Introduction to Advance Filter

In this article, we will learn Introduction to Advance Filter in Excel.

What is Advanced Filter ?

Advance Filter is the most powerful feature of Excel. The advanced filtering feature in Excel allows you to quickly copy unique information from one data list to another. It allows the person to quickly remove duplicates, extract records that meet certain criteria. It works great when we use wildcards, within 2 date criteria.

Filtering is a simple, however, amazing & powerful way to analyze data. Advance filter are quite easy to use. Here's how you can use Excel's advanced filtering capabilities.

Scenario:

In simple words, while working with table values, sometimes we need to count, sum, product or average of the values having already applied filter option. Example if we need to get the count of a certain IDs where the ID data has applied filter on. Criteria on data is applied using the filter option.

How to solve a filtered problem using a function ?

For this article we will be required to use the SUBTOTAL function. Now we will make a formula out of the function. Here we are given some values in a range and specific text value as criteria. We need to count the values where the formula includes all the values which ends with the given text or pattern

Generic formula:-

= SUBTOTAL ( fun_num, range )

fun_num : number, num corresponding to the operation

range : range where operation is to apply.

Example:

All of these might be confusing to understand. So, let's test this formula via running it on the example shown below.

Here we have the order import data. And we have applied criteria to Region, only the East region is filtered.

Here to find the count of filtered values. Choose the right argument as fun_num. Fun_num is the operation you want to apply. Here to count the cells we use COUNTA operation, num as 3.

Use the formula:

= SUBTOTAL ( 3, B2:B14)

As you can see the total rows which are visible comes out to be 11. Now we will use one more example to extract the Average of the quantity which are visible or filtered.

Use the formula:

= SUBTOTAL ( 1 , C2:C14 )

As you can see the average order quantity received from the East region comes out to be approx 60. You can use different operations like average, count, max, min, product, standard deviation, sum or variation as per the required results on filtered data.

Let’s understand this with an example.

Here we have a data set.

Now we need to delete the rows with City : Boston

As you can see filtered Rows with City:Boston

Now I will select these rows which are to be deleted.

Go to Home > Find & Select > Go To Special

Go To Special dialog box appears

Select Visible cells only > OK

You will see the selected region as shown below. Right click on any selected cell > Select Delete Row

It shows a warning as shown below

Click Ok.

As you can see selected rows are deleted. To view other cells. To view other cells, Double click on the red part shown in the left in the snapshot.

You will get your desired output as shown below in the table.

This is a very useful function while editing data in your worksheet.

Here are some observational notes shown below.

Notes:

  1. Choose the right fun_num to get the desired results.
  2. The formula only works with numbers and text both
  3. Operators like equals to ( = ), less than equal to ( <= ), greater than ( > ) or not equals to ( <> ) can be performed within function applied on numbers only.

Hope this article about Introduction to Advance Filter in Excel is explanatory. Find more articles on sort and Filter values and related Excel formulas here. If you liked our blogs, share it with your friends on Facebook. And also you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We would love to hear from you, do let us know how we can improve, complement or innovate our work and make it better for you. Write to us at info@exceltip.com.

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How to use the SUBTOTAL function in Excel: Returns the SUM, COUNT, AVERAGE, STDEV or PRODUCT on applied filtered data in Excel.

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The COUNTIFS Function in Excel : Count cells dependent on other cell values.

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How to use wildcards in excel : Count cells matching phrases using the wildcards in excel

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Comments

  1. Advance Filters are very useful, but it's a big call to say "Advance Filter is the most powerful feature of Excel." I doubt you'll find many agreeing with you that they're more powerful than Pivot Tables, or the new PowerPivot in 2013.

    • Completely agree with you but do you have idea how many users use 2013???

      I wonder they will be many who are still using 2007 or 2010. So this is good for them and specially for beginners.

    • Slightly Less Confused

      Are you setting up the Criteria Range? The post doesn't explain it well. Where it says "In Criteria range; select the criteria range as I1:N2", see that it shows Susan in the appropriate cell (the 5th column over from the beginning of the range, just as manager in the data is the 5th column of that range). The post doesn't really explain doing this, just shows an image.

      • Hi Slightly Less Confused,

        You need to download the excel file & follow below steps:

        • In Excel file you will find Raw Data sheet.
        • Copy the header range A1:F1 & paste to range I1:N1
        • In Manager column i.e. in cell M2 type "Susan"
        • Then press shortcut keys ALT + A + Q & follow the steps mention in the book.

        I follow the same & got the filter data.

        @AfroDaby: Hope this will help you.

        Regards,
        Ashish

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