Sorting, filtering and slicers all help you make sense of a big list, but they do different jobs:
| Tool | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Sort | Changes the order of rows | You want to rank or group data (largest to smallest, A–Z) |
| Filter | Hides rows that don’t match | You want to see only certain rows (one region, one month) |
| Slicers | Clickable filter buttons | Others will use the sheet, or you’re building a dashboard |
Before you start, make sure your data has one header row and no completely blank rows or columns in the middle.
Sorting
Quick sort by one column
- Click any cell in the column you want to sort by (don’t select the whole column).
- Go to Data → Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.
Excel sorts the entire table and keeps each row together.
Sort by several columns
Example: sort by Department A–Z, then by Sales largest to smallest within each department.
- Go to Data → Sort.
- Make sure My data has headers is ticked.
- Sort by Department, Order A to Z.
- Click Add Level. Then by Sales, Order Largest to Smallest.
- Click OK.
Custom sort order
To sort by something that isn’t alphabetical, like High, Medium, Low, choose Order → Custom List in the Sort dialog and type your order.
Warning: never select a single column and sort only that column. Excel will ask whether to expand the selection; always choose Expand the selection, or your rows will get mixed up.
Filtering
Turn on filters
Click inside your data and press Ctrl + Shift + L (or Data → Filter). A dropdown arrow appears in each header.
Filter by values
Click an arrow, untick Select All, then tick the values you want to see.
Filter by conditions
- Text Filters: contains, begins with, does not equal.
- Number Filters: greater than, between, top 10, above average.
- Date Filters: this month, last quarter, between two dates.
Filtered columns show a funnel icon, and row numbers turn blue so you know rows are hidden.
Clear filters
Use Data → Clear to show all rows again while keeping filter arrows, or press Ctrl + Shift + L to remove filters completely.
Total only the visible rows
SUM adds hidden rows too. To total only what’s visible after filtering, use SUBTOTAL:
=SUBTOTAL(9, C2:C500)The 9 means SUM. Excel tables add this automatically in the Total Row.
The FILTER function (Excel 365)
Instead of hiding rows, the FILTER function copies matching rows to another place and updates automatically:
=FILTER(A2:D500, B2:B500="North", "No results")This returns every row where column B is “North”. It’s great for live reports on a separate sheet. Pair it with SORT to order the results: =SORT(FILTER(A2:D500, B2:B500="North"), 4, -1).
Slicers
Slicers are buttons that filter a table or pivot table with one click. They’re easier for colleagues than filter dropdowns and they show clearly what’s selected.
- Convert your data to a table with Ctrl + T (or use a pivot table).
- Click inside the table and go to Table Design → Insert Slicer (for pivot tables: PivotTable Analyze → Insert Slicer).
- Tick the columns you want slicers for, such as Region and Month.
- Click buttons to filter. Hold Ctrl to select several, and click the clear icon (funnel with an X) to reset.
Slicers are a key part of interactive reports; see how they fit into a simple Excel dashboard.
In Google Sheets
Use Data → Sort range for sorting, Data → Create a filter for filters, and Data → Add a slicer for slicers. Google Sheets also has Filter views, which let each person filter the data without changing what others see, ideal for shared files.
Which one should you use?
- Need a ranking or ordered list? Sort.
- Need to focus on a subset for a moment? Filter.
- Need a live list somewhere else? FILTER function.
- Building something others will click through? Slicers.