---
title: Adding filters
description: "There are three ways to add a filter to a Data Project 1. Default where clause 2. Shortcode parameters 3. URL parameters ## Default where clause The Data Projects tools allow plugin users to add any default where clause to…"
url: "https://docs.legacy.wpdataaccess.com/docs/adding-filters/"
updated: "2025-11-26"
category: Legacy Tools / Forms / Advanced Features
---

# Adding filters

There are three ways to add a filter to a Data Project

1. Default where clause
2. Shortcode parameters
3. URL parameters

## Default where clause

  The Data Projects tools allow plugin users to add any default where clause to a project page (click image below to enlarge). This includes subqueries and other more complex filters. The default where clause also supports the [$$USER$$, $$USERID$$ and $$EMAIL$$ environment variables](/docs/user-roles-and-where-clauses/) to filter user-specific data (user must be logged in).  [![](https://wpdataaccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/data-projects-default-where.png)](https://wpdataaccess.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/data-projects-default-where.png)

## Shortcode parameters

Shortcode parameters are available for shortcode wpdadiehard only. These parameters are not available for shortcodes wpdadataproject and wpdadataforms.

Shortcode wpdadiehard provides the following two parameters to filter data:

- filter_field_name (field name(s) to be filtered)
- filter_field_value (field value(s) to filter, performs a LIKE and therefor allows wildcards)

Example of a filter for one specific column:

```
[wpdadiehard project_id="8" page_id="43" filter_field_name="lastname" filter_field_value="jose%25"]
```

For filters containing multiple column names and values, use a comma-separated value and make sure the array size of filter_field_name and filter_field_value are the same.

For example:

```
[wpdadiehard project_id="6" page_id="31" filter_field_name="job,ename" filter_field_value="president,ford"]
```

The filter allows to use % as a wildcard as shown in the single column filter example. These filter parameters do not support operators like IN, OR, NOT, >, < and so on. Please use the default where clause to use these operators and more complex filters.

## URL parameters

To add a filter on a specific table column you can add an URL argument to your request that follows the following name convention:

**wpda_search_column_<**column_name>

Example (GET and POST)

```
YOUR-URL/?wpda_search_column_first_name=Sacha
```

```
<input name="wpda_search_column_first_name" type="text" value="Sacha" />
```

Adds condition

```
first_name = 'Sacha'
```

Wilcards are supported in URL parameters as well

```
YOUR-URL/?wpda_search_column_title=Last%25
```

### IN conditions

Use arrays to filter a column on multiple values (allows wildcard usage as well). For example:

```
YOUR-URL/?wpda_search_column_first_name[0]=Sacha&wpda_search_column_first_name[1]=Peter
```

Adds condition

```
first_name in ('Sacha', 'Peter')
```

### OR conditions

Use parameter **wpda_search_column_operator** to compare using OR instead of AND. The plugin uses AND by default.

#### Example AND (default)

```
YOUR-URL/?wpda_search_column_first_name=Sacha&wpda_search_column_last_name=Schulz
```

Adds condition

```
first_name = 'Sacha' AND last_name = 'Peter'
```

#### Example OR

```
YOUR-URL/?wpda_search_column_first_name=Sacha&wpda_search_column_last_name=Schulz&wpda_search_column_operator=or
```

Adds condition

```
first_name = 'Sacha' OR last_name = 'Peter'
```

It is currently not possible to combine AND and OR conditions with URL parameters.