If you’ve ever worked with large sets of data in Google Sheets, you know how important it is to sort and filter information quickly. But what’s the best way to do that—should you use a regular filter or create a filter view? For beginners, these options can seem confusing, but understanding the difference can save you a ton of time and prevent accidental changes to shared data.
This article will break down the differences between Filters and Filter Views in Google Sheets, help you decide when to use each one, and walk you through real-life examples that demonstrate how they work in practice.
What Are Filters in Google Sheets?
Filters allow you to temporarily hide rows that don’t meet certain criteria. They’re great for focusing on specific data—but there’s a catch: if you’re working in a shared sheet, your filter affects what everyone else sees too.
Key Features of Filters:
- Applied directly to the data
- Changes what all collaborators see
- Quick to apply but not ideal for group work
What Are Filter Views?
Filter Views are like custom filters that only you can see. When you create a filter view, it doesn’t affect what other people are seeing on the same sheet. This makes it perfect for team collaboration or when you want to save specific views for later.
Key Features of Filter Views:
- Only visible to you (unless shared directly)
- Does not change what others see
- Can be saved and reused later
- Named and organized separately
Real-Life Example: Sales Team Data
Let’s say your sales team keeps a shared spreadsheet with monthly sales data. You want to view only the entries for “East Region”, while your teammate wants to look at “West Region”. If you use a regular filter, you’ll constantly be overriding each other’s view. But with filter views, you can each work with your own filtered version of the data—without disturbing the other.
Sample Data:
| Rep | Region | Sales | Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alice | East | $5,000 | March |
| Bob | West | $4,200 | March |
| Carol | East | $6,300 | March |
How to Use Filters in Google Sheets
- Select the range of data.
- Click Data > Create a filter.
- Click the filter icon in the header row to filter specific values.
Note: This changes the view for everyone!
How to Use Filter Views in Google Sheets
- Click Data > Filter views > Create new filter view.
- A dark border will appear, and you can name your filter view at the top left.
- Use the filter icons to set your criteria (e.g., Region = East).
- Click the “X” in the top right to exit—your view is saved for later!
When to Use Filters vs. Filter Views
| Use Case | Use Filters | Use Filter Views |
|---|---|---|
| Quick, solo filtering | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Collaborative spreadsheet | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Saving different views | ❌ | ✔️ |
| Hiding data temporarily | ✔️ | ✔️ |
Tips for Using Filter Views Like a Pro
- Name your filter views clearly (e.g., “East Region – March”)
- Use Data > Filter views > Manage filter views to edit or delete old views
- Use the same filter view across multiple sessions to avoid repeating steps
Quick-Reference Summary
| Feature | Filters | Filter Views |
|---|---|---|
| Affects everyone’s view? | Yes | No |
| Can be saved? | No | Yes |
| Ideal for teams? | No | Yes |
| Easy to use? | Yes | Yes |
Understanding the difference between filters and filter views in Google Sheets can greatly improve how you manage and analyze shared data. While filters are fast and useful for solo work, filter views are the better choice when collaborating with others. Now that you know when and how to use each one, you’ll be able to explore data more efficiently—without stepping on anyone’s toes!
Try creating your first filter view today and see how it helps you organize your Google Sheet workflow like a pro.