Mastering Filters and Filter Views in Google Sheets

Filtering data in Google Sheets allows you to focus on what matters most in your datasets. Whether you’re identifying patterns, narrowing down results, or creating reusable views, filters are invaluable. In this post, we’ll explore how to use basic filters, filter by colour and condition, and harness the power of Filter Views to customise and share your data without disrupting others.

Filtering by value

Filters enable you to quickly focus on specific data. Let’s look at an example. If you’re managing course books and want to view the books assigned to a particular teacher:

1. Select the headers of your dataset.

2. Click the filter icon in the toolbar to activate filters.

3. In the header of the relevant column, click the triangle to open the filter menu.

4. Use the “Filter by values” section to untick the values you want to exclude.

Reset the filter by selecting “Select all” or clicking “Clear” to start afresh.

Filtering by condition

If you need to find data based on specific criteria, use “Filter by condition.” For example, to see students who scored below 50% on an exam:

1. Apply a filter and open the filter menu.

2. Choose Filter by condition, then select a condition like “Less than.”

3. Input your value (e.g., 0.5 for 50%) and click “OK.”

This method highlights rows meeting the condition while hiding others.

Filtering by colour

Filters also work with cell colours. For instance, in an action plan using red, yellow, and green to denote task status:

1. Open the filter menu for the status column.

2. Select Filter by colour > Fill colour, then choose a colour (e.g., red for unstarted tasks).

This isolates rows with the chosen colour, providing quick visual insights.

Using Filter Views

Filter Views allow you to save and share custom filters without affecting others’ views. To create one:

1. Highlight the dataset and click the Filter Views icon.

2. Choose Create filter view, adjust filters as needed, and save with a meaningful name.

Others can access the unfiltered sheet, while you switch between your saved views anytime. They can also use the saved filter views by selecting one from the Filter view menu.

Duplicating Filter Views

When managing similar filters, duplicating an existing Filter View saves time. For instance, if you have a Filter View for Class A and need one for Class B:

1. Open the existing Filter View (e.g., Class A).

2. Click the three dots in the Filter View toolbar and select Duplicate view.

3. Rename the duplicated Filter View and adjust the filters (e.g., select only Class B).

The new Filter View will appear in the Filter Views menu, ready for reuse.

Sharing Filter Views

You can share a Filter View via its unique URL. The part at the end starting with “fvid” is the filter view ID that created the view. While the Filter View is active, copy the longer URL and share it with collaborators. They’ll see the filtered data without altering the main sheet.

Mastering filters in Google Sheets is a game-changer for data management. From basic filters to advanced Filter Views, these tools let you organise, analyse, and share data efficiently. Explore these features to unlock the full potential of your spreadsheets!

Find a deeper look at filters in this YouTube video.

Learn more about Google Sheets with more tutorials here.