Last updated: 2025-12-02
Filters - Creating and Deleting Filters
Filters - Creating and Deleting Filters
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- Working with Multiple Filter Criteria
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Creating a Filter
Basic Filter Creation
Watch the Training Class:
Note: For the purposes of creating
filters, the terms "field"
and "column" are interchangeable. Column names in a SmartOffice
list correspond to fields in the records listed.
To create a basic filter:
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Do either of the following:
From the [Filter
List](/help/pro/filters/-/searching/filters), select Menu
> New 'Filters' Record.
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From the [Search
Filters dialog box](/help/pro/filters/-/searching/filters), click the New
button.
The categories dialog box opens.
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Select a filter category. The category should correspond to
the type of record that the filter will be applied to. (For example,
if the filter is intended to filter contacts over age 50, select the
Contact category.) Once a
category is selected, the New Filter dialog box opens.
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In the Filter Name field, enter the name of the filter as it
will display in filter searches.
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(Optional) To prevent other users from changing the filter and
potentially causing issues with any reports and sets linked to the
filter, select the Only Modifiable by Me
option.
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In the Description field, summarize the filter's purpose for
easy reference.
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In the Filter Criteria section, add filter criteria:
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Select the New
. (This button
creates basic filter criteria, which is the focus of this procedure;
to learn how to use the Advanced Filter drop-down list, see [Advanced Filter
Criteria](/help/pro/filters/-/advanced/filter/criteria)). The Apply List Filter dialog box opens.
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Select a table from the Tables
Available list. Tables can be thought of as categories or collections
of columns/fields. Selecting a table displays its associated columns
in the Columns Available list.
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In the Columns Available list,
select a column to filter on.
Tip: Instead of browsing
through tables to find columns, the user can search for a column/field
by clicking the Search button at the top of the dialog box.
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In the List Filter Details section, select an operator from
the Selected Column drop-down list. For detailed descriptions
of the available operators, see [Filter
Operators](/help/pro/filters/-/filter/operators).
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Enter a value from the Enter Value
drop-down list.
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If the selected column is a date column, you can select
the Ignore year option to have
the filter ignore the year when filtering data (this option is
available only for certain date fields).
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Click the OK button.
The new filter criterion displays in the Filer Criteria section
of the New Filter dialog box.
To delete an entry from the list, select it, and then click the
Delete 'Filter' record
.
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Create additional filter criteria if needed.
Tip: To quickly add
criteria that are similar to existing criteria, select one or more existing
criteria, select the Copy Filter button
to create duplicates of the selected criteria, and then modify the
duplicate. For more information, watch the[
Copying Filter Criteria](https://help.smartofficecrm.com/fastclasses/SOPro_v439_copy_filter/copy_filter_flash/copy_filter.html) Fast Class.
- If necessary, add operators or brackets to define relationships
between criteria (for more information, see [Working
with Multiple Filter Criteria](/help/pro/filters/-/creating/a/filter#Multiple_Criteria)).
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After all criteria have been added, click the OK
button.
Working with Multiple Filter Criteria
In many cases, a filter has two or more criteria. For example, a filter
created to find all contacts who are married and older than age 50 would
need two criteria:
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Marital Status is equal to "Married"
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Age is greater than "50"
When adding multiple criteria to a filter, the user can define the relationship
between those criteria. For example, the user can define whether all of
the criteria must be met or whether only some criteria must be met.
These relationships are defined using AND/OR operators and brackets.
AND/OR Operators
By default, when multiple filter criteria are created, the filters are
linked using the AND operator.
The user can click the word "and" to toggle it to "or."
When the AND operator is used, a record must satisfy all of the filter
criteria to be a match.
When the OR operator is used, a record must satisfy one or more filter
criteria to be a match.
Defining Brackets
Often, it is useful to group filter criteria to create more precise
filters. For example, suppose a filter has four criteria:
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Marital Status is equal to "Married"
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Age is greater than "50"
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Marital Status is equal to "Single"
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Age is greater than "60"
To define this filter so that it finds contacts
who are married and over 50 or single and over 60, we need to use AND/OR
operators as well as grouping. Grouping is done by enclosing two or more
filter criteria in "brackets."
To enclose criteria in brackets, select two or more criteria in the
Filter Criteria list, and then select the Define
.
In the example, the user would select the check boxes for the Marital Status is equal to "Married"
and Age is greater than "50"
criteria, and then select the Define Brackets
button to group those criteria in the Filter Criteria list.
The user would then do the same with the Marital
Status is equal to "Single" and Age
is greater than "60" criteria to create a second grouping.
Finally, the user would select the "and" operator defining
the relationship between the groups, changing it to "or" instead.
To ungroup criteria enclosed in brackets, select the group in the Filter
.
Deleting a Filter
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From the Filter List,
select the filter to be deleted.
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Select Menu > Delete 'Filters' Record.
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