How to filter cells by bold characters in Excel?
In Excel, applying bold formatting to certain cells is a common way to highlight or emphasize important data within your worksheet. However, when dealing with large datasets, you may find it challenging to quickly filter or extract all the cells that have bold text formatting. Since Excel does not have a built-in filter condition specifically for bold font style, performing this type of filter requires some alternative techniques. Filtering cells by bold characters can help you easily review highlights, focus on key data points, or prepare summarized reports based on visual cues. In this article, several practical solutions are provided to help you filter cells that contain bold text in Excel efficiently.
Filter bold cells with the helper column
Filter bold cells with the VBA code
Easily filter bold cells with an amazing tool
More tutorials for data filtering…
Filter bold cells with the help column
Suppose you have a list of data in column B where some cells are bold for emphasis, as illustrated in the screenshot below. If you want to filter out only those bold cells for analysis or review, you can do so by following these steps:
Because Excel's built-in filter does not recognize bold formatting as a filter criterion, you can use a user-defined function via VBA to determine whether a given cell is bold. This function will return TRUE if the cell is bold and FALSE otherwise. By creating a helper column, you can utilize this function and then apply a standard filter to isolate and view all bolded cells.
1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window. If it is your first time using VBA, you may need to enable the Developer tab from the Excel options.
2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, click Insert > Module. Then, copy and paste the following VBA code into the new module window. Refer to the screenshot for guidance:
VBA code: Filter cells by bold characters
Function IsBold(rCell As Range)
IsBold = rCell.Font.Bold
End Function
3. After pasting the code, press Alt + Q to close the VBA editor and return to your workbook.
4. Select a blank cell adjacent to your data. Enter the following formula and press Enter:
=IsBold(B2)
5. With the cell still selected, drag the fill handle down alongside your dataset to fill the helper column with TRUE/FALSE results. This step will allow you to quickly scan which rows have bold formatting.
6. Next, filter the helper column to display only TRUE values. To do so:
- Click the header cell of the helper column to select it.
- Go to the Data tab and click Filter.
- Click the small filter arrow in the header, check only the box for TRUE, and then click OK.
All rows containing bold cells in column B are now displayed, with the rest hidden from view:
Advantages: This solution makes it possible to reuse or audit the helper column whenever the formatting changes. It's flexible and the helper results can combine with other filter criteria.
Quickly filter bold cells in a column with several clicks in Excel:
The Filter Bold cells utility of Kutools for Excel enables users to instantly filter all bold-formatted cells within a chosen column, significantly simplifying the process compared to manual methods. See the demonstration below.
Download the full feature 30-day free trial of Kutools for Excel now!
Filter bold cells with the VBA code
The following VBA macro can filter all bold cells in a specified range immediately without using helper columns or formulas. This approach is suitable for users who want a quick, one-time action based on current formatting.
1. Select the range of cells in your column where you wish to filter for bold entries (do not include the header row if you want it to remain visible).
2. Press Alt + F11 to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
3. In the VBA editor, click Insert > Module, then paste the following VBA code into the Module window:
VBA code: Filter bold cells in a column
Sub FilterBold()
'Updated by Extendoffice 20191018
Dim cell As Range
For Each cell In Selection
If cell.Font.Bold = False Then
cell.EntireRow.Hidden = True
End If
Next cell
End Sub
4. Press F5 to execute the macro. The procedure will immediately process your selection and hide the rows with non-bold cells, leaving only the bold cells displayed in the worksheet.
Tips:
- To reveal the hidden rows afterwards, select the entire sheet or relevant range, right-click the row headers, and choose "Unhide."
- If your data includes merged cells or special formatting, test the macro on a backup copy first to ensure compatibility.
Advantages: Efficient for one-off reporting or temporary reviews where a helper column would be cumbersome.
Easily filter bold cells with an amazing tool
If you are looking for the most efficient way to filter cells by bold formatting, the Filter Bold cells feature in Kutools for Excel offers a reliable and user-friendly solution. With just a few clicks, you can instantly highlight or extract all bold cells in a selected column, removing the need for VBA, formulas, or manual review.
Before applying Kutools for Excel, please download and install it firstly.
1. To filter bold cells using Kutools, simply select the target column range, then go to Kutools Plus > Special Filter > Filter Bold. Refer to the following demo for clarity:
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This approach is recommended when you need fast, consistent results or want to minimize manual intervention. Kutools is also suitable for users who are unfamiliar with VBA or formula-based solutions.
Advantages: Extremely fast, minimizes risk of errors, and requires no knowledge of macros or helper columns. Perfect for frequent or large-scale filtering tasks.
No matter which approach you choose, filtering by bold characters can quickly help you isolate and analyze visually emphasized data, making your Excel data management more efficient.
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