Use a screen reader to filter data in a PivotTable in Excel

Use Excel with your keyboard and a screen reader to filter the data in a PivotTable. We have tested it with Narrator, NVDA, and JAWS, but it might work with other screen readers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

With a PivotTable, you can create in-depth detail summaries out of large datasets. To filter your data even further to a smaller portion of your PivotTable, you can insert one or more slicers or apply manual filters.

In this topic

• Filter data with a slicer
• Filter data manually

Filter data with a slicer

1. In your PivotTable, select any cell.
2. Press Alt+J, T, then S, and F. The Insert Slicers dialog box opens.
3. You can now select the fields you want to use for filtering your PivotTable. To browse the fields list, use the Down or Up arrow key. To select a field for your PivotTable, press Spacebar. Excel inserts one slicer for each selected field. To insert the selected slicers, press Enter.
4. The focus moves to the top-most slicer on the worksheet. To switch to another slicer, press the Tab key until you hear the slicer you want. You hear the name of the slicer, followed by "Slicer."
5. When the focus is on the right slicer, press the Tab key until you hear "Slicer item," followed by the name of a slicer item. Press the Down arrow key until you hear the slicer item you want to use for filtering, and press Enter. The PivotTable is adjusted according to your selection.
    
6. To clear the filter and display the unfiltered PivotTable, navigate to the slicer you used for filtering, and then press Alt+C.

Filter data manually

1. In the PivotTable, navigate to the column or row header you want to use for filtering. You hear, for example, "Column label, No filter applied, dropdown button."
2. Press Alt+Down arrow key to expand the filter menu.
3. Press the Tab key until you hear: "Manual filter, Select all." The focus is on the (Select All) checkbox. Press Spacebar to clear the checkbox.
4. Press the Down arrow key to move down on the list of available filters. To select one or more filters, press Spacebar. When you've selected the filters you want, press Enter to apply the filters. The PivotTable is adjusted according to your selections.
5. To clear the manual filters, navigate to the column or row header used for filtering. You hear, for example, "Column label, filter applied, dropdown button." Press Alt+Down arrow key, then press the Tab key until you hear "Clear filter," and press Spacebar. The filters are removed and the unfiltered PivotTable is displayed.

See also

Use a screen reader to group or ungroup data in a PivotTable in Excel

Use a screen reader to create a chart and select a chart in Excel

Keyboard shortcuts in Excel

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Excel

Set up your device to work with accessibility in Microsoft 365

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Excel

What's new in Microsoft 365

Use Excel for the web with your keyboard and a screen reader to filter the data in a PivotTable. We have tested it with Narrator in Microsoft Edge and JAWS and NVDA in Chrome, but it might work with other screen readers and web browsers as long as they follow common accessibility standards and techniques.

With a PivotTable, you can create in-depth detail summaries out of large datasets. To filter your data even further to a smaller portion of your PivotTable, you can use the slicers you created in the full desktop version of Excel, or apply manual filters.

In this topic

• Filter data with a slicer
• Filter data manually

Filter data with a slicer

Use the full desktop version of Excel to insert the slicers you want to use in your PivotTable. You can't create new slicers in Excel for the web. For instructions on how to insert slicers, go to Use a screen reader to filter data in a PivotTable in Excel.

1. In Excel for the web, press F11 to switch to the full screen mode.
2. Press Ctrl+F6 until you hear the name of a slicer. To switch to another slicer, press the Tab key until you hear the slicer you want. You hear the name of the slicer, followed by "Slicer."
3. When the focus is on the right slicer, press the Tab key until you hear "Slicer item," followed by the name of a slicer item. Press the Down or Right arrow key until you hear the slicer item you want to use for filtering, and press Enter. The PivotTable is adjusted according to your selection.
    
4. To clear the filter and display the unfiltered PivotTable, navigate to the slicer you used for filtering. You hear the name of the slicer, followed by "Slicer, Clear filter button." Press Spacebar.

Filter data manually

1. In the PivotTable, navigate to the column or row header you want to use for filtering. You hear, for example, "Column label, No filter applied, Has a sort and filter dropdown menu."
2. Press Alt+Down arrow key to expand the filter menu.
3. Press the Up arrow key until you hear "Filter," and press Enter. The Filter dialog box opens.
4. Press the Tab key until you hear "Select all, Checkbox checked," and press Spacebar to clear the checkbox.
5. Press the Down arrow key to move down on the list of available filters. To select one or more filters, press Spacebar. When you've selected the filters you want, press Enter to apply the filters. The PivotTable is adjusted according to your selections.
6. To clear the manual filters, navigate to the column or row header used for filtering. You hear, for example, "Column label, Filter applied, Has a sort and filter dropdown menu." Press Alt+Down arrow key, then press the Tab key until you hear "Clear filter," and press Spacebar. The filters are removed and the unfiltered PivotTable is displayed.

See also

Use a screen reader to create a PivotTable or PivotChart in Excel

Use a screen reader to add, remove, or arrange fields in a PivotTable in Excel

Keyboard shortcuts in Excel

Basic tasks using a screen reader with Excel

Use a screen reader to explore and navigate Excel

What's new in Microsoft 365