How to Use a Filter in Excel

1. Isolate column headings to one cell. If a column heading spills over into another cell, use text wrapping to place the heading in one cell. Highlight a multi-cell column header, press 'Format' on the menu bar, click 'Row', select 'Autofit and then Format', select 'Cells' and 'Wrap Text' to place headers in one cell.
2. Format the row that contains the column heading differently than the rows that contain data, so Excel recognizes it is a row heading. Embolden characters, change the font color or place a border around the column heading to differentiate from data cells.
3. Ensure each column contains one type of data. For example, a spreadsheet with student data should have a column for test grades, one column for averages, one column for student names and so on.
4. Click any cell inside the spreadsheet you want to filter. If you select an entire column as opposed to a single cell, Excel will present the option to filter that particular column, not all of the columns in the data set.
5. Press 'Data' on the menu bar, scroll down to 'Filter' on the drop-down list and click 'Auto-Filter.' The 'Auto-Filter' drop-down arrows will appear to the right of every column heading of the single column you selected for filtering.
6. Click the drop-down arrow near the column heading for a column of data to display the filter options for the particular column. Observe that Excel displays only the data that applies to your filter selection. Excel hides any rows that do not contain the selected filter.
7. Filter the top or bottom numerical records in a column of data with Excel's 'Top 10' Filter. Click on a data cell in the column and click 'Top 10' at the top of the Auto-Filter drop-down menu in Excel 2003. For Excel 2007, click 'Numbered Filters' and choose 'Top 10.' Select 'Top' or 'Bottom' in the Top 10 Auto-Filter dialog box, choose a number of records from 1 to 500, select 'Items' or 'Percent,' then click 'Apply.'
8. Set custom filters to show records that meet two criteria instead of one. Click the Auto-Filter drop-down menu of the column heading you want to set a filter for and press 'Custom.' Enter two filtering conditions for the column of data. For example, you can see which students scored from 90 to 100 and 60 to 70. Check either the 'And' or 'Or' button or else the results will not display. Click 'OK' to set the custom filter.
9. Click 'Data' on the menu bar, point to Filter and press 'Show All' to turn off the filter and display the hidden data.