In Excel: build a criteria range with the same headers — conditions side by side mean AND, conditions on separate rows mean OR — then run Data ▸ Sort & Filter ▸ Advanced.
On this page7
Copy the header cells of the columns you want to test into an empty area of the sheet.
Under those headers, put conditions on one row for AND, and on separate rows for OR.
Click inside the data, then Data ▸ Sort & Filter ▸ Advanced.
Set the List range and the Criteria range; choose Copy to another location if the result should be written elsewhere, and tick Unique records only to drop duplicates.
For a self-updating alternative, use FILTER with * for AND and + for OR between the conditions.
What this does
AutoFilter applies one set of conditions per column and combines them with AND. Advanced Filter reads a criteria range you lay out on the sheet, which lifts both limits: several conditions can be combined across columns and rows, results can be written to another location, and duplicates can be dropped in the same pass. In Microsoft 365 the FILTER function expresses the same logic as a formula that updates itself. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. Treat “excel filter multiple criteria” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected filter shows up while it is still harmless. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. That turns a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
F1:G3 holds the headers Region and Amount. Row 2 reads West and >1000; row 3 reads East and >5000. Data ▸ Advanced with List range A1:D200 and Criteria range F1:G3 returns rows that are (West AND over 1000) OR (East AND over 5000). The formula equivalent is =FILTER(A2:D200,((B2:B200="West")*(C2:C200>1000))+((B2:B200="East")*(C2:C200>5000))). Once a question needs two columns and an OR, AutoFilter starts producing confidently wrong answers, and the criteria range is the only way to see on the sheet what was actually asked. A practical tip before you scale it up: build it once on a small block of test data, confirm the number against the tool on this page, and only then point it at your real sheet. That one habit catches almost every mistake while it is still cheap to fix, long before a wrong figure reaches a report or a colleague.
In Google Sheets
Some functions on this page are newer additions to Excel: they are in current Microsoft 365 and Excel for the web, while older perpetual Excel versions return #NAME?. Google Sheets maintains its own function list, so confirm each function exists there before relying on the same formula. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. The short version of “excel filter multiple criteria”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.
Common mistakes
- Criteria headers that do not match the data headers exactly — a trailing space is enough to make the filter return everything.
- Leaving a blank row inside the criteria range, which matches every record.
- Running Copy to another location from the source sheet when the destination is a different sheet; start the command from the destination sheet instead.
- Writing a computed condition under a matching header — formula criteria need a header that is blank or different from any column name.
Frequently asked questions
How do I filter one column on two values?
Put each value on its own row under the same criteria header. Separate rows are combined with OR.
Can I use wildcards?
Yes. * matches any run of characters and ? matches one, so West* matches Western and Westgate.
How do I filter with a formula condition?
Leave the criteria header blank (or use a name no column has) and enter something like =C2>AVERAGE($C$2:$C$200) beneath it.
How do I get the list back?
Data ▸ Sort & Filter ▸ Clear removes the filter and shows every row again.
Other ways people ask this
People reach this page typing “filter with multiple criteria in excel” and “excel filter formula multiple criteria”, among other phrasings; whichever wording you used, the fix above is the one you want.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “filter with multiple criteria in excel”, “excel filter formula multiple criteria” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.