Filter Views in Google Sheets: Explained

In this article, you will learn what Filter Views is and how to use them in Google Sheets. It is beneficial when looking at relevant items or having a sorted list of items in a large volume of data because the function has various options to sort objects and show things that meet a criterion.

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How to use Filter View in Google Sheets

1. Prepare a data set ideally with table headers and select its entire range
2. Go to the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → “Create new filter view”.
3. Navigate to the column header based on which you want to sort.
4. Click the icon shaped like an inverted triangle next to the header.
5. Define how to sort the column in the menu and click the “OK” button.

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When you click the reverse triangle icon, you will see the filtering menu, as shown below.

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Sort A → Z: You can reorder items in alphabetical order

Sort Z → A: Things are rearranged in reverse alphabetical order

Sort by color (Fill color): The values are sorted based on cell colors - conditional formatting colors work for this filter, but alternating colors do not.

Sort by color (Text color): You can organize data based on text colors

Filter by condition: The items are selected by one of the default conditions relevant to text, date, and number (e.g., “Text contains”, “Date is”, and “Greater than”) or your own rule defined under “Custom formula is”.

Filter by values: The values are shown when the boxes next to them are checked and hidden if they are unchecked.

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How to save, switch, edit, duplicate and delete Filter Views in Google Sheets

Save: The filter views you create are automatically saved.

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Switch: Click the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → click the name of the filter view you want to apply

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The following actions must be taken when you apply the filter you want to rename, update, duplicate or delete.

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Rename: Go to the top left corner of the filter window and click the text box next to “Name” or navigate to the top right corner and click the gear icon → “Rename”. Also, you can move to the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → “Filter view options” → “Rename”.

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Update Range: Go to the top of the filter window and click the text box next to “Range” or navigate to the top right corner and click the gear icon → “Update range”. Also, you can move to the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → “Filter view options” → “Update range”.

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Duplicate: Navigate to the top right corner and click the gear icon → “Duplicate”. Another way is to move to the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → “Filter view options” → “Duplicate”.

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Delete: Click the gear icon at the top right corner of the filter view window → “Delete”. Another way is to move to the “Data” tab → “Filter views” → “Filter view options” → “Delete”. If you want to delete all filter views, click “Delete all filter views” under the “Filter view options”.

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What is the difference between a filter and Filter Views in Google Sheets?

A filter and filter view are similar in enabling you to sort and analyze data efficiently. However, filter view has more diverse functions, though a filter is simple and handy enough to use quickly. 

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Filters can:

1. Show a particular filter when your collaborators look at a worksheet.
2. Sort your data set with a filter setting.

Filter views can:

1. Allow you to save more than one filter setting.
2. Name filters you create.
3. Enable multiple collaborators to see different filters simultaneously.
4. Allow you to share them with other people.
5. Create copies of them or ones with similar settings
6. Enable you to create a temporary filter view to sort data on a spreadsheet you don’t have access to. (This temporary filter view will not be automatically saved)

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Can you share filter views with other collaborators in Google Sheets?

Yes, you can. Each filter view generates a slightly different link from the original worksheet. Copy the link when the filter view you want to share is applied and send it to your collaborators.

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Can you filter Google Sheets without affecting other users?

Yes, as explained in the section above, “What is the difference between a filter and filter view in Google Sheets?”, filter view (not a filter) allows people on the worksheet to look at different filters at the same time.