Excel FILTER Function
Return only rows that meet one or more conditions.
What this solves
Create a live list of open orders. This pattern is useful when the business question is clear but a generic tutorial is too abstract.
The rule
=FILTER(array,include,[if_empty])
=FILTER(A2:D500,D2:D500="Open","No open orders")Google Sheets: The core pattern is also usable in Google Sheets; exact function support and locale separators can differ.
Real-work checklist
- Define the business key and expected grain before writing the formula, query or markup.
- Test the pattern on a small known sample where you can verify the answer manually.
- Check missing values, duplicates and data types before trusting a large result.
- Scale to the real file or database only after the logic is proven.
Common mistake
Dynamic arrays spill into nearby cells; blocked spill ranges cause #SPILL!.