How to Sort Data with VBA Autofilter in 3 Minutes (Excel)

Written by Kasper Langmann

Sorting data is a crucial aspect of data management and analysis. It allows you to organize your data in a way that makes it easier to understand and interpret. One of the most effective tools for sorting data in Excel is the VBA Autofilter. In this guide, we will walk you through the process of sorting data with VBA Autofilter in just three minutes.

Understanding VBA Autofilter

The VBA Autofilter is a feature in Excel that allows you to filter and sort data based on specific criteria. It is a powerful tool that can save you a lot of time and effort when dealing with large data sets. The Autofilter is part of the Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) programming language, which is used in Excel to automate tasks.

Before you can use the VBA Autofilter, you need to understand how it works. The Autofilter works by applying a filter to a range of cells in your Excel worksheet. This filter can be based on any criteria you choose, such as a specific value, a range of values, or even a condition like “greater than” or “less than”. Once the filter is applied, only the rows that meet the criteria will be displayed.

Setting Up Your Excel Worksheet

Before you can use the VBA Autofilter, you need to set up your Excel worksheet. This involves entering your data into the worksheet and formatting it in a way that makes it easy to filter and sort. Here are the steps you need to follow:

  1. Open a new Excel worksheet.
  2. Enter your data into the worksheet. Make sure to include headers for each column.
  3. Format your data as a table. To do this, select your data, go to the “Insert” tab, and click on “Table”.
  4. Make sure your table has a header row. This is important because the VBA Autofilter uses the headers to identify the columns.

Using the VBA Autofilter

Now that your worksheet is set up, you can use the VBA Autofilter to sort your data. Here’s how:

  1. Go to the “Developer” tab in Excel. If you don’t see this tab, you can enable it by going to “File” > “Options” > “Customize Ribbon” and checking the “Developer” box.
  2. Click on “Visual Basic” to open the VBA editor.
  3. In the VBA editor, insert a new module by going to “Insert” > “Module”.
  4. In the new module, write your VBA Autofilter code. The basic syntax for the Autofilter is as follows:
Range("A1:C10").AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=">20"

This code will apply a filter to the range A1:C10, and only display the rows where the value in the first field (column A) is greater than 20.

Once you have written your code, you can run it by pressing F5 or clicking on “Run” in the VBA editor. The filter will be applied to your data, and you can see the results in your Excel worksheet.

Advanced VBA Autofilter Techniques

Once you have mastered the basics of the VBA Autofilter, you can start using more advanced techniques to sort your data. Here are a few examples:

  • Using multiple criteria: You can use the VBA Autofilter to filter your data based on multiple criteria. To do this, you simply add more “Criteria” lines to your code. For example:
Range("A1:C10").AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=">20", Operator:=xlAnd, Criteria2:="<30"

This code will display the rows where the value in column A is greater than 20 and less than 30.

  • Using wildcards: You can use wildcards in your criteria to filter your data based on partial matches. For example:
Range("A1:C10").AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:="*test*"

This code will display the rows where the value in column A contains the word “test”.

  • Filtering by color: You can use the VBA Autofilter to filter your data based on cell color. To do this, you use the “RGB” function to specify the color. For example:
Range("A1:C10").AutoFilter Field:=1, Criteria1:=RGB(255, 0, 0), Operator:=xlFilterCellColor

This code will display the rows where the cell color in column A is red.

Conclusion

The VBA Autofilter is a powerful tool that can help you sort and filter your data in Excel. With a little practice, you can master this tool and use it to save time and effort when dealing with large data sets. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced Excel user, the VBA Autofilter is a tool that can enhance your data analysis skills.