- name
- table-filters
- description
- Designs optimal filtering UX for data tables. Use when building a table that needs filters - analyzes the data columns and determines the best filter type for each. Outputs a unified filter field with inline header filters.
- metadata
- {"version":"1.0.0","tags":"tables, filters, ux"}
# Table Filters
When the user is building a table that needs filters, analyze the columns and design the filtering UX.
## Step 1: Analyze Each Column
For each column in the table, determine the filter type:
| Data Pattern | Filter Type | Example Columns |
|--------------|-------------|-----------------|
| Free text, names, descriptions | **Contains** | Product Name, Notes, Customer |
| Fixed set of values (<20 options) | **Checkboxes** | Status, Category, Priority, Type |
| Numeric values | **Range** | Price, Quantity, Age, Score |
| Dates | **Date Range** | Created, Updated, Due Date |
| Boolean | **Toggle** | Active, Verified, Published |
## Step 2: Implement the Filter Layout
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ [Filter chips go here...] [🔍 Filter or search...] [✕] │ ← Unified filter field
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Sort by: [Dropdown ▾]
┌──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┐
│ Name ▼ │ Status ▼ │ Price ▼ │ Created ▼ │ ← Clickable headers with filter icon
├──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┤
│ ... │ ... │ ... │ ... │
```
**Key layout rules:**
- Filter field spans table width, contains chips + search input + clear button
- Sort dropdown next to filter field (not in headers)
- Each header is clickable and opens its filter menu
- Menu appears ABOVE field when filtering (inserts chip directly)
## Step 3: Build Each Filter Component
### Contains Filter (text)
```
┌─ Product Name ──────────── ✕ ─┐
│ ┌────────────────────────────┐│
│ │ Search... ││
│ └────────────────────────────┘│
└───────────────────────────────┘
```
Chip result: `Product Name: system`
### Checkbox Filter (categories)
```
┌─ Status ──────────────── ✕ ─┐
│ ☑ Active │
│ ☑ Pending │
│ ☐ Archived │
│ ☐ Deleted │
│ [Clear] [Apply] │
└──────────────────────────────┘
```
Chip result: `Status: Active, Pending` or `Status: Active, +2`
### Range Filter (numeric)
```
┌─ Price ─────────────────── ✕ ─┐
│ Min Max │
│ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ │
│ │ 0 │ - │ 100 │ │
│ └─────┘ └─────┘ │
│ ○───────────────●─────○ │ ← Optional slider
│ [Apply] │
└───────────────────────────────┘
```
Chip result: `Price: $0 - $100`
### Date Range Filter
```
┌─ Created ─────────────────── ✕ ─┐
│ From To │
│ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ │
│ │ 01/01/25 │ - │ 12/31/25 │ │
│ └──────────┘ └──────────┘ │
│ [Today] [This week] [This month]│
│ [Apply] │
└─────────────────────────────────┘
```
Chip result: `Created: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2025`
## Chip Design Rules
- Dark background, light text, rounded pill shape
- X button on contrasting surface (clearly clickable)
- Truncate after 2 values: `Status: Active, Pending, +3`
- Clicking chip reopens its filter menu
## Empty State
When filters return no results:
```
┌─────────────┐
│ (╯°□°)╯ │
│ ︵ ┻━┻ │
└─────────────┘
No results found
Try adjusting your filters
[Clear all filters]
```
## Quick Checklist
When implementing, verify:
- [ ] Each column has appropriate filter type assigned
- [ ] Filter field contains chips (not separate row above)
- [ ] Sort is dropdown, not toggle icons in headers
- [ ] Chip shows max 2 values, then +N
- [ ] Clear all button at end of filter field
- [ ] Empty state has clear action
## HTML Class Reference
Use these classes for styling compatibility with `html-style`:
| Element | Class | Purpose |
|---------|-------|---------|
| Filter container | `.filter-bar` | Top-level filter row |
| Chip container | `.filter-chips` | Holds all active chips |
| Individual chip | `.chip` | Single filter chip |
| Chip remove | `.chip-remove` | X button on chip |
| Search input | `.filter-search` | Text search field |
| Clear all | `.filter-clear` | Clear all filters button |
| Sort control | `.sort-control` | Sort dropdown container |
| Filter menu | `.filter-menu` | Dropdown filter panel |
| Empty state | `.empty-state` | No results container |
**Data attributes:**
- `data-column` — Column identifier on chips
- `data-filter-type` — Filter type (contains/checkbox/range/date)
## Styling Handoff
This skill outputs semantic HTML with class names. For visual styling, invoke the `html-style` skill after generating filter HTML.
View on GitHub