How to Filter WPS Excel Cells by Keywords and Comma-Separated Values
Question details
The user wants to filter a worksheet column so it shows only cells containing a specified keyword such as POM, even when each cell holds multiple comma-separated terms.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A data column contains cells with comma-separated values, and the user needs to isolate rows where one keyword appears anywhere in the cell.
- Observed behavior
- A standard exact-match filter treats the entire comma-separated list as one text value, so the desired keyword may not appear as an individual filter item.
Open the workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets and identify the target column. If the comma-separated cells contain extra spaces after commas, clean them with Find & Replace or the TRIM function first, because leading spaces can prevent keyword matches.
Filter a Column for Cells Containing a Keyword with Text Filters > Contains
Use this when each cell may include multiple comma-separated terms and you want all rows where the keyword appears anywhere in the cell.
WPS Office Spreadsheets treats each cell as one text value by default. The Contains filter matches the keyword inside that combined text, so it works without splitting the comma-separated list.
Open your workbook in WPS Office Spreadsheets, select the target column or data range, then go to Data > AutoFilter. Drop-down arrows appear in the header row.
Click the drop-down arrow in the column you want to filter.
Hover over Text Filters and select Contains from the submenu.
Type the keyword such as POM in the box, choose And or Or if needed, then click OK. WPS Office displays only rows whose cell contains that text anywhere.
Use a Custom AutoFilter to Combine Multiple Keyword Conditions
Use this when you need to show cells containing one keyword or another, for example POM or PVC, without splitting the column.
Split Comma-Separated Values into Separate Cells with Text to Columns
Use this when the filter list must show each comma-separated term as a separate filter item, or when you need to count and analyze individual values.
Filter Keyword Matches in WPS Office Spreadsheets
Use WPS Office Spreadsheets to filter cells that contain a keyword inside comma-separated values. The built-in Text Filters and Text to Columns tools let you isolate matching rows or split values without switching to Microsoft Excel.
- 1. Enable AutoFilter: In WPS Office Spreadsheets, select your data range and go to Data > AutoFilter.
- 2. Open Text Filters: Click the filter arrow in the target column, then choose Text Filters > Contains.
- 3. Enter the keyword: Type POM or another keyword and click OK to display only matching rows.
- 4. Clear or adjust the filter: Click the filter arrow again and select Clear Filter to return to the full list, or repeat the steps to change the keyword.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my filter show a long comma-separated cell as one item instead of separate keywords?
Because WPS Office Spreadsheets stores the whole cell as a single text value. Use Data > Text to Columns with Comma as the delimiter to split the values into separate cells, or use Text Filters > Contains to match a keyword inside the cell.
Can I filter rows containing one of several keywords in WPS Spreadsheets?
Yes. With AutoFilter enabled, click the column filter arrow, go to Text Filters > Custom Filter, choose contains for the first keyword, select Or, and choose contains for the second keyword.
How do I filter for cells that do not contain a keyword?
Click the column filter arrow, go to Text Filters > Does Not Contain, enter the keyword, and click OK. WPS Office will hide all cells that contain that text.
Does filtering by keyword change my data?
No. Filtering only hides rows temporarily. However, using Data > Text to Columns to split comma-separated values does change the worksheet layout, so work on a copy if you need to preserve the original combined cells.
Can I filter comma-separated values without splitting them?
Yes. Use Data > AutoFilter, click the filter arrow, and select Text Filters > Contains. Enter the keyword, and WPS Office shows all rows where that keyword appears anywhere in the cell.
