Excel Filter Not Working? 7 fixes

1. A blank row splits the data

Excel filters down to the first empty row, so rows below it are ignored. Delete the blank rows (how), or select the full range before turning on the filter.

2. Filter set on part of the data

Turn the filter off (Ctrl+Shift+L), select the whole table including headers, turn it on again. Better: make it an Excel Table so new rows are included automatically.

3. New rows not filtered

Same cause. After adding data, click Data › Reapply.

4. Numbers or dates missing from the list

Some are stored as text, so they filter as a separate group. Fix: convert text to numbers or text to dates.

5. Merged cells

Only the first row of a merge gets filtered. Unmerge (Home › Merge & Center).

6. Filter button greyed out

• Sheet is protected — unprotect it.
• Several sheets selected — click one tab to ungroup.
• You’re editing a cell — press Enter.

7. Wrong results from a text filter

Extra spaces make “North” and “North ” different. Clean with TRIM.

Basics refresher: how to filter in Excel