Overview

Field filtering allows you to dynamically control which options appear in a field based on what a user has already selected in another field.

For example, if your institution only accepts nursing applications for the fall semester, or limits high school students to non-degree-seeking status, field filtering will automatically adjust the available choices as users complete the form, with no lengthy explanations needed.

Before Starting: Important Things to Know

On Applications, filters apply throughout the entire application, not only on the screen where an applicant chooses which application to start.
Filtering works on majors, terms, degrees, campuses, schools, student types, and tests. It also works on any regular data source that has a Filter Many column. Which dimensions each of these can be scoped by differs by source, so check the pairing table below before you build.

Use System Fields Instead of Custom Fields

When building applications or forms that capture data like major, degree, or student type, always use the system fields rather than creating custom fields, even if you only need to display a subset of options for certain scenarios.

It can be tempting to create custom fields to show a shorter, filtered list of options (for example, a custom dropdown showing only certificate-specific majors).

However, custom fields cause significant problems downstream:

Decisions: Data stored in custom fields will not appear on student decisions.
Milestones: Milestones are generated automatically as students progress through applications and decisions. Custom field data will not populate in milestones, leaving key fields like major and student type blank.
Reporting: The Insights Funnel Dashboard relies on milestone data for funnel reporting. If major or student type aren't recorded in system fields, that data won't be filterable or visible in your reports.

Instead, use field filtering to narrow the options shown in a system field. This gives you the same user experience (a focused, relevant list of choices) while keeping your data visible across decisions, milestones, and reporting.

Field Order and Which Pairings Exist

Two things have to be true before a filter will work:

The driving field must be answered first. It can sit in an earlier section, an earlier step, or on the registration form, but it cannot come after the field it filters. If the order is reversed, the filter has nothing to read and the drop-down appears empty.
The pairing has to exist. A data source can only be scoped by the dimensions it actually carries, and those differ by source. There is no single left-to-right order that applies to all of them. Open an item's Available For tab to see what it offers.

Data source	Can be filtered by
Majors	Application, Term, Campus, Degree, School, Student Type
Degrees	Application, Term, Campus, Student Type
Schools	Application, Campus, Term, Student Type
Terms	Application, Campus, School
Campuses	School
Any regular data source	Whichever dimensions you add as Filter Many columns: Applications, Student Types, Campus, Terms, Schools

Important Notes:

If the pairing you want is not listed, use Filter another field? on the other field instead. Terms cannot be scoped by Major, for example, but a Major carries its Terms, so you set the filter on the Major field and point it at Term.
Tests are filtered, never filtering. You can scope which tests appear using the dimensions above, but no data source can be scoped by a test.

Field Filtering Process

Setting up field filtering is a two-step process:

Configure "Available For" relationships in your Data Sources.
Enable filtering on the relevant fields in your application, form, or event.

Step 1: Configure "Available For" in Data Sources

Before filtering will work, you need to define the relationships between your data source items. This is done through the "Available For" settings in your Data Sources.

Navigate to Data and Automations → Data Sources
Select the data source you want to configure (e.g., Majors)
Click the edit (pencil) icon on an individual item
Go to the "Available For" tab
Add the properties this item should be available for

For example, if the Accounting major is only offered as a Certificate and an Associate of Applied Science, you would add those two degrees under Accounting's "Available For" settings. If Accounting is available in Spring 2026, you would add that term as well.

📌 Note: Schools has an Available For panel, scoped by Applications, Student Types, Terms, and Campus. If you configured your Schools data source before this was available, those values will be empty, which means every school appears everywhere.

✨ Pro Tip: Bulk Editing | You can also download your data source list as a spreadsheet, edit the "Available For" relationships outside of Element, and upload it back using the download and upload icons in the upper-right corner of the data source page. This is helpful when configuring a large number of items.

Repeat this for each item that needs filtered availability.

Step 1b: Add a Filter Many Column to a Regular Data Source

Regular data sources do not have an Available For tab. To scope their rows, add a Filter Many column to the data source, then set the values on each row.

Open the regular data source you want to scope.
Add a column and choose the Filter Many column type.
Pick the dimension the column should reference: Applications, Student Types, Campus, Terms, or Schools.
Edit each row and select the values that row should be available for.

📌 Note: a row with an empty Filter Many value is available everywhere. Scoping is per row, so one shared data source can be bound to a dropdown on several applications and each row will only appear on the applications set on that row.

Step 1c: Scope Tests on a Test Resource Data Source

Test rows carry their own Available For settings, but only on a custom test resource data source, and only once the test is marked Active.

Open the Tests tab and select your test resource data source in the left panel. The master All Tests catalog has no per-row scoping.
Set the test to Active. The Available For icon appears on the row once it is active.
Click the icon and choose the Applications, Student Types, Campus, Terms, or Schools the test should appear for.

📌 Note: if your Test Name field is bound to the master test catalog rather than your test resource data source, Available For is ignored and every test appears. Re-bind the field for the restrictions to apply.

Step 2: Enable Filtering on Your Fields

Once your "Available For" relationships are configured in Data Sources, apply filtering to the corresponding fields in your application, form, or event.

Open your application, form, or event in the editor
Select the field you want to filter (e.g., Major)
Scroll to the "Field Options" section
Toggle on "Use Filters"

You'll see two filtering options:

Filter Available Options

This narrows the options shown in this field based on what the user selected in a previous field. For example, if Degree comes before Major on the form, you can filter the Major list to only show majors that are available for the selected degree.

Field: Select which prior field should drive the filtering (e.g., Degree). In applications, this list includes fields from earlier steps and from the registration form, not only the current section.
Dimension: Select the "Available For" property that defines the relationship (e.g., Degree)

Filter Another Field

This filters a downstream field based on what the user selects in the current field. For example, selecting a Major could filter the Term list to only show terms that major is offered in. This runs the relationship in reverse, which is how you filter a source that does not itself carry the dimension you want.

Field: Select which downstream field should be filtered
Dimension: Select the "Available For" property that defines the relationship

Both options can be used on the same field simultaneously. A field can be filtered by a prior selection and also filter a later field.

✨ Pro Tip: The Field and Dimension dropdowns should typically share naming conventions. For example, if you're filtering by Degree, the Dimension should also reference the Degree relationship you configured in "Available For."

Example Video: Filtering Majors by Campus

Watch the video below for an example of using field filtering to display majors based on campus:

Troubleshooting

If your filters aren't working as expected:

Check field order. Make sure the field driving the filter is answered before the field being filtered.
Check the pairing exists. Compare what you are trying to do against the pairing table above. If the source you are filtering does not carry that dimension, use Filter another field? on the other field instead.
Check "Available For" configuration. Navigate to Data Sources and verify that the items have the correct "Available For" properties set. If nothing is configured under "Available For," the filter will have nothing to reference. For a regular data source, check the Filter Many column values on the row instead.
Check "Use Filters" is enabled. Open the field settings in your application or form and confirm that "Use Filters" is toggled on with the correct Field and Dimension selected.
Give a new relationship time to appear. Data source results are cached for roughly 30 minutes, so an Available For value you just added may not show up right away.

For a step-by-step guide and video on troubleshooting common issues, see Troubleshooting Field Filtering.

Field Filtering Troubleshooting Guide