Business Central Advanced Filters

By Marc Braune, Managing Partner

business-central · filters · productivityAugust 1, 2026

Business Central's filter operators let you build precise list filters directly in any filter field - ranges, wildcards, OR conditions, exclusions and comparisons. Type them into the filter field on any list or in the filter pane (open it with Shift + F3). The list below covers every operator with an example, and the section after it shows how to combine them.

Filter operators

  • .. (range) — between two values. 1000..5000 returns values from 1000 to 5000. Leave one side empty for an open-ended range: ..1000 (up to 1000) or 1000.. (from 1000 onward). Works for dates too: 01.01.2024..31.12.2024.
  • | (OR) — either value. DE|FR returns records where the value is DE or FR.
  • <> (not equal / exclude) — <>1000 returns everything except 1000.
  • * (wildcard) — any number of characters. *Tech* returns records containing "Tech" (TechCorp, FinTech).
  • ? (single-character wildcard) — T?m returns Tom, Tim and Tam - but not Team.
  • @ (case-insensitive search) — @apple returns apple, Apple and APPLE.
  • > and < (greater / less than) — >1000 returns values above 1000; <1000 returns values below 1000.
  • >= and <= (greater / less than or equal to) — >=1000 returns 1000 and above; <=1000 returns 1000 and below.
  • & (AND) — combine two conditions on one field. >1000&<5000 returns values between 1000 and 5000.
  • = (exact value) — =1000 returns exactly 1000.
  • '' (blank) — two single quotes return records where the field is empty.

Combining operators

Operators can be combined in a single filter field for precise results:

  • Between 1000 and 5000, but exclude 3000 - filter 1000..5000&<>3000. Shows all numbers from 1000 to 5000 except 3000.
  • ID 1100 or 1200, and everything above 1500 - filter 1100|1200|>1500. Shows 1100, 1200, and all IDs greater than 1500.
  • Contains "Office" but not "Desk" - filter *Office*&<>*Desk*. Shows records containing "Office" but not "Desk".
  • Names that start with "A" and end with "n" - filter A*n. Finds Aaron, Adrian, Aston - but not Allen.
  • Over 10,000 but not exactly 15,000 - filter >10000&<>15000. Shows all values over 10,000 except 15,000.

Quick filtering shortcuts

  • Filter to the selected value — Alt + F3 (Mac: Option + F3)
  • Open or close the filter pane — Shift + F3
  • Reset all filters — Ctrl + Shift + Alt + F3 (Mac: Ctrl + Shift + Option + F3)

Download the Business Central advanced filtering reference as a one-page PDF using the link below.

Frequently asked questions

How do I filter a range of values in Business Central?
Use two dots between the bounds: 1000..5000 returns everything from 1000 to 5000, and 01.01.2024..31.12.2024 returns a date range. Leave one side empty for an open-ended range, for example ..1000 (up to 1000) or 1000.. (from 1000 onward).
What is the wildcard character in a Business Central filter?
The asterisk * matches any number of characters, so *Tech* finds TechCorp and FinTech. The question mark ? matches exactly one character, so T?m finds Tom, Tim and Tam but not Team.
How do I combine filter conditions on one field in Business Central?
Use & for AND and the pipe for OR. For example >1000&<5000 returns values between 1000 and 5000, while 1100|1200 returns either 1100 or 1200. You can chain them, for example 1100|1200|>1500.
How do I exclude a value in a Business Central filter?
Prefix the value with <>. For example <>1000 returns everything except 1000, and *Office*&<>*Desk* returns records that contain 'Office' but not 'Desk'.
Are Business Central filters case-sensitive?
Text filters are generally case-insensitive by default. To force a case-insensitive contains-search, prefix the term with @, for example @apple matches apple, Apple and APPLE.
Download Guide