How to Make Excel Slicer with Search Box (with Easy Steps)

Excel Slicers with search functionality provide a user-friendly way to filter and navigate data in Excel. By incorporating a search feature, users can quickly find and select specific items within the slicer, saving time and effort. This powerful tool enhances data analysis and decision-making by simplifying the process of filtering large datasets. In this article, I am sharing with you how to make a slicer with the search feature in Excel. Stay tuned!

In the following, you will find an overview of Excel Slicer with a search option.

Overview of excel slicer with search


How to Make Excel Slicer with Search Box (with Easy Steps)

In the following, I have described three simple and easy steps to create a search option with a slicer in Excel.

Suppose we have a dataset of Employee Name, Region, and Total Sales in a spreadsheet. Now, we will insert a slicer with a search option to filter specific items quickly. To insert a slicer, we have to insert a PivotTable.

Sample dataset of excel slicer with search


1st Step: Create PivotTable

  • To make and use a slicer with a search bar, I have to create a Pivot Table for the given dataset. To do so, choose the whole table and click PivotTable from the Insert tab.

Inserting PivotTable from the insert tab

  • Second, choose New Worksheet and hit OK.

Choosing new worksheet for creating the PivotTable

  • Then, from the PivotTable Fields pane, drag the Region table to the  Rows section and the Total Sales table to the Values section.

Dragging tables to multiple fields

  • Now, you will get a Pivot Table inside your worksheet. For working advantages, we will make a copy of the Pivot Table by selecting the table and pressing CTRL+C to copy.

Copying the created PivotTable

  • Choose a cell (E4) and paste the PivotTable.

Pasting the selected PivotTable in a new location


2nd Step: Insert Slicer and Check Connections

Inserting slicer from the insert tab

  • A window will pop-up named Insert Slicers. From the window, check box before the Employee Name option and press OK.

Selecting criteria for inserting a slicer

  • In order to check whether the slicer is working properly or not, visit the Report Connections feature and select the slicer.

Visiting report connections options to check linking of slicer

  • Checkmark both the PivotTable and hit OK.

Checkmarking PivotTables to ensure connection with slicer

  • Now, we don’t need the copied PivotTable anymore. Thus, we will delete it by using the DELETE button on the keyboard.

Removing copied PivotTable from the worksheet


3rd Step: Add Filter Option

  • In this final step, I will add the filter option by visiting the Field List from the PivotTable Analyze tab.

Visiting field list from the pivottable analyze tab

  • From the PivotTable Fields pane, drag the Employee Name table to the Filters section.

Dragging table to filters field

  • Thus, we will get a PivotTable with Employee Name filter.

Final PivotTable for filtering tables

  • To check the filter, simply click the drop-down menu, and you will see all the employee names in the list.

Filtering specific items from the PivotTable

  • Let’s start rearranging by hiding the column which has the Employee Name.

Hiding column to decorate slicer with search option

  • Then, put the slicer over the newly created filter.

Dragging the slicer over the search feature cell

  • Finally, we have created our Excel slicer with a search bar.

Output with search option just beside the slicer

Searching specific items from the search menu

  • As a result, you will see the output for the chosen employee name. Simple, isn’t it?

Final result with searching specific item from the slicer

Read More: How to Create Slicer Drop Down in Excel


Things to Remember

  • While creating the search option, make sure the slicer is linked to the appropriate column or fields.
  • In order to avoid overlapping important data, choose a suitable design and layout for the slicer.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I reset the slicer search and show all options again?

Yes, you can clear the search box within the slicer to reset the search and display all available options.

2. Can I apply multiple search terms in Excel slicers?

No, the search functionality in Excel slicers typically allows you to search for one term at a time.

3. Does the search feature in Excel slicers support wildcard characters?

Yes, the search functionality in Excel slicers supports wildcard characters such as asterisks (*) and question marks (?).


Download Practice Workbook

You can download our practice workbook from here for free!


Conclusion

In conclusion, Excel slicers with search functionality enhance data filtering by providing a quick and efficient way to locate and select specific items. This feature saves time and improves data analysis by eliminating the need for manual scrolling through lengthy lists. By leveraging the search capability, users can easily navigate and explore their data to make informed decisions. Take a tour of the practice workbook and download the file to practice by yourself. Please inform us in the comment section about your experience.

Stay tuned and keep learning.


Further Readings


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Wasim Akram
Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram holds a BSc degree in Industrial and Production Engineering from Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology. Over the past 2 years, he has been actively contributing to the ExcelDemy project, where he has authored more than 150 articles. Now, he is working as an Excel VBA and Content Developer. He likes learning new things about Microsoft Office, especially Excel VBA, Power Query, Data Analysis, and Excel Statistics. He is also very interested in machine learning and... Read Full Bio

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