> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.jsonify.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Filter results

> Filter the output of previous steps so that the workflow only continues for relevant items or changes.

The `Filter results` block acts as an intelligent gatekeeper in your workflow. It allows you to inspect the data or content provided by a source block (like `Open datasets` or `Read RSS feeds`) and decide whether the workflow should proceed to the data extraction phase for a specific item.

This is essential for creating efficient and focused automations. By filtering upfront, you ensure that resource-intensive extraction blocks like `Find Links` or `Extract Data` only run on relevant items.

## Purpose

Use the `Filter results` block **before** an extraction step to:

* Process only the items from a data source that contain specific keywords.
* Filter content based on a date (e.g., only process articles published after a certain date).
* Use AI to apply a complex, descriptive filter to text (e.g., only pass through items with a "positive sentiment").
* Prevent the workflow from running on irrelevant or unimportant data, saving time and resources.

## Configuration

The block's configuration is centered around a dropdown menu that lets you choose the filtering method. After you select an option that requires input, a text field will appear to specify the condition.

1. **Dropdown Menu Options:**
   * **No filter, pass through all changes:** This is the default state. The block will not perform any filtering, and all items from the previous step will be passed through to the next.
   * **Look for specific keywords (one per line):** After selecting this, a text field appears. Provide a list of keywords, one per line. The workflow will only continue for an item if its content contains **at least one** of the specified keywords.
   * **Describe the filter in English, and filter with AI:** After selecting this, a text field appears. Provide a natural language instruction describing your filtering criteria. The AI will analyze the content of each item and determine if it matches your description.
     * **Example condition:** `The text should be a positive customer review` or `The article must be about financial technology (fintech)`.
   * **The content must mention a specific date or time which must be after...:** After selecting this, a date/time picker appears. The workflow will only continue for items whose content contains a date that is more recent than the one you specified.

\[Screenshot: Filter results block configuration panel]

## How It Works

1. The `Filter results` block is placed after a block that produces a list of items (e.g., `Read RSS feeds` outputs a list of posts, `Open datasets` outputs a list of rows).
2. The workflow iterates through each item from the preceding block.
3. For each item, the `Filter results` block applies your chosen filter rule.
4. If the item **passes** the filter, the workflow continues to the subsequent blocks for that item.
5. If the item **does not pass** the filter, the workflow stops for that specific item and moves on to the next one in the list.

## Example: Processing Only Relevant News Articles

Imagine a workflow that monitors a news RSS feed but should only analyze articles about a specific company.

1. **`Read RSS feeds Block:`**
   * Configured to fetch the latest 10 articles from a news source.
2. **`Filter results Block (added next):`**
   * **Filter method chosen:** `Look for specific keywords (one per line)`
   * **Add the filter condition here:**

     ```
     Jsonify
     OpenAI
     ```
3. **`Extract Data Block (added next):`**
   * Configured to summarize the article content.

* **Result:** The workflow will check all 10 articles fetched from the RSS feed. If an article's title or description contains either "Jsonify" or "OpenAI", it will pass the filter, and the `Extract Data` block will run on it to create a summary. Articles that do not contain these keywords will be ignored.

## Key Considerations

* **Placement is Crucial:** This block must be placed after a block that provides iterable data (a list of items).
* **AI vs. Keywords:** For simple text matching, the keyword filter is fast and precise. For more nuanced filtering based on meaning, context, or sentiment, the descriptive AI filter is much more powerful.
* **Efficiency:** Using a filter early in your workflow is a key strategy for efficiency, as it prevents resource-intensive blocks (like complex `Extract Data` or `LLM Completion` steps) from running on irrelevant data.

The `Filter results` block allows you to add powerful conditional logic to your automations, making them smarter and more efficient.