Back to All DAX Concepts
Context & Filtering

DAX FILTER Function

Table iterator for complex conditions and multi-column constraints.

Syntax Definition:
FILTER( Table, FilterExpression )

Overview

FILTER iterates row-by-row over a table and returns a new virtual table containing only rows where the boolean expression is TRUE.

Architectural Deep Dive

Because FILTER is an iterator, it establishes a row context over its input table. It is frequently passed as a filter argument into CALCULATE when evaluating measures against column values or checking multiple interdependent columns.

Canonical Pattern Example:

High Value Sales = 
CALCULATE(
    [Total Revenue],
    FILTER(Sales, Sales[Revenue] > 2500)
)

Common Anti-Patterns & Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using FILTER(Table, ...) unnecessarily for simple column checks like Customers[Country] = 'USA', which hurts performance.
  • Forgetting to wrap with ALL() when intending to evaluate across the entire table.
  • Iterating over massive tables with millions of rows without pre-filtering.
Interactive Challenge

Put DAX FILTER Function into practice

Solve "High Value Transactions Filter" in our interactive Monaco editor with live dataset verification.