Filtering lets you focus on specific subsets of your data. Instead of viewing everything at once, you can show only the rows that meet your criteria—making it easier to spot patterns, answer questions, and build reports that highlight what matters most.
Before you start, make sure you have a workbook open with at least one table or chart that you want to filter.
Filter types
Different filter types suit different kinds of data and questions. The table below summarises what's available:
Filter type | Data types | Use case |
List | Text, Number, Date, Logical | Include or exclude specific values from a list |
Top N | Text, Number, Date | Show only the highest, lowest, first, or last values |
Number range | Number | Set minimum and maximum bounds |
Date range | Date | Filter by fixed dates or relative periods (e.g., last 30 days) |
Text match | Text | Find values containing, starting with, or matching specific text |
When you add a filter, the system suggests a default type based on your column's data type. You can change this to any compatible filter type.
Add a filter
Select the table or chart you want to filter.
Click Filters in the element toolbar (the funnel icon).
Click Add filter.
Click + and select the column you want to filter.
Configure your filter criteria:
For a list filter, tick the values you want to include (or untick those to exclude).
For a number range, enter minimum and maximum values.
For a date range, choose fixed dates or a relative period like "Last 30 days".
For Top N, select the ranking type (e.g., Top 10, Bottom 5) and the value to rank by.
For a text match, enter your search text and choose an operator (Contains, Starts with, etc.).
Your filter is applied automatically—the table or chart updates immediately.
To change the filter type, click More (⋮) in the filter panel and select a different type from the list.
Quick filtering
For faster filtering, you can right-click directly on values in your table or chart:
Right-click on a value you want to filter by.
Select Keep only to show only rows with that value.
Or select Exclude to remove rows with that value.
The table or chart updates immediately, and a list filter is created behind the scenes. You can modify this filter later through the Filters panel.
💡 Tip: You can select multiple cells before right-clicking to include or exclude several values at once.
Important filter behaviours
Understanding these behaviours helps you avoid unexpected results:
One filter per column. You can only apply one filter to each column. If you need multiple conditions on the same column, consider using a control instead (see below) or combining your conditions within a single filter where the filter type allows.
Filters affect child elements. When you filter a table, any charts or pivot tables created from that table also reflect the filter. This is useful for keeping related elements in sync, but be aware that filters applied to a parent element cannot be viewed or changed from child elements.
Filters combine with each other. If you apply multiple filters to different columns, they work together. For example, filtering by Region = "Europe" and Year = "2024" shows only rows that match both conditions.
Convert a filter to a page control
Filters apply directly to a single element and are configured through the Filters panel—they're not visible on the workbook page itself. This means viewers can't see what filtering is active or adjust it without entering edit mode.
If you want viewers to see and interact with a filter directly—selecting their own values from the page—you can convert it to a Control.
Select the element with the filter applied.
Click Filters in the element toolbar.
Find the filter you want to convert.
Click More (⋮) next to the filter.
Select Convert to page control.
A Control appears on the page, pre-configured to filter the same column. Viewers can now adjust the filter themselves when viewing the workbook.
For more on controls, see 'Introduction to control elements'.
Tips and troubleshooting
Filter not showing expected results? Remember that filters are additive—when multiple filters are active, they combine to narrow down your data further. If you're seeing fewer rows than expected, check whether other filters are also applying to the element. If your list filter is missing values you expect to see, another filter may already be excluding those rows before your filter can display them. Open the Filters panel and review all active filters on the element.
Can't find a column to filter? If the column already has a filter applied, it won't appear in the list. Remove the existing filter first, or modify it instead of adding a new one.
Changes affecting other elements unexpectedly? Remember that filters flow downstream to child elements. If you need independent filtering, create a separate table from the data model rather than creating a child element.
Need viewers to filter the data themselves? Convert your filter to a page control, or create a control from the Add element menu. Controls are visible on the page and interactive for all users.