Excel filter wildcard not working. (Includes tips for tables, advanced filters, and slicers.

Excel filter wildcard not working If you go bak into the (original) filter of " van", Excel has changed it to "van". If i replace this to include a department i. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. XMATCH with wildcard (exchanged order May 30, 2025 · While basic wildcard patterns work effectively, complex multi-criteria filtering may require combining wildcards with custom formulas or using Excel's Advanced Filter feature for more sophisticated pattern matching. your help is much appreciated Jan 9, 2005 · Wildcard Not Working in IF statement I'm having trouble getting the "*" wildcard to work in my IF statement. The first one in my report works perfectly; it's a dropdown where you select an employee name and a table populates their individual metrics based on which employee is selectedif you select the wildcard asterisk in the data validation it reflects the entire teams metrics. That's WRONG. I have attached the excel sheet. Jan 31, 2012 · I want the range to filter on every keystroke in the box and also want there to be a wildcard before and after the text box text. With a bit of creativity, you will learn in this article how to perform “Begins With”, “Ends With”, “Contains”, and “Does Not Contain” search criteria, so that you can carry out more complex filtering with your dynamic array formulas. EndWith() to locate the string. Unleash Excel's potential with wildcards! Explore advanced formulas, solve common issues, and boost productivity by using wildcard in excel. Nov 21, 2011 · Hi, dear EXCEL pros: I’ve used asterisk wildcard in formula before and most of the time they worked perfectly well. Feb 12, 2025 · Searching for text in Excel is usually straightforward, but things get tricky when you need to find special characters like the asterisk (*). How can i make it work? I have a series of numbers, which are oddly formatted dates. Feb 6, 2025 · I want to filter an array (a single line) using XMATCH to return columns based on wildcard criteria. Learn how to apply it to your work. In the Criteria row of the field that you want to use, type the operator Like in front of your criteria. Jul 29, 2025 · Trying to use either xlookup or index/match look up % from table with using wildcards on the lookup value. In this section, we’ll cover the available wildcards, for example, wildcard usage and functions that support wildcards. If you have to do it more than once Automate it! Sep 15, 2025 · 7 Reasons☝️ Why Your Microsoft Excel Filter May Not Be Working Quick Jump Sometimes when you use a filter in Excel, you may find that it is not doing what you expect it to do. If your version of Excel does not support XLOOKUP, read how to use the VLOOKUP Mar 25, 2022 · Microsoft Excel’s XLOOKUP() is powerful, but combined with wildcards, it’s also flexible. The table it is linking to is as follows C 7 B 8 A 9 A* 10 It all pulls through fine, it gives me 7 if one column contains Apr 9, 2025 · 2. Here's the array function I tried to use that obviously didn't work. Wildcards also reduce manual efforts to manually sort through data Apr 4, 2022 · SEARCH does not need wildcards. The date is formatted 1YYMMDD. 123456789, the formula works. Download our practice book and exercise. You can use them to find and replace text, match patterns, and more. Feb 9, 2023 · This tutorial will demonstrate how to debug XLOOKUP formulas in Excel. I'm not even sure if a partial match using the filter function is possible. chatGPT, BARD, GPT4 etc) to create forum answers is not permitted. Replace one or more characters in the criteria with a wildcard character. You can use TRIM () on your lookup How to use the FILTER function in Excel to filter a range of data based on criteria you define. Once you learn how to use them, you’ll find that they fit naturally into features like filters, the Find and Replace tool, and formulas using COUNTIF, VLOOKUP, SEARCH, and other smart Excel conditional functions. Many Excel users struggle with harnessing the power of these special characters to quickly find, filter, and analyze information in their spreadsheets. Feb 11, 2013 · That does not change the fact that the formula doesn't work. Does anyone know how to not replace everything prior, i. There are three Excel wildcard characters (asterisk, question mark, and tilde) that can get some amazing stuff done in Excel. No problem Oct 6, 2022 · Hi , The wildcard filter is not directly available in Power Query. I'm following this guide. Wildcard lookups and include or exclude criteria - Excel 365 The image above shows an Excel 365 formula that extracts records from a data set located on sheet2 based on criteria specified in cells B3:E5. ) Pivot Table allows you to filter by text wildcard characters and make your filtering dynamic. The problem I am having is that I wanted to use an IF statement but with a wildcard but now know that is not possible but I don't know a workaround. You can use Text. Jan 15, 2015 · Because to me your question says you want to count all cells that do NOT match the wildcard string rather than count all cells that do not contain the actual ? or * characters. would like it to filter for *Honda-CFW-6 *Honda-CFW-8 *Honda-CFW-3 *Honda-CFW-2 Overview of advanced filter criteria The Advanced command works differently from the Filter command in several important ways. Final output: You w Jun 4, 2025 · The Excel FILTER function is used to extract matching values from data based on one or more conditions. For example, Like R?308021 Jul 13, 2024 · Learn how to use wildcards with XLOOKUP in Excel for powerful, flexible data searches. I29 is the year that also helps to define the row in INDEX XMATCH XMATCH (multiple criteria). (Includes tips for tables, advanced filters, and slicers. It displays the Advanced Filter dialog box instead of the AutoFilter menu. Attache is the excel file. We will look for a specific partial text with the wildcards. I am using excel 2010 and not sure why it is not calculating as i use this method quite regularly help please. Apr 2, 2025 · In File Explorer, the asterisk (*) is used as a wildcard to represent any number of characters, but the percentage sign (%) is not a standard wildcard for file searching. May 16, 2024 · Learn how to use Excel Advanced Filter does not contain feature in 2 simple and easy ways for single text and multiple texts!!! Apr 5, 2023 · To use select records from a set of data based on a partial match, you can use the FILTER function with the SEARCH function. They are the asterisks (*), question marks (?), and tildes (~) of the spreadsheet world, each serving a unique purpose in assisting users to navigate and manipulate data with Jan 27, 2023 · This post shows how to use and master the FILTER function in Excel. Aug 23, 2022 · Unfortunately, Excel’s Filter function does not perform partial-match or wildcard searches. The IFNA portion of the formula is designed to select B39 and do a wild card search based on just the first city, if B29 cannot be found. If not, it’s still a pretty good video Oct 6, 2022 · This tutorial explains how to use wildcard characters in an Excel FILTER function, including examples. Apr 11, 2025 · In the realm of Excel, wildcards are the unsung heroes of search and replace functions, pattern matching, and formulas. It's all working fine apart from the *. Oct 8, 2025 · Fix Excel Advanced Filter issues caused by mismatched headers, errors, merged cells, hidden rows, or missing data with these tips. Because Excel stores dates as numbers not as text, "*2022" is not recognized as a date. I set the filter to "11504*". Here's a simple example of my formula that resides in {Column B}: =IF (A2="*McCaleb",TRUE,FALSE) Here's my array: {Column A} {Column B} Justin McCaleb FALSE Daniel McCaleb FALSE Tori McCaleb FALSE Jeff McCaleb FALSE Renee McCaleb FALSE Mar 26, 2019 · Excel wildcards got you feeling lost in a sea of data? You’re not alone. Guide to Wildcard In Excel. Last edited by MushroomFace; 08-20-2015 at 08:05 AM. Apr 7, 2025 · We explain different types of Excel VLOOKUP wildcard. A missing condition (blank) in cells B5:E5 is not used into the calculation, in other words, it is May 11, 2023 · For example: =COUNTIF (FILTER (D29:G29,D29:G29>0)," "&C29&" ")>0 This formula first uses the FILTER function to extract the columns in D29:G29 that contain non-zero values. Jun 15, 2015 · that will treat the * 's as literal asterisks (not wildcards) so that will only return TRUE if A1 literally contains *&* You can use COUNTIF function, even for a single cell, e. 1234567*, excel does not like this. But not in all cases. Oct 3, 2019 · Try the following as your criteria: ="=*-1" This would work because we can mix up a wildcard with these logical operators as described as below to check for an exact match: May 27, 2020 · In this blog, we would learn what are the wildcard characters and how can you use the wildcard characters in Excel to filter your data or do a partial Vlookup and many more exciting things. When searching for either wildcard character, Excel will simply find everything, whether or not these actual characters appear in the cells you're searching. Examples of wildcard character pattern matching in expressions To use a wildcard character within a pattern: Open your query in Design view. This could end up affecting other functions in your document and leave you confused and frustrated. Users can also use wildcards in conjunction with filters to get more specific search results. Apr 24, 2021 · Dear community,&nbsp;I'm struggling with a formula where I want to use a wildcard condition to sum and multiply values if the corresponding month is Feb 17, 2002 · Without the wildcard Excel seems to assume you made a mistake by typing the space. e. (In bold below) What am I doing wrong? I'm having trouble with lines 5 and 6. Microsoft Office Excel uses the separate criteria Is your AutoFilter grayed out or not applying to the entire range? We've compiled 12 possible causes and immediate solutions, including merged cells, blank rows, header issues, mixed text/numbers, hidden rows, and misaligned ranges. Wildcards are special characters that allow you to perform “fuzzy” matching on text in your formulas. basically when I click the program button it will filter out with wild cards on a specific column. May 17, 2013 · ¹ See Can Advanced Filter criteria be in the VBA rather than a range? and Can AutoFilter take both inclusive and non-inclusive wildcards from Dictionary keys? for more on adding exclusions to the dictionary's filter set. not use * as the wildcard? Jun 5, 2014 · I even tried multiplying (6&"*")* 1 to convert back to a number but it doesn't work :P If I want to exclude a certain number in one of the argument of the SUMIFS formula from above then I would put <>6201, without any quotes, correct? Mar 17, 2014 · I am building an excel report that uses a couple of data validation filters and formulas that reference them. How would I go about converting the numeric cells to strings such that my filter would catch 2084 if the users enters "20" in the text box? Nov 21, 2023 · Explore Excel tips and tutorials at our blog. Jul 4, 2024 · 6 quick fixes to solve the problem when the Find and Replace tool is not working in Excel. Aug 20, 2015 · Therefore I have used, i. In your case it will find "below" in both strings and return the position, otherwise an error Aug 1, 2025 · Struggling with a filter not working in Excel? Discover five common reasons why your filters might not be functioning correctly and how to fix them quickly. Mar 24, 2010 · I Need to know how to get that "not equal to" working with an Array, and if using wildcards inside an Array like this will work. Aug 4, 2021 · Are you wanting to get more out of the FILTER function? Do you want to take your filtering game to the next level? If so, then this is the video for you. Here are some examples. I can get the code to work fine if i remove the "*" before and after the text box data in the Criteria, but i cannot get the wildcard to function. I'm using Excel 2010. The second filter, filters on the results of the first. ” Or maybe Jul 15, 2024 · While working in Excel sheets, sometimes you need to use wildcards for many purposes. Here we discuss how to use the three types of wildcards with examples and downloadable excel template. We’ll use a dataset of Product Lists of ABC Company. By the end of this article, you will understand not only how to perform advanced filters using wildcards but also when to employ them for optimal data analysis. Picture this: you’re working on a massive Excel file, and you need to locate all entries that start with “Mod” – like “Moderna” or “Modafinil. But sometimes problems arise that the wildcard is not working in Google Sheets. I can not get the advanced filter to produce any output when using wildcard asterisks (*), using a source list that contains numbers and hyphenated number Mar 14, 2023 · The tutorial shows how to make Excel IF statement with wildcard text and get it to work for partial matches. For more about using wildcard characters with the Find and Replace features in Excel, see Find or replace text and numbers on a worksheet. The criteria cell heading is the same as the headings in the data to be filtered. May 10, 2025 · Re: The Wildcard * is not working on INDEX and XMATCH Could you provide a worksheet that shows the problem, please? This one doesn't have any formula with a wildcard or partial names. I have attached the sample workbook. Nov 11, 2025 · In this article, you will learn how to use Advanced Filter with Wildcard in Excel with 3 easy examples including Asterisk, Tilde symbol. It will return a number wherever the search string is found if any. Jun 14, 2016 · The way Excel implements the * wildcard is fundamentally wrong, in my opinion. It works perfectly but I would like the macro to automatically insert a * before and after each criteria cell. I want a wildcard to only show me the entries for april 2015. Try testing stuff before you post. Is there a method or way we can/argument to add in order to remove the auto filter from the file so that the file can be read again? Vba Filter Not Working With Wildcard * - Hello All Im feeling a bit daft having to ask this - Free Excel Help Aug 21, 2014 · Re: Excel VBA: Autofilter with 3 or more criteria and wildcards The names in the criteria array. But it will not see "no characters". Jan 11, 2022 · But as @Anonymous suggested the wildcard filter are not available directly in power query, maybe we can use it with dax if you can share your pbix or data in excel for me to try. Irrespective of the number of characters that come before “e”. Apr 26, 2021 · Wildcards Not Working in Excel Mac Filters Dropdown Ask Question Asked 4 years, 5 months ago Modified 4 years, 5 months ago May 3, 2018 · Hey guys, I'm new to using VBA, but I now know autofilter will only allow 2 sets of criteria for searching, and will not work w/wildcards (*). If source data or criteria change, FILTER will return a new set of results. Here are some entries/dates that I expected this to find: 1150403 1150403 1150403 1150428 Jun 28, 2023 · I am trying to write a filter function that will pull all rows with a partial match to a vendor name based on the selected audit date. Feb 22, 2023 · With active filter i mean the filter function of excel where there is a selection active (for example one value in a column is excluded). The filter works fine on cells that contain letters. The only change to the macro was going to the criteria array for the multiple names with the wildcards. The issue is with the lookup being a # that is format to general. StartsWith() or Text. Nov 5, 2014 · I am doing a vlookup. We'll cover the Nov 21, 2025 · Encountering issues with COUNTIF and wildcards in Excel? Ensure your syntax is correct—use asterisks (*) for partial matches and double quotes around criteria. Apr 1, 2015 · I have an advanced filter macro that searches through thousands of different rows. I have a large spreadsheet (2000 rows) , in column A is the job ref, in Column G is the completion date and in column K is where i need the formula. It's a bit messy but it works Jul 20, 2020 · I would like to use the Filter function with wildcards, as shown below. Sep 21, 2024 · Based on your description, if you convert dates from Data format to Text format (Such as using =TEXT(A1,"mm/dd/yyyy") to convert), then your formula will work. Apr 23, 2015 · Is there a way to use an Excel auto filter, whereby you set a predefined list of values to filter by, and it will return all the cells in a column that contain that phrase? For example imagine the May 23, 2010 · The code below is used to filter a range of data with headers. This guide will walk you through exactly how to find, count, and filter for literal asterisks in your spreadsheets. FILTER is a power dynamic array function which you need to know. and I want to replace all of these to be *1. If a user is believed to have used such tools to provide a forum answer, sanctions may be imposed. Sep 26, 2021 · In MS Excel, I'm trying to make a wildcard search using the SUMIF function. Download the Excel file. 2 days ago · This extensive guide will walk you through the concept of advanced filtering in Excel, how wildcards work within this context, and practical step-by-step instructions to apply these powerful features to your datasets. We also share examples for each wildcard and explain how to troubleshoot any issues. working on a sheet that i would like to use some advance autofilters on with multiple wild cards. In this article, we will learn the possible reasons why wildcards do not work while used in functions and their solutions. Learn more about applying criteria to a query. Example: XLOOKUP ("*search*", A2:A10, B2:B10) Check for leading or trailing spaces: Sometimes extra spaces in your data can prevent matches. The supported functions can be found here: Excel Wildcard | Exceljet In your case, there are no natural line breaks in the cell, it's just one long string of text that uses "LI x:" to indicate when a new line should begin? One work around would be to use the Find and Replace. Learn how to use wildcard characters in Excel to save time when working with formulas. The * should be any characters, including no characters. Sharpen your Excel skills and learn how to get your work done faster! Jun 12, 2007 · A lot of cells that have *12, *11, *10, etc. If you want to split the column, here is my solution. As you've discovered, SUBSTITUTE does not support wildcards. Data sample: Split column by “space”: Split three columns by number of characters. the parameters for the filter a obtained by reading cells on the sheet into a string variable and using this in the filter. In this guide, we're going to show you how to use Wildcard criteria in Excel formulas. g. May 6, 2020 · Re: vlookup with wildcard not working thank you very much this has been bugging me for ages. Jan 6, 2020 · Wildcard represents one or more other characters. any help would be appreciated. Oct 11, 2019 · It always works like a charm, but, this year I've added two new categories "P-8" and "T-8" (the number 8 can range from 1-8, hence why i'm trying to use the asterisk) and it's not working with the asterisk. So if you have the data (text): 747, 747-100, 747-200 the formula COUNTIF (range,"747*") will return 2, instead of 3. Here are a few things to check: Ensure correct wildcard usage: Use * to match any number of characters and ? to match a single character. You type the advanced criteria in a separate criteria range on the worksheet and above the range of cells or table that you want to filter. There will also be solutions covering case sensitivity. Jun 29, 2024 · Hi @OP! 👋 The issue might be due to wildcard matching behavior in XLOOKUP. Mar 14, 2023 · Everything you need to know about wildcards: what wildcard characters Excel recognizes, and how to best use them with built-in features and in formulas with text and numbers. Jul 6, 2024 · 5 Methods to Use Wildcard with IF Statement in Excel You can’t use the wildcard in the IF formula alone, but you can use it in conjunction with other functions. if you don't mind helping me another issue. Jul 5, 2024 · In this article, we demonstrate the solution of the problem Excel not filtering entire column. When I try to do a find replace of '*12' it replaces everything prior to the *12 since the * is flagged as the wildcard. . Properly configured, COUNTIF with wildcards can efficiently count cells matching patterns, resolving common frustrations in data analysis. Your issue is that "*" is a "Text" wildcard, and it sounds like the vendor number field has all numbers in it (and excel would therefore treat those items as "Number" format items), leading to a mismatch / no (text) results being found. Nov 12, 2025 · Thankfully, Excel’s wildcard characters can help you get there faster. That's what's not working. Why not instead just remove the "Vendor" piece from the FILTER formula altogether and just leave the "Date" piece by itself? May 9, 2023 · How to Search for Wildcards in Excel: Searching for wildcards in Excel is easy by using the Find and Replace tool. This shows no entries. Dec 11, 2013 · Forum Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum Excel Formulas & Functions [SOLVED] Wildcard not working in my COUNTIFS The use of AI tools (e. If you’re an Excel user, you’ve probably heard of wildcards. Cells B4:E4 allow you to include or exclude specific conditions using drop down lists. Nov 11, 2014 · I'm using an advanced filter with multiple criteria in Excel 2010: All other criteria are consistent throughout both the below conditions. Jul 3, 2024 · This article discusses three methods for using SUMIFS with a wildcard in Excel, as well as three other options. Aug 30, 2024 · An asterisk with an “e” tells the Excel filter to show every value with an “e” at the end. However, it doesn't allow the use of wildcards for partial matches. Use wildcard characters as comparison criteria for text filters and when you're searching and replacing content. You can use the row label filter and enter the text with wildcards to get the desired result. The following is an example: ABSource ValueFormulas in Column BValue Returned In Column… Feb 18, 2020 · If you want to search with multiple criteria using a * as a wildcard you can use the LET function with the SEARCH to define an array you can then FILTER. Benefits of using Wildcards in Excel: Utilizing wildcards can lead to time-saving and efficiency in searching for data. I have viewed this question (although it pertains to Google Sheets) and tried it but I failed. Aug 3, 2023 · In Google Sheets, we use wildcards to find data and perform different operations using functions. In the example shown, the formula in G7 is: =FILTER (Table1,ISNUMBER (SEARCH (H4,Table1 [Last]))* (H4""),"No results") where Table1 is an Excel Table that contains 100 rows of data in B5:E104. Because the asterisk is a powerful "wildcard" in Excel, searching for it directly doesn't work the way you might expect. I just cannot find a way to do a partial match using the filter function. These can also be used in the Conditional Formatting rules that use the "Only format cells that contain specific text" criteria. This makes FILTER a flexible way to isolate and inspect data without altering the original dataset. Aug 15, 2024 · In this article, i have demonstrated two methods including Find and Replace & Filter option in excel find * character not wildcard. Feb 22, 2023 · Excel's FILTER function sieves a set of data based on defined criteria. I know this is something to do with it being a wildcard character but I don't know how to fix it. However, for some reason my Excel doesn't think the words in the range are equal to the criteri Jul 12, 2022 · Hello everyone. Nov 20, 2022 · This simple and easy guide will teach you how to use wildcard in FILTER function in Excel. I am able to create the formula without XMATCH wildcards. The issue I am having is that any cell that contains only a number (such as 2084) is filtered out due to my use of wildcards in the filter. Master asterisk, question mark & tilde wildcards for efficient lookups. I have added a second tab with the criteria and the correct headers. Then, it performs the partial match lookup on those columns using the COUNTIF function and the wildcard match. Instead, the percent sign is used in other contexts, such as SQL queries. Aug 7, 2012 · The ? is a wildcard which represents a single character, and the * is a wildcard character that represents any string of characters. Here, I will show you how to use wildcards in Excel. The output from FILTER is dynamic. Any I have set up an advanced filter in Excel. gyxkz gzundur dryel raf cojvh itwcje yrhls faf fbnk ikpmfnh dnc qlcvc bwi acquq oqru