Data Element Filters
Data element filters allow you to limit your data to show only that which meets certain criteria. Filters are created directly from a single element.
Once created, they can be converted into page controls.
Summary of Content
Filter Types
Include
Exclude
Range (Number)
Date Range
Text Match
Boolean (true/false)
Top N
Create a Filter
Keep Only or Exclude (Quick Filter)
Open & Edit a Filter
Edit a Filter Type
Disable a Filter
Related Resources
Filter Types
A filter’s type dictates the type of user input values that will be accepted by the filter and the format in which those values are accepted. For example, a list filter provides a list of data values for you to choose from, while a range filter requests minimum and/or maximum values.
Sigma workbooks support seven filter types. The filter types you can choose from for each given filter are dependent on the type of column the filter targets.
Note: Json columns are the only column type that cannot be filtered. To filter on json data, you will first need to extract data from the json object. To begin extracting data, open the column's menu and select Extra columns.
Include
Description: Selected values will be included in your data. All other other values will be excluded.
Input Type: List of selectable values
Column Types: Text, Numbers, Dates
Maximum Number of Values Displayed: 200
Sort Options: Descending by count (default), Ascending by count, Descending by alpha-numeric, Ascending by alpha-numeric
Note: Superficially, include and exclude filters look almost identical. A filter's type can be identified from its more (
) menu or from use and observation.
Exclude
Description: Selected values will be excluded in your data.
Input Type: List of selectable values
Column Types: Text, Numbers, Dates
Maximum Number of Values Displayed: 200
Sort Options: Descending by count (default), Ascending by count, Descending by alpha-numeric, Ascending by alpha-numeric
Note: Superficially, include and exclude filters look almost identical. A filter's type can be identified from its more () menu or from use and observation.
Range (Number)
Description: Only values within the specified range will be included in your data. The range is min/max inclusive.
Input Type: Min/Max numeric input boxes
Column Type: Numbers
Date Range
Description: Only values within the specified range will be included in your data. The range is min/max inclusive. Both fixed and relative date types are supported.
Input Type: A single input box with the option to select fixed and/or relative dates for both min and max values.
Column Type: Dates
Text Match
Description: Search for full and partial matches between your input text and your data’s values.
Input Types:
(1) A list of formulas to match on (ie Contains, Starts with, Ends with, Like), in addition to their value excluding counter parts (ie Does not contain, Does not start with, Does not end with, and Not like).
(2) A text input box for search text
(3) A checkbox for selecting case sensitivity (available through the filter's more () menu.)
Column Type: Text
Boolean (true/false)
Description: Filters on true, false and null
Input Type: A list of values
Column Type: Logical (true/false)
Top N
Description: Ranks and limits data in the column based on your specifications.
Input Type:
(1) A list of rank order/direction (e.g. First N)
(2) A numeric input for number of values to include
Column Types: Text, Numbers, Dates
Create a Filter
Before you start: This action is only available in edit mode. To begin editing, click Edit in the top right corner of the page.
- Select the element you want to filter.
- Hover over the column you would like to filter, and click its caret (▼) icon button.
- Click Filter.
- Your new filter will be added to the filter list and displayed in the filter popup above the element.
- Existing filters can be accessed from filter (
) button in the element's inline toolbar. - If the element is expanded, the same button is available in the page toolbar.
- A filter type is auto-selected based on the column's type.
Open the individual filter's more (
) menu to change its type.
- Existing filters can be accessed from filter (
Keep Only or Exclude (Quick Filter)
Before you start: This action is only available in edit mode. To begin editing, click Edit in the top right corner of the page.
To quickly include or exclude a single value from a column's data, use the Keep only or Exclude options from the cell's right-click menu.
Example 1: Right click on a vertical bar chart's bar to open the cell context menu for the x-axis value represented by that bar. In the image below, clicking Keep only 2018 would filter the visualization to only show that one bar. Clicking Exclude 2018 would filter out the 2018 bar, leaving the 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2019 bars.
Example 2: Right click on a table or pivot table cell to open that cell's context menu. In the image below, clicking Keep only Midwest would filter the table to only show data rows with a cell value matching "Midwest" in the [Store Region] column. Clicking Exclude Midwest would filter out any row with a cell value matching "Midwest" in the [Store Region] column.
Open & Edit an Existing Filter
- If you have a full workbook page open, hover over the element and click the filter () button in its inline toolbar.
OR
If the element is expanded, the same button is available in the page toolbar. - Use the element's input box(es) to modify a filter's value(s).
Edit a Filter Type
Before you start: This action is only available in edit mode. To begin editing, click Edit in the top right corner of the page.
- Click the element's filter (
) button to open its filter popup open the filter popup. - Click the filter's more () menu
- Select the new filter type.
Disable a Filter
- Click the element's filter () button to open its filter popup open the filter popup.
- Click filter's switch toggle to disable or reenable a filter.
Related Resources
Convert an Existing Element Filter to a Control
Drill into your Data
Intro to Control Elements
Intro to Data Elements