtered list. For example, you can sort data using the SORT function along with the FILTER function.
Here's an example: Suppose you have a table containing information about different products including their names, prices, and availability. You want to filter the table to show only in-stock products and sort the filtered list by price.
The formula, in this case, would be:
=SORT(FILTER(A2:C10, C2:C10="In Stock"), 2, TRUE)

This formula will return a filtered table of only the products currently in stock, sorted by their price in ascending order. The second argument in the SORT function (i.e. 2) represents the number of columns you want to sort by.
In this case, we want to sort by price in column B, so we use the number 2. The third argument in the SORT function (i.e. TRUE) specifies that we want to sort the values in order gradually increase.
Here are other Excel functions you can combine with the FILTER function:
- SUMIF or AVERAGEIF: You can use the FILTER function to create a subset of data that meets certain criteria, then use the SUMIF or AVERAGEIF function to calculate the sum or average of that subset of data.
- For example, if you have a list of sales data for different products and want to calculate the total sales for a specific product, you can use FILTER to create a subset of data for that product, then use the SUMIF function to calculate total sales.
- MAX and MIN: You can use the FILTER function to find the largest or smallest value in a subset of data that meets certain criteria. In the sales data example, you could use the FILTER function with MAX or MIN to find the product with the highest or lowest sales.
- COUNT: You can also use the COUNT function with FILTER to get the number of cells that meet certain criteria.
Overall, combining the FILTER function with other Excel functions can help you perform more advanced analysis and make your data more meaningful and useful.
Filter data effectively with Excel's FILTER function
Excel's FILTER function allows you to quickly and easily filter data based on specified conditions. By using the FILTER function, you can avoid the hassle of having to manually sort through large data sets to find the data you need. You can specify multiple criteria and combine them using operators like “AND” and “OR”, giving you flexibility and control over the filter formula.
Whether you're an experienced analyst or a beginner, Excel's FILTER function can help you streamline your workflow and get the most out of your data.