Clever Clogs tip # 697
8 April 2022


Filter while keeping your hands on the keyboard (Microsoft Excel) *

How often do you filter your data in Excel? Often enough to learn a new way?

I use the filter a couple of times a day, so it's about time to practise what I preach and learn a quicker way.

Here's how:

  1. Highlight the cell containing the data to be used in the filter. (You can press CTRL + F for Find.)
  2. If necessary, press Esc to close the Find and Replace dialog box.
  3. Press SHIFT + F10 to open the right-click menu (if you're using a laptop you might need to hold down the Fn key) or click its button on the keyboard.
  4. Type the letter e (the underscored letter for Filter).
  5. Type the letter v (the underscored letter for Filter by Selected Cell's Value).

It might feel unnatural to start with, but give it a go - for about 21 days - and see whether you have changed a habit of a lifetime. Remember, stick it on a post-it note and stop yourself in your tracks. Never stop learning!

Related tips

  1. Display the right-click drop-down menu using a key on your keyboard: tip_441.php
  2. Open the right-click menu using a keyboard shortcut: tip_560.php
  3. Turn on the underscored letter option: tip_663.php
  4. Enter text from a list of previous entries: tip_604.php

This week's CleverClogsTipTime on LinkedIn, in case you missed it.

  1. Anyone else who gets the best idea in the shower?
  2. Coming soon in Outlook


* Unless stated otherwise this tip is written for Microsoft 365 desktop apps and Windows 10 users, but might also be useful in Office 2010, 2013 and 2016.