That's what turns a generic report into one that answers a question: only brand campaigns, only mobile traffic, only the rows that actually spent. And because it applies to a single widget, you can put the overall view and the segmented one side by side on the same page.
Where do I add a filter?
- In a dashboard: click the widget, open the Filters section of its configuration panel and use Add filter.
- In a report: the same, in the Filters section of the platform block's configuration.
- In Explorer: open Customize on the table and go to Filters. CRM tables and cross-account explorations keep their own inline builder.
- In the window, pick the Field (dimensions and metrics, searchable), the Operator and the Value, and confirm with Add Filter — or Save Changes if you were editing one.
- Each saved filter is listed with its field and a summary of its condition. The pencil opens it again (Edit filter) and the ✕ removes it (Remove filter).
Which operator do I choose?
The Operator list only offers what that platform can actually run for that field. If you don't see the one you expected, it's not missing: that platform can't do it — the table further down explains what each one supports.
- Equals / Not equals — the exact value.
- Contains / Does not contain, Starts with, Ends with — partial text matches, for when you only know a piece of the name.
- In list / Not in list — several values at once. Each one goes in as a chip (Enter or comma, and you can also paste several separated by commas or line breaks) and the row matches if it is exactly one of them.
- Matches regex / Does not match regex — a regular expression, matched partially: use
^and$when you need the whole value to match. The field tells you on the spot if the expression is invalid, too long or built in a way that would slow the report down. - Greater than, Greater than or equal, Less than, Less than or equal, Between — numeric comparisons, for metrics (spend, clicks, conversions).
- Is empty / Is not empty — they need no value; they isolate the rows where that dimension came in blank (available in Google Analytics 4 and CRM).
How do several filters combine?
Filters on the same widget always combine with and: a row has to satisfy every one of them to survive. There's no "or" between different fields.
brand|retargeting.If the dashboard also has control filters at the top, they stack on each widget's own filters with that same "and". So a widget already narrowed to brand campaigns, plus a control pointing at a different campaign, ends up showing nothing — that's correct behavior, and worth remembering before you go hunting for a bug.
What can each platform filter?
The limit is set by each platform's API. You don't have to memorize it —the window already hides what can't be run— but knowing it helps you plan the widget:
| Platform | What you can filter |
|---|---|
| Google Analytics 4 | Every dimension with the full text set, including Is empty, and metrics with numeric comparisons. It's also the one that suggests real values. |
| Google Ads | Dimensions with the full text set (equals, contains, starts / ends with, regex, lists) and metrics with numeric comparisons. |
| Meta Ads | Campaign, ad set and ad, by id or by name. Metrics and breakdown dimensions (country, age, placement) are filtered on the rows already retrieved. |
| TikTok Ads | Campaign, ad group and ad by id, with Equals or In list. Metrics and the dimensions already in the widget are filtered on the retrieved rows. |
| Google Search Console | Its dimensions (query, page, country, device, search appearance), lists and regex included. It doesn't filter by metrics: clicks, impressions, CTR and position can't be a condition. |
| LinkedIn Ads | Only campaign id and campaign group id, with Equals or In list. |
| CRM | The whole set, numbers and Is empty / Is not empty included, because the data is ours. |
| Instagram, Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Pages, YouTube, Google Business Profile, TikTok (organic) | The whole set, on tables and charts: their API doesn't filter, so MB Suite applies the filter to the rows it brings back. On a KPI there are no rows to filter and the widget tells you to use a table or a chart instead. |
On a multi-account widget (the agency view that reads several accounts at once) you also get two fields that don't come from any platform: Account and Account ID. They're resolved before asking each platform for data —the accounts that don't match simply aren't queried— so they take the full text set, lists and regex included.
The widget shows an error instead of data
If a saved filter uses an operator the platform can't run, the widget shows the error in red —in a dashboard, with View Detail to read the full message— instead of showing numbers. It's deliberate: a number that looks filtered but isn't is worse than a visible error — you'd take a decision on it.
The message names the field and the operator. Open Filters on that widget, edit the filter and pick one of the operators the list offers, or remove it. It usually shows up on widgets and templates built before each platform's limits were enforced.
When you open it, the window itself points at the problem: if the field no longer exists for that platform it's marked in amber, with a note saying it's no longer available and asking you to choose another one — and saving stays blocked until you do. If only the operator was the problem, it's cleared so you pick again from the offered list.
If the widget fails with no filter involved, it's its data source: see A widget won't load: error, permission or disconnected source. And to choose the format that shows the filtered data best, see Which widgets to use in your dashboard and when.
Still have questions?
Ask MIA, the MB Suite AI assistant: open it with the MB AI button (⌘J) in the top bar. MIA knows the section you're in, so you can ask it about what you see on screen — and it can also answer how-to questions about using MB Suite.