Turn on filters to sort and hide data in any column

Column filters in Google Sheets let you sort data, hide rows that don't match what you're looking for, and rearrange information without changing the original spreadsheet. The filter sits at the top of each column as a small funnel icon — click it to see your options. You turn filters on once, and they stay available for every column in that range.

Filters work on a selected range of data, usually a table with headers in the first row. Google Sheets assumes the top row contains labels (like "Name" or "Date") and treats those as filter controls, not data to filter. If your data doesn't have headers, you can add them or tell Google Sheets to treat the first row as data instead.

Key Takeaways

  • Select your data range, click Data, then Create a filter to add filter buttons to the top row of each column.
  • Click the funnel icon in any column header to sort A to Z, Z to A, or by custom rules like "greater than" or "contains text".
  • Hiding rows with filters does not delete them — they stay in the spreadsheet and reappear when you remove the filter.
  • You can filter multiple columns at once, and each filter narrows down what the others show.
  • Remove all filters by clicking Data, then turning off the filter, which clears your sorting but keeps your data unchanged.

Select your data and turn on filters

Start by clicking on any cell inside the table you want to filter. You don't need to select the entire range — Google Sheets will detect where your data ends. If your table has a header row (the first row with column names), make sure that row is included.

Go to the Data menu at the top and click Create a filter. A row of small funnel icons will appear above your data, one in each column header. These are your filter controls. If the funnel icons don't show up, check that you clicked on a cell inside your data range, not outside it.

If your data doesn't have headers in the first row, Google Sheets will treat row 1 as a header anyway and add filters there. If row 1 is actually data you want to filter, click the filter icon (the funnel shape in the toolbar), then click Data has header row and select No. Google Sheets will then add a blank header row above your data.

Sort a column from A to Z or by value

Click the funnel icon in the column you want to sort. A menu will drop down with sorting options at the top. Click Sort A → Z to arrange text alphabetically, or Sort Z → A to reverse it. For numbers and dates, the menu shows Sort 0 → 9 (smallest to largest) or Sort 9 → 0 (largest to smallest).

When you sort, Google Sheets rearranges the entire row so that related data stays together. If you sort a "Name" column, the phone numbers and addresses in that row move with it. The sort applies only to the visible, unfiltered rows — if you've already hidden some rows, they stay hidden and don't move.

You can sort by multiple columns. Click the funnel icon in a second column and choose a sort direction. Google Sheets will sort by the first column you chose, then by the second column within each group of the first. For example, sort by "Last Name" first, then by "First Name" to get an alphabetical list organized by surname.

Hide rows that don't match your criteria

Click the funnel icon in the column you want to filter. Below the sort options, you'll see a list of every unique value in that column — names, dates, numbers, or text. Each one has a checkbox next to it, and all are checked by default (meaning all rows are visible).

Uncheck the boxes next to any values you want to hide. For example, if the column contains city names and you uncheck "Boston", all rows with Boston in that column disappear from view. The rows aren't deleted — they're just hidden. When you remove the filter or check Boston again, those rows come back.

If the column has many values, use the search box at the top of the filter menu to find what you're looking for. Type a few letters and Google Sheets will show only matching values. This is faster than scrolling through a long list.

Use custom filter rules for "greater than" and "contains"

For more control, click the funnel icon and scroll to the bottom of the menu. Click Create a filter condition to set up a custom rule. A panel will open where you choose what the filter should do.

The first dropdown lets you pick the type of condition: Text contains, Text does not contain, Text equals, Greater than, Less than, Between, Is empty, or Is not empty. Choose the one that matches what you're looking for. Then type or select the value you want to match — for example, "apple" for "contains apple", or "100" for "greater than 100".

Click OK and Google Sheets will hide all rows that don't meet your condition. You can add multiple custom conditions to the same column by clicking Add another condition. If you add two conditions, you can choose whether rows must match All conditions or Any condition.

Filter multiple columns at once

Each column's filter works independently, but they stack together. If you hide rows in the "City" column and then hide rows in the "Status" column, only rows that pass both filters will show. This is useful when you want to narrow down a large dataset step by step.

For example, start by filtering "City" to show only New York. Then filter "Status" to show only "Active". Now you see only active customers in New York. If you then filter "Date" to show only entries from the last 30 days, you see only active New York customers from the last month.

To see which filters are currently active, look at the funnel icons. A blue funnel means that column has a filter applied. A gray funnel means no filter is active on that column. This helps you remember what you've already filtered.

Clear filters and get back to your full data

To remove a single column's filter and show all rows again, click the blue funnel icon in that column and click Clear. All rows hidden by that filter will reappear, but other filters stay in place.

To remove all filters at once, go to the Data menu and click Remove filter. The funnel icons disappear, and every hidden row comes back. Your data stays exactly as it was — filtering never changes or deletes anything.

If you want to keep your filters but see all the data temporarily, you can turn off the filter view without removing it. Click the filter icon in the toolbar (the funnel shape), then click Turn off filter. The funnel icons stay visible, but all rows show. Click Turn on filter to hide rows again based on your previous settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does filtering delete my data?

No. Filtering only hides rows — it never changes or removes anything from your spreadsheet. When you clear the filter or remove it entirely, all hidden rows come back exactly as they were. You can filter and unfilter as many times as you want without losing data.

Can I filter by more than one value in the same column?

Yes. Click the funnel icon, uncheck the values you don't want to see, and leave checked the ones you do want. For example, uncheck "Boston" and "Chicago" but keep "New York" and "Los Angeles" checked. Only rows matching the checked values will show.

What's the difference between sorting and filtering?

Sorting rearranges all your rows in a new order (A to Z, smallest to largest, etc.) but keeps all rows visible. Filtering hides rows that don't match your criteria while keeping the order the same. You can do both — sort first, then filter to narrow down what you see.

Can I save my filters so they stay when I close the sheet?

Filters stay in place when you close and reopen a Google Sheet. The hidden rows remain hidden and your sort order stays the same. If you want to share the sheet with someone else and have them see your filtered view, they'll see the same filters you set up.

What if I filter by accident and forget what I filtered?

Look at the column headers — any column with a blue funnel icon has a filter applied. Click that funnel to see what's hidden. If you want to see everything again, go to Data and click Remove filter to turn off all filters at once.