Interactively filter backlogs, boards, queries, and plans in Azure Boards
TFS 2017 | TFS 2015
With the filter function, you can interactively apply a keyword to filter a page. Each page is already filtered to show a subset of work items according to the tool function. For example, Backlogs and Boards display work items based on the selected Area Paths and Iteration Paths for the team. Query Results list work items based on the query clauses you've defined. You can use the filter function to filter work items based on a keyword, ID or tag.
Persistence and saving filter options
Once you set the filter options for a specific view, your settings persist until you change them. There's no save button or other action you need to take.
Note
You can't set default filter options, nor set filter options for other members in your team.
Prerequisites
- All project members can exercise filter functions.
- All filter functions are set only for the current user until the user clears them.
Open and clear filter functions
From the Azure Boards tool, choose the view you want. For example:
- For Backlogs and Boards, choose the backlog level you want, such as Stories, Features, or Epics
- For sprint Backlogs and Taskboards, choose the iteration
- For queries, define the query filter criteria of interest.
Choose any other view settings available for your view. For example:
- For Backlogs, from the View options menu, enable/disable In Progress items
- For Taskboards, from the Person menu, choose All, Unassigned, or a specific team member.
For list views, add columns to display fields containing text you want to filter on or possibly sort on. For card views, add fields to display on cards containing text you want to filter on.
Open the filter function.
Choose Filter
.Choose the filters of interest.
The page refreshes to show only those work items that meet all the selected filter criteria.
Inactive functions
When filtering is applied, the following functions are disabled or altered.
- For backlogs, the add-a-backlog-item panel, reordering (stack ranking), and forecasting tools are disabled.
- For backlogs set to Show Parents, the tree hierarchy is flattened.
Clear or dismiss filtering
To clear and dismiss filtering, choose Clear and dismiss filtering 
.
Filters remain in place until you explicitly clear them. When you refresh your backlog, board, or other tool, or sign in from another browser, filters remain set to your previous values.
Once the board is filtered, you can choose the filter icon to hide the drop downs and view the applied filters on the board. The filter icon turns opaque to signify a filtered board.
Apply keyword and ID filters
The keyword filter function filters lists or cards based on the fields displayed via Column Options or board settings. Also, you can enter a value for an ID, even the ID field is visible. As such, when filtering, consider what fields contain the keyword text or tags you want to filter on and make sure it's displayed.
Filtering is case-insensitive.
Ignore characters by keyword filter criteria
The filter criteria ignores the following characters when the field value starts with the character: {, (, [, !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, ~, `, ', ".
Filter a board using a keyword
Here we filter the Kanban board to only show those cards that include 'web', either in the title or a tag.
Filter based on tags
If you've added tags to your work items, you can filter your work using one or more tags. For backlogs and query results, add Tags as a column option before filtering on tags.
Turn on filtering and choose a tag.
The list refreshes. Only those work items with the selected tag are displayed. Filtering the list disables add-a-backlog-item panel, stack ranking, and forecasting.
To apply a subfilter, choose another tag. You filter successively by choosing from the set of tags that appear in the filter tag bar. To start your filter process over, choose All to show all tags.
To show all items, choose All or choose the Tag filter image on backlog and queries pages filter icon to turn filtering off.
To learn more about tags, see Add tags to work items to categorize and filter lists and boards.