Fix Missing 'Filter By' Option for SharePoint Multiple Lines of Text Columns
Question details
The user is unable to find the 'Filter by' option in the column header for a 'Multiple lines of text' column in SharePoint Online.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Trying to filter data in a SharePoint list or document library view using a specific text column.
- Observed behavior
- The 'Filter by' option is absent from the column header dropdown for multiple lines of text columns, whereas it normally appears for single-line text columns.
Confirm your current column type by navigating to your SharePoint list settings. Review the length of the text currently stored in your column, as changing the column type to bypass this limitation may result in data truncation.
Change the Column Type to Single Line of Text
If your data entries are short enough, converting the column to a 'Single line of text' will immediately enable the filtering feature.
SharePoint disables filtering on multiple lines of text columns because scanning massive blocks of text across large lists severely impacts server performance and breaks exact-match logic. Converting the column to a supported type is the most direct fix if your text data is concise.
Navigate to your SharePoint list or document library. Click the gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner and select 'List settings' or 'Library settings'.
Scroll down to the 'Columns' section on the settings page and click on the name of the multiple-lines-of-text column you want to filter.
Under 'The type of information in this column is', select the radio button for 'Single line of text'.
Click 'OK' at the bottom of the page to save your changes. Return to your list view, click the column header, and the 'Filter by' option will now be available.
Create a Companion Choice Column for Filtering
If you must keep the multiple lines of text format for detailed notes, create an additional column specifically used for categorization and filtering.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does SharePoint restrict filtering on multiple lines of text columns?
SharePoint disables filtering on this column type for performance reasons. Searching through potentially thousands of lines of text across many list items requires excessive server resources and makes standard exact-match filtering highly inefficient.
Can I use the search bar to find text inside a multiple lines of text column?
Yes, the standard SharePoint list search box at the top of the page will index and search through multiple lines of text columns. You can search for specific keywords inside the long text, even though the column header 'Filter by' option is disabled.
Does changing the column type to 'Single line of text' delete my data?
It will truncate any existing data that exceeds the 255-character limit of a single line of text column. It is highly recommended to export and back up your list or review the text length before applying this change.
Are there other column types in SharePoint that do not support the 'Filter by' option?
Yes. Besides Multiple lines of text, you generally cannot filter by Image columns, Hyperlink/Picture columns, or certain complex Lookup columns in standard SharePoint views.
