The filter system combines multiple rule groups using one of three modes. Choosing the wrong mode is the most common reason results look off. This article explains how each mode works, how quick search interacts with structured filters, and how to check and fix a filter.
The three filter modes
When you click Filter, you choose how the new rule group connects to existing results:
Narrow records adds a rule group with AND logic. Both the existing rules and the new group must match. Use this to make results smaller.
Add records adds a rule group with OR logic. Records matching either the existing rules or the new group are included. Use this to make results larger. This option is disabled when no filter is active, because all records are already visible.
Remove records adds a rule group with AND NOT logic. Records matching the new group are excluded from whatever the existing rules already return.
If you intended to narrow results but chose Add records, you will see more rows than expected, not fewer.
How rule groups combine inside a group
Within a single rule group, the individual conditions are combined with AND by default. A record must satisfy every condition in the group to be included.
When two groups exist at the top level, the combinator between them (AND, OR, or AND NOT) was set by the mode you chose when adding the second group.
Nested groups behave the same way: each group's internal combinator is separate from the combinator that connects it to its sibling groups. Changing a condition inside a group does not change how that group connects to the rest of the filter.
Quick search and structured filters
The search box at the top of a table runs a separate search against a fixed set of fields for that table. On the contacts table those fields include name, email address, and phone. On the donations table they include donor name, receipt ID, and reference code.
Quick search and structured filters are combined with AND. A record must satisfy both the search box text and the structured filter rules to appear. If you have a structured filter active and the search box is not empty, results are narrowed by both at the same time.
Clearing the search box removes the quick search constraint. Clearing structured filter rules removes the rule constraint. You need to clear both to see all records.
Blank and null values
Some filter operators check for the absence of a value rather than a specific value. Operators labeled things like "is not recurring" or "is not archived" match rows where the relevant field is null. If you are trying to find records that have a value set, make sure you are using "is set" or "is not blank" rather than an equals comparison to an empty string, because an empty string and a null value are not the same thing in the database.
How to check what your current filter is doing
Open the filter panel and read each rule group from top to bottom. The label on the divider between groups shows the combinator: AND, OR, or AND NOT. If a group is collapsed, expand it to see its conditions.
To reset the filter entirely, remove all rule groups. You can also remove a single group by clicking the delete icon on that group.
Common situations and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix | |---|---|---| | More records than expected | Used Add records instead of Narrow records | Remove the OR group and re-add it as Narrow records | | Fewer records than expected | Used Narrow records instead of Add records | Remove the AND group and re-add it as Add records | | Contacts with missing data are excluded | Null field compared with equals | Switch the operator to a null-aware option | | Results change when you type in search box | Quick search is active alongside filter | Clear the search box or account for it in your filter logic | | Results are empty even though data exists | Search box text has no match | Clear the search box first, then check structured filters |