Excel offers two main ways to filter your data and display only specific criteria: AutoFilter and the FILTER function. Here's a breakdown of both methods:

Using AutoFilter (Simple and Interactive):

1. Select your data table: Make sure the entire table you want to filter is highlighted.
2. Click the Filter button: On the "Data" tab, in the "Sort & Filter" group, click the "Filter" button. This will add dropdown arrows to the header row of your data table.
3. Choose your filter criteria: Click the dropdown arrow for the column you want to filter. You'll see various filtering options based on the data type (text filters for text columns, number filters for numeric columns). Here are some common options:
- Equals: Filter to show rows where the data in that column exactly matches a specific value you enter.
- Does Not Equal: Filter to show rows where the data is different from a specific value.
- Greater Than/Less Than/Between: Filter based on numerical comparisons.
- Text Filters: For text columns, you can filter by Begins With, Contains, Ends With, etc.
4. Select your choices: Depending on the filter you choose, you'll be presented with a list of options or a place to enter values. Select the criteria you want to filter by.
5. View your filtered data: Only rows matching your chosen criteria will be displayed in the table. You can apply multiple filters on different columns to further narrow down your results.
6. Clear filters: To remove filters and see all your data again, click the dropdown arrow in any filtered column and choose "Clear Filter" from the menu.

Using the FILTER Function (Dynamic and Formula-Based):

1. Choose a cell for your filtered data: Decide where you want the filtered results to be displayed.
2. Enter the FILTER formula: In the chosen cell, type the formula `=FILTER(range, criteria_range1 [, criteria_range2, ...])`. Here's what each part means:
- `range`: This is the cell range of your entire data table (including headers).
- `criteria_range1`: This is the cell range containing the criteria for filtering the first column. You can set conditions using comparison operators (=, >, <, etc.) and text wildcards (* or ?)
- `criteria_range2, ...` (Optional): If you want to filter based on multiple columns, you can add additional criteria ranges for each column you want to filter by. Each criteria range should correspond to the respective column in your data table.
3. Set up your criteria range: In a separate area of your worksheet, create a table with your filtering conditions. Each column in this table should correspond to a column in your data table that you want to filter by. In each cell, enter the filter criteria using comparisons or text wildcards.
4. Copy down the formula: Once you've entered the formula with the correct cell ranges, copy the formula down to the cells where you want your filtered data to appear. The formula will automatically adjust cell references as you copy it down.
5. View your filtered data: The FILTER function will dynamically display only the rows that meet your specified criteria based on the formula.

Choosing the Right Method:

- AutoFilter is a good choice for simple filtering and quick exploration of your data. It's user-friendly and allows interactive adjustments to your filters.
- The FILTER function is more powerful for complex filtering scenarios or when you need the filtered results to be part of a larger formula or calculation. It's also dynamic and can be used within other formulas.

No matter which method you choose, Excel's filtering options allow you to effectively focus on specific data sets within your spreadsheets.