Excel Filter Not Showing All Data? How to Fix Filtering Issues

Problem: Filter Dropdown Missing Values

The filter dropdown only shows first 10,000 unique values. If you have more, not all appear.

Fix: Use the search box in the filter dropdown to find values that don't appear in the list.

Or use Text Filters / Number Filters for “Contains”, “Equals”, etc.

Problem: Filter Not Applied to All Rows

Filter stops working partway down your data? You probably have a blank row.

Cause: Excel treats blank rows as the end of the data region.

Fix: Delete or fill blank rows. Or manually select the entire data range before applying filter.

Problem: Duplicate Entries in Filter List

Seeing the same value twice in the dropdown? They're not actually the same — one probably has extra spaces.

Fix: Use TRIM to clean data: =TRIM(A1)

Copy and paste as values over your original data.

Problem: Numbers and Text Mixed

Column has “123” appearing twice — once as number, once as text?

Fix: Standardize the data type. For numbers stored as text, use “Convert to Number” warning or VALUE() function.

Problem: Filter Removed Data

Data seems to have disappeared after filtering? It's hidden, not deleted.

Fix: Data → Clear (or click the filter dropdown → Clear Filter from [Column Name])

Look for the filter funnel icon with a small funnel — that indicates an active filter on that column.

Problem: Filter Arrows Disappeared

Headers no longer have dropdown arrows?

Fix: Reapply filter: Data → Filter (or Ctrl+Shift+L)

If using a Table, filter arrows are automatic but can be hidden: Table Design → uncheck/check Filter Button

Problem: Date Filters Behaving Strangely

Dates not grouping by month/year or filtering incorrectly?

Cause: Dates are stored as text, not real dates.

Fix: Convert to real dates with DATEVALUE() or Text to Columns trick.

Pro Tip: Tables Auto-Expand

Format data as a Table (Ctrl+T) and filters automatically include new rows. Regular filters don't expand when you add data.

Official Resources

• Filter data — Microsoft's filter guide
• Advanced filter — complex filtering criteria