URL Filters

Description

URL Filters allow you to dynamically control what data is displayed in a SharpCloud view by appending a filter string to the end of a view URL. This eliminates the need to create multiple static views and enables highly targeted, on-demand filtering.

URL Filters can be applied to:

• Attributes

• Categories

• Tags

• Relationships

They are particularly powerful when used with widgets, navigation, and embedded panels, allowing users to jump to pre-filtered views or see contextual data without duplicating content.

Filter String Syntax

The following components are used to build URL filters:

• ?FILTER= – Begins a standard filter string

• ?RELATEDITEMFILTER= – Begins a related item filter string

• | – Separates multiple filters (e.g., combining attributes and categories)

• ; – Separates multiple values within a filter

• - – Removes a specific value from a filter

• -*; – Clears all existing filters before applying new ones

• *; – Applies all values first, then modifies as needed

Standard Filter Examples

• ?FILTER=Tags.Country:UK;EU
  Filters items tagged with UK or EU

• ?FILTER=Priority:Very High;Very Low
  Displays only Very High or Very Low priority items

• ?FILTER=Priority:-*;High
  Clears all filters, then shows only High priority items

• ?FILTER=Priority:*;-High
  Shows all items except High priority

• ?FILTER=Priority:-*;null
  Shows only items with no assigned priority

• ?FILTER=Categories:-*;Category 3|Priority:-*;Medium
  Combines filters to show only Category 3 items with Medium priority

Related Item Filters

• ?RELATEDITEMFILTER=<itemID>
  Displays only items related to a specific item

• ?RELATEDITEMFILTER=<itemID>&FILTER=Priority:-*;Low
  Filters related items further by attribute (e.g., Low priority)

• ?RELATEDITEMFILTER=[internalid]
  Dynamically filters based on the currently selected item

Tip: The item ID can be found in the URL when an item is open.

Scenario 1: Reducing View Duplication

Challenge:
Creating separate views for each department (e.g., Finance, IT) requires duplicating filters and managing multiple views.

Solution:
Use a single view with URL filters and navigation widgets.

Example:

• Base view: All departments

• Widget click-event URL:
  ?FILTER=Department:-*;Finance

Outcome:
Clicking the widget dynamically filters the same view to show only Finance items. This approach:

• Reduces the number of views

• Simplifies maintenance

• Improves navigation

This method can be repeated for other departments (e.g., IT, HR) using different filter values.

Scenario 2: Contextual Data in HTML Panels

Challenge:
Displaying item-specific data (e.g., charts) typically requires creating a separate filtered view per item.

Solution:
Use ?RELATEDITEMFILTER=[internalid] in an embedded view.

Steps:

1. Copy the URL of the view you want to embed (e.g., a chart view)

2. Add ?RELATEDITEMFILTER=[internalid] to the URL

3. Embed this URL in an HTML Panel

Outcome:

• The panel dynamically shows data related only to the selected item

• Reduces clutter from global views

• Eliminates the need for multiple duplicate views

Best Practices

• Use -*; to ensure filters are reset before applying new ones

• Combine filters using | for precise targeting

• Use [internalid] for dynamic, reusable configurations

• Pair URL filters with widgets for intuitive navigation

• Avoid over-creating views—use filters instead

Notes

• URL Filters do not modify the underlying data—only the view

• Hidden views can still be accessed via filtered URLs

• Filters can be stacked and combined for advanced use cases