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Filtered Pages

This section covers everything you need to know about filtered pages in MinistryPlatform, including background information, how to create a filtered page, how to turn a page view into a filtered page, and more.

A filtered page is a copy of a page with additional criteria applied to limit which rows of data display on that page. A filtered page can have its own reports, tools, and page views. Often, if you create a filtered page, you'll need to create a new security role to go with it. You can then grant permission to use the filtered page to existing or new security roles. You can apply field restrictions to the page through the security role so that people see only the fields they require.

Important: There should always be an unfiltered version for each table. The API uses the unfiltered version. All other pages accessing the table should be filtered.

Why Create Filtered Pages?

  • Compartmentalization – Grant some people rights to a subset of the information on a particular page. For example, using a filtered version of Donation Distributions, some people can see only the Donations distributed to a subset of Programs. Or, if you wanted someone to be able to view, edit, or delete any Household Care Notes except Benevolence, you could create a filtered page for Household Care (No Benev) and filter out that type of care.
  • User Context – Simplify the user interface so people can only access records and fields they need for their ministry. For example, a filtered Groups page might list only "Small Groups" and hide all fields related to check-in and promotions primarily other types of Groups need.
  • Data Security / Business Rules – Limit access to sensitive information. For example, use a filtered version of the Custom Form and All Form Responses pages to limit who can see sensitive information that you may have collected through a custom form.
    Note: While previously you filtered pages to ensure some people can only access information related to their campus (for example, a congregation), we recommend using Global Filters to filter user access.

Grant Access to your Filtered Page

Grant your people rights to the new page through a new or existing security role. As a best practice, give the Administrators security role full rights to your filtered page immediately after you create it.

Apply a Filter to an Existing Page

You should not do this. Leave the pages that came with MinistryPlatform unfiltered. Instead, create a copy of the Page and filter it. There should always be one (and only one) unfiltered version for the API to use.

Add Features to a Filtered Page

You can make reports, tools, tabs (sub-pages), and page views available to those using your filtered page.

  • Adding Reports & Tools: Open the tool and add the filtered page to the Pages tab of the open Tool record. The tool must also be permitted on one of the user's security roles. If you created a security role specific to your filtered page, add the tools and reports to this security role.
    Note: Some tools and reports are specific to a table in the database. A good rule of thumb is that you can ONLY add tools and reports to the filtered page if they were available to the original page.
  • Adding Page Views: These can be created on the new page OR copied from the original page. All of the usual rules about Page Views apply.

  • Adding Tabs (Sub- Pages): You can copy a tab from the original page, edit it, and assign it to the filtered page. Someone with advanced knowledge System Setup area may be able to create new tabs for a filtered page.

Take Filtered Pages to the Next Level

  • Copy views from the original page into the new page. If you do not copy the existing views when you create the page, you must make new views for the page because you can only associate each view with one page at a time.
  • Open reports on the reports page and assign them to the new page.
  • Put the new page in a Page section (new or existing).

Reminders

  • There should always be an unfiltered version for each table. The API uses the unfiltered version.
  • Jump links always go to the main page, not the filtered page.
  • Links in user tasks always go to the main page, not the filtered page.
  • All filtered pages should have a filter clause.
  • If you ever need to hide a filtered page, you can remove the page permissions from all security roles.
Tip: Want to see how to create filtered pages to serve your ministry staff? Check out the Filtered Pages webinar in the MinistrySmart Academy!

Create a Filtered Page

Before you create a filtered page, ask yourself these questions about the page you want to create:
  • Am I risking hiding rows from all users?
  • How confident am I regarding my filter clause? Does it handle all possible data scenarios, including null values in non-required fields?
  • Am I willing to increase the complexity of managing our security roles to give users this focused view of the data?
  • Have I considered which reports, tools, page views, and sub-pages the users of this filtered page may need?

We do not recommend adding filtered pages for Contacts, Participants, Donors, Households, Room Reservations, Milestones Assigned, Donations, Deposits, or Distributions based on Ministries Allowed.

We do recommended filtering pages on Groups, Group Participants, Events, Event Participants, All Form Responses, All Payment Details, and so on.

Note: Want a filtered page, but don't want to go it alone? Professional Services can help!
  1. Copy the existing page you want to filter.
  2. Rename your page.
  3. Apply filter criteria to your new page.
    Tip: Use the Advanced Search Tool on the page you plan to copy to develop the criteria you want to use. Just copy it from the SQL Layout tab of the Advanced Search Tool.

Turn a Page View into a Filtered Page

  1. Find a view that has the conditions you want to use as a filter on your new page.
  2. In the navigation menu, click System Setup > Page Views.
  3. Open the view, and copy the View Clause.
  4. In the navigation menu, click System Setup > Pages.
  5. Open the Page record, and copy the page (and tabs, if needed).
  6. Paste the view clause from your view into the Filter Clause of this new, copied page.
  7. Click Save.
  8. In the navigation menu, click Administration > Security Roles.
  9. Open the Administrators security role, and grant administrators rights to this new page.
  10. Create a new security role, and grant that security role rights to the page.
    Note: You can use an existing role but only if you are sure about what that role does otherwise.
  11. Optional: Add field restrictions on this page.
  12. Add people to the new security role.
  13. Optional: Add tools to the new security role.
  14. Optional: Add reports to the new security role.
    Note: Any views associated with the tabs you copied are not copied to the new tabs for your filtered page.

Associate the Tab Views

Connect tab views that were part of the original page with your new tab.

  1. In the navigation menu, click System Setup > Sub Page Views.
  2. Open the view you want to associate with your new tab.
  3. Copy the view.
  4. Edit the copied view, and associate the view with the new tab associated with your new filtered page.
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Last updated: May 8, 2025

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