Do you want to discover an incredible function in Google Sheets that allows you to easily filter data according to your criteria? In this article, we will present in detail the FILTER function and show you how to use it to extract specific information you need. Get ready to dive into the secrets of this magical function!
How to Use the FILTER Formula in Google Sheets
The FILTER formula is extremely simple to use. Here are the steps to follow:
- Type “=FILTER(” or go to the “Insert” tab (or the “Functions” icon) -> “Function” -> “Filter” -> “FILTER”.
- Select the source data in “range”.
- Add as many conditions as necessary.
- Press the “Enter” key.
The general syntax of the function is as follows:
- “Range”: This is the source data to which the FILTER function applies the conditions. Only the information that meets the defined criteria will be displayed.
- “Condition1”: This is the first condition that the data must meet to be displayed by the FILTER formula.
- “Condition2” (optional): You can include more than one condition if necessary.
Note that all conditions must be of the same type (row or column). Simultaneously using row and column conditions is not allowed. Additionally, the condition arguments must have the same length as the “range”. Finally, remember to allocate enough space for the extracted data.
The FILTER function is extremely useful when you need to extract specific data based on precise criteria. Imagine you have a list of benefits containing the project name, project manager, budget, and deadline. You want to extract data from projects that meet certain criteria. Before doing so, let’s take a look at an example that demonstrates how to extract a portion of the original dataset. Let’s say you want to check each budget amount equal to or greater than $5000.
In this example, the formula in cell G3 contains the following arguments:
- “Range”: D3:D12
- “Condition1”: D3:D12>=5000
As you can see, you can select the same range for both the “range” and the “condition”. Note that you don’t need to enclose the “>” and “=” symbols in quotes in this formula. Remember to provide a table header and enough space for the formula to display the extracted values.
If you want to find projects with the project manager as “Olivia,” you can use the formula “=FILTER(C3:C12, C3:C12=”Olivia”)”. If you need to filter projects with a deadline of July 1, 2022, or earlier, you can use the formula “=FILTER(E3:E12, E3:E12<=date(2022,7,1))”.
How to Filter Data in Google Sheets with Multiple Criteria?
The following example shows you how the FILTER function works with multiple conditions. Suppose you want to see projects that meet the following criteria:
- The project manager is “Olivia.”
- The budget amount is equal to or greater than $5000.
- The deadline is March 1, 2022, or later.
In this example, the formula in cell B16 contains the following arguments:
- “Range”: B3:E12
- “Condition1”: C3:C12>=$C$14
- “Condition2”: D3:D12>=$D$14
- “Condition3”: E3:E12>=$E$14
The formula returns values in the same number of columns for column conditions (as in this example) and in the same number of rows when the criteria are based on row values. You can enter the criteria using cell references, as shown above.
Now that you know all the secrets of the FILTER function in Google Sheets, you can start using it to easily extract the specific information you need. It’s a powerful tool that will save you time and help you better organize your data. Try it out today!
For more information on Google Sheets tools and tips, visit Crawlan.com.
