Using a Global Filter Bar

The Global Filter bar can be used to find just what you need from a data.wa.gov dataset. Here are a few tips for using the Filter Bar. If you read through these tips and you're still stuck, contact opendata@wa.gov

Different Filtering Options

When you click on a particular field to filter, a box will open up showing the field name ("First Name") and the default filtering option IS. If you click on the down caret (⌄) next to IS, you'll get a menu of several other filtering options, including IS NOT, STARTS WITH, CONTAINS, and DOES NOT CONTAIN. 
Screenshot showing a field search box, displaying the five options for filtering items in that field: IS, IS NOT, STARTS WITH, CONTAINS, and DOES NOT CONTAIN
  • IS searches for an exact item (value). If you are looking in a Business Name field, for example, and want to find rows (also called records) for a business called Smith Inc., you will filter for Business Name IS Smith Inc. As you type, items will appear in the dropdown box. When you see the item you're looking for, click on it. (If the item doesn't exist in that field, you will see No results found under the search box.) You may add multiple Selected Values when filtering a field. When you've chosen all of the items you want to search for, click Apply at the bottom of the box. Tables, charts, and anything on the webpage connected to the Global Filter will now reflect records filtered for your items.
  • STARTS WITH and CONTAINS allow you to search fields with only parts of the items you're seeking. If you filter First Name STARTS WITH Tu and click Apply, you will receive records where the first name may be Tucker, Turner, Tuan and so on. If you search for Last Name CONTAINS son, you will receive records with last names such as Iverson, Jackson and Song.
  • IS NOT and DOES NOT CONTAIN exclude content in the same manner that IS and CONTAINS include content. IS NOT excludes content that exactly matches the item you enter. DOES NOT CONTAIN excludes any content that contains the item you enter. Don't forget to click Apply after you've entered your items under Selected Values.
Screenshot showing the filter search box, which displays "no value" at the top of possible items to search

Searching for Any Content (or No Content)

You might sometimes want to filter a field to see only the records where the field has something in it -- or you might sometimes want to see only records where the field is empty.
To do this, use the IS or IS NOT filtering options. If you want to look for records with empty cells, filter that field for IS and then select (No value), which is always the first suggested item in the dropdown list. Click Apply, and you'll get all the records where that field shows an empty cell.
To find all records where that field has some item in it, filter the field for IS NOT, select (No value), and click Apply. You'll get all of the records where that field contains anything.

Starting Over

If you want to clear a field and start over, you can do do by clicking on the field's search box. A box will appear with a Reset option, next to Apply. Clicking this will reset the field and you may select new values to filter for. You can also click the X to the right of any Selected Values, to remove them from your filtering.
To clear all the filters at once, click Clear All under Filters on the left end of the Global Filter Bar.
Screenshot showing options for clearing and resetting one field, or resetting all fields, in a global filter.
Screenshot of vertical three-dot icon and the menu of options that open when one clicks it. These include View Source Data.

More Filtering Options

Global Filter Bars may only include certain fields from the full dataset. If you're interested in filtering other fields, or having additional filtering options, go to the full dataset and then use the Exploration Canvas to sift the data.
To find the full dataset, click on the three vertical dots in the upper right corner of any table, chart or visualization that corresponds to the Global Filter. A box will appear with an option to View Source Data. Click this to be taken to the underlying full dataset.
You will be taken to the full dataset's landing page. In the upper right corner, to the right of the dataset title, you'll see a block of buttons. Click on View Data to be taken to the Exploration Canvas. To learn more about using the Exploration Canvas, visit Exploration Canvas for the Open Data Platform.

Screenshot of the menu appearing in the upper right corner of all full dataset landing pages. The item View Data is highlighted. Clicking this button takes you to an Exploration Canvas, with more filtering options.