Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Macro Fails after AutoFilter.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 5, 2025)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021
In testing new macros that you develop, you may find that the macro fails when it is run and the information in a worksheet is filtered. This can happen because the macro may expect that all the information in the worksheet is available, or it may try to update information that is not visible on the screen.
The best solution to this problem is to make sure that the macro turns off filtering. This can be easily done by adding the following line of code near the beginning of the macro:
ActiveWorksheet.AutoFilterMode = False
This ensures that filtering is off and removes the problems that filtered data may present for your macro. (It will, of course, result in the loss of any filtering settings, but for the purposes of many macros that may be an acceptable side effect.)
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (11083) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Macro Fails after AutoFilter.
Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!
It is often helpful to get user input within a macro. Here's a quick way to present some options and get the user's response.
Discover MoreIf you need to limit the cells that are accessible by the user of a worksheet, VBA can come to the rescue. This doesn't ...
Discover MoreIf you need to know whether a particular value is odd or even, you can use this simple formula. Designed to be used in a ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2025-03-06 12:31:58
Richard R. M. W. Poynter
Should this not be "ActiveSheet.AutoFilterMode = False"? That worked for me whereas "ActiveWorksheet.AutoFilterMode = False" generated a Variable Not Defined error.
Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2026 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here:
Comments