Using AutoFiltering

Filtering a list means displaying only a part of it. You provide the criteria you want used and then Excel displays only those list records that match the criteria. Filtering is especially useful if you have a large list and you want to work with only a subset of the records in the list.

The easiest way to filter your list is to use the AutoFilter feature. You do this by following these steps if you are using Excel 2007:

1. Select any cell in your list.
2. Display the Data tab of the ribbon.
3. In the Sort & Filter group, click the Filter tool. Excel determines where your column (field) labels are located and adds pull-down arrows to the right side of each label's cell.

If you are using an older version of Excel the steps are a bit different:

1. Select any cell in your list.
2. Choose Filter from the Data menu. Excel displays a submenu.
3. Select AutoFilter from the submenu. Excel determines where your column (field) labels are located and adds pull-down arrows to the right side of each label's cell.

AutoFilter is now alive and well in your workbook. If you click on one of these pull-down arrows, Excel displays the unique values in that column (field). You can then select one of the values and Excel displays only those records that match that value for that field. (The pull-down arrow then turns blue.) All the rest of the records in the list will be hidden.