How to Filter Data in Google Sheets Easily: Intermediate Tricks

In the world of Google Sheets, being able to organize and work with data is key. Today, we're going to learn a cool trick that's perfect for those with some experience: filtering data based on what's in one column but not in another. Don't worry if it sounds complicated; we'll go through it together step by step.

Imagine you have two sheets: "Submissions" and "Status". Your job is to find data in "Submissions" that isn't in "Status". It might sound tricky, but we've got a formula that makes it easy!

Let's check out the formula:

= 
UNIQUE(
FILTER(Submissions!A2:A
, ISNA(
MATCH(Submissions!A2:A, Status!A2:A, 0)
)
)
)        

Now, let's break it down in simple terms:

1. FILTER: This part looks at all the data in one column (we're looking at column A in the "Submissions" sheet) and picks out the stuff we're interested in.

2. MATCH: Think of it like a detective. It searches for specific things (each item in column A of "Submissions") in another list (column A of "Status"). If it finds a match, great! If not, it says so.

3. ISNA: This part checks if MATCH couldn't find something in "Status". If it didn't find it, ISNA says "true", meaning it's something we want to keep.

4. UNIQUE: Last but not least, this makes sure we only see each thing once. No repeats!

So, in simple words, our formula looks at each thing in "Submissions", checks if it's also in "Status", and if not, it keeps it.

By learning this, you're not just getting better at Sheets; you're also getting better at understanding and working with data. Little tricks like this can be super helpful, especially when you're dealing with lots of information.

In summary, don't be afraid to try out formulas like this. They're like secret tools that can help you handle data like a pro. Happy filtering!