Use Advanced Filters in Smart Lists to segment contacts with more precision in HighLevel. This article explains what Advanced Filters are, how they are used, and how the different filter options work so you can build more accurate contact lists. For a broader overview of Smart Lists, see How to Create & Manage Smart Lists.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What are Advanced Filters in Smart Lists?
• Key Benefits of Advanced Filters
• How To Setup Advanced Filters in Smart Lists
• Understanding the Different Types of Advanced Filters
• Date Filters
• DND Filters
• String Filters
• Numeric Filters
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• Related Articles

What are Advanced Filters in Smart Lists?

Advanced Filters allow you to narrow Smart List results using specific rules tied to contact fields and related data. This makes it easier to build targeted lists based on contact details, engagement, communication settings, opportunity data, and more.

Each filter is built using three main parts: a field, an operator and a value. The available operators depend on the field you select. For example, a date field will support date-based operators, while a number field will support comparison operators.

Key Benefits of Advanced Filters

• Precise Segmentation: Narrow contact lists using specific field values, operators, and conditions.
  
  

• Better List Accuracy: Match contacts more reliably by choosing operators that fit the selected field type.
  
  

• Faster List Building: Use searchable filters to quickly find the fields you need.
  
  

• Flexible Filtering: Work with date, string, number, status, opportunity, and DND-related data.
  
  

• Cleaner Contact Management: Find missing values, invalid statuses, and other records that need review.
  
  

• Safe Outreach Targeting: Use DND and status-based filters to build more compliant communication lists.

How To Setup Advanced Filters in Smart Lists

Applying Advanced Filters correctly helps return more relevant contacts and makes Smart Lists easier to manage. Choosing the right field, operator, and value is the key to getting reliable results.

1. Go to Contacts then click + Smart List.
   
   
   
   

2. Click Advanced Filters.
   
   
   
   

3. Search for and select the field you want to use.
   
   
   
   

4. Choose the operator that matches the type of segmentation you are looking for.
   
   
   
   

5. Enter or select the value.
   
   
   
   

6. Click + Add Nested Filter to add another condition that must also be true for the contact to stay in the Smart List. Use this when you want to apply AND logic

   
   
   
   

7. Click + Add Filter to add another possible condition the contact can match to be included in the Smart List. Use this when you want to apply OR logic.
   
   
   
   

8. Click Apply.
   
   

Date Filters

Date filters help you segment contacts using exact dates, relative timeframes, and rolling date conditions. These filters are useful for finding recent activity, upcoming events, and recurring date-based milestones. Date-based filters can be applied to fields that store a date or date-and-time value.

Examples of date fields you may be able to filter by include:

• Last Appointment At
• Date of Birth
• Created On
• Last Activity On
• Last Updated On
• Last Email Clicked Date
• Last Email Opened Date

Date operators can vary based on the kind of date logic you need to apply. The sections below organize them into groups so you can quickly understand what each operator is used for before reviewing the matching options in the tables.

Relative Date Filters

Shows contacts based on action timing relative to today's date.

Exact Date Filters

Filter contacts by pinpointing a specific date or date range.

Time Difference Filters (Relative Duration)

Filter contacts based on elapsed or upcoming time from today.

Date Comparison Filters

Compare action dates against a fixed reference date.

Negative Filters (Is Not)

Exclude contacts based on date conditions — the inverse of each positive filter.

Empty / Not Empty Filters

Identify contacts with or without any appointment record.

Best Practices for Using Date Filters

• Use 'In the Last' to identify recent engagement
  
  
• Use 'More Than' to identify inactive contacts
  
  
• Use 'Between' for historical reports
  
  
• Use 'Is Empty' to find leads without appointments

DND Filters

DND (Do Not Disturb) filters help you identify whether communication restrictions are enabled for a contact. These filters are especially useful for building compliant outreach lists and excluding contacts who should not receive messages on specific channels. DND filters can be applied to fields that store yes-or-no values related to contact communication preferences.

Examples of DND and boolean fields you may be able to filter by include:

• DND all
• SMS DND
• Email DND
• Calls & Voicemails DND
• WhatsApp DND
• Inbound DND
• FB Messenger DND
• GMB Messenger DND

String Filters

String filters help you match contacts based on names, labels, IDs, attribution values, communication details, and other text-based information. These filters are useful when you need to find exact values, partial matches, selected values from a dropdown, comma-separated lists, or blank fields.

The main difference between different types of string fields is how the value is entered. Some string filters use a free-text input where you type the value yourself. Others use a dropdown or selected-value field where you choose from available options. Some fields may also allow comma-separated values, while others only support a single selected value. If an operator is not shown for the selected field, that operator is not available for that field.

Examples of string fields you may be able to filter by include:

• First name
• Last name
• Email
• Address
• Timezone
• Last Updated By
• Opportunity Pipeline
• Email Status
• Tags

Note: Any new custom field created with:
1. Single line, Multi line text will follow contact score parameters
2. Text Box list will follow Time Zone parameters
3. Drop Down Single, Drop Down Multiple, Radio Button, Checkbox will follow Tags parameters

Numeric Filters

Numeric filters help you segment contacts based on measurable values such as scores, counts, and other number-based data. These filters are useful when comparing values, ranges, thresholds, and whether a field contains a numeric value. Numeric filters can be applied to fields that store measurable numeric values.

Examples of numeric fields you may be able to filter by include:

• Engagement Score
• Score from a Quiz (Custom Field)

Note: Any new custom field created with 
1. Number - will follow engagement score parameters
2. Phone - will follow Phone Number parameters
3. Monetary - will follow engagement score parameters

Frequently Asked Questions 

Q: Do all fields support the same operators?

No. The operators available depend on the field you select.

Q: Can I use more than one filter at a time?

Yes. You can apply multiple filters to narrow your Smart List results further.

Q: Can I filter contacts by opportunity information?

Yes. Opportunity-related filters can be used to segment contacts by pipeline, stage, and status.

Q: Where can I learn more about Smart Lists?

See How to Create & Manage Smart Lists for a broader overview of Smart Lists and how they work.

Related Articles

• How to Create & Manage Smart Lists
  
  

• AND/OR Filters
  
  

• How to Filter Opportunities
  
  

• Contacts – Revamped List View & SmartLists