Embodiments relate to performing data blending operations across multiple different data sets comprising data structures with columns and rows. Columns of data sets to be blended may be linked together. Filters may be applied to data sets before the data blend operation is performed to specify which columns to be displayed in a visualization at a client interface. A direct filter may be applied to one of the data sets to obtain a filtered resulting data set. Data elements of the filtered resulting data set can be identified that correspond to the linked columns of the data sets to be blended. The results of applying the direct filter may then be used as the filtering criteria for an indirect filter to filter a second data set. The results of applying the direct and indirect filters may then be combined together in the data blending operation.