How to Insert Filters and Multiple Sort in Excel

Excel is a powerful tool for organizing, analyzing, and presenting data. One of the features that makes Excel so versatile is the ability to apply filters and multiple sort criteria to any range of cells or table. Filters allow you to hide or display rows that meet certain conditions, such as values, text, colors, or icons. Multiple sort criteria allow you to arrange your data in a specific order based on one or more columns or rows. In this article, we will show you how to insert filters and multiple sort in Excel using different methods and options.

How to Insert Filters in Excel

To insert filters in Excel, you need to follow these steps:

Select the range of cells or table that you want to filter. Make sure that the range has headers for each column.
On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key Ctrl + Shift + L.
You will see drop-down arrows on each header cell. Click on any arrow to open the filter menu for that column.
In the filter menu, you can choose from various options to filter your data, such as:
- Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A: This will sort the column in ascending or descending order based on the values or text.
- Sort by Color: This will sort the column by cell color, font color, or icon set.
- Filter by Color: This will display only the rows that have a specific cell color, font color, or icon set.
- Text Filters: This will display only the rows that meet certain text criteria, such as contains, begins with, ends with, etc.
- Number Filters: This will display only the rows that meet certain numerical criteria, such as equals, greater than, less than, between, etc.
- Date Filters: This will display only the rows that meet certain date criteria, such as today, yesterday, last week, next month, etc.
- Custom Filter: This will allow you to create your own filter criteria using logical operators such as AND, OR, NOT, etc.
To apply the filter, check or uncheck the boxes next to the values or options that you want to include or exclude. You can also use the search box to find a specific value or option. Click OK to confirm your filter.
To clear the filter for a specific column, click on the arrow again and select Clear Filter From [Column Name]. To clear all filters for the entire range or table, click on any arrow and select Clear All Filters.

How to Insert Multiple Sort in Excel

To insert multiple sort in Excel, you need to follow these steps:

Select the range of cells or table that you want to sort. Make sure that the range has headers for each column.
On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Sort. Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key Alt + D + S.
You will see the Sort dialog box where you can add or modify your sort criteria. You can sort by up to 64 columns or rows at a time.
To add a new sort criterion, click on Add Level. To delete an existing sort criterion, click on Delete Level.
For each sort criterion, you can choose from various options to sort your data, such as:
- Sort by: This will let you select the column or row that you want to sort by.
- Sort On: This will let you select what you want to sort by, such as values, cell color, font color, or icon set.
- Order: This will let you select the order of sorting, such as smallest to largest, largest to smallest, A to Z, Z to A, custom list, etc.
To change the order of your sort criteria, use the arrows on the right side of the dialog box to move them up or down.
To apply your multiple sort criteria, click OK.

Tips and Tricks for Filtering and Sorting Data in Excel

Here are some tips and tricks that can help you filter and sort your data more efficiently and effectively in Excel:

To quickly filter by a specific value in a column, select any cell that contains that value and press Alt + Down Arrow. Then select Filter by Selected Cell’s Value from the filter menu.
To quickly sort by a specific column in ascending or descending order, select any cell in that column and press Alt + A + S + A for ascending order or Alt + A + S + D for descending order.
To filter or sort by more than one column at a time, hold down Ctrl while clicking on the arrows of each column that you want to include.
To copy only the visible rows after applying a filter or sort, select the range of cells that you want to copy and press Alt + ; (semicolon). Then press Ctrl + C to copy and Ctrl + V to paste.
To create a custom list for sorting, go to File > Options > Advanced > General > Edit Custom Lists. You can enter your own list of values or import a list from a range of cells. Then you can use this list as an option for sorting order.

Conclusion

Filtering and sorting data in Excel can help you organize and analyze your data better, as well as present it in a more appealing way. You can use various methods and options to filter and sort your data by values, text, colors, icons, dates, numbers, or custom criteria. You can also apply multiple filters and sort criteria to your data to get more specific results. By using these features, you can make your data more manageable and meaningful in Excel.

¹: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/sort-data-in-a-range-or-table-62d0b95d-2a90-4610-a6ae-2e545c4a4654 ²: https://www.howtogeek.com/702718/how-to-sort-and-filter-data-in-excel/ ³: https://www.educba.com/data-filter-in-excel/ ⁴: https://www.exceldemy.com/add-filter-in-excel/

How to Insert Filters and Multiple Sort in Excel