---
title: "Creating a Drop-down Filter"
slug: "new-dropdown-filter"
description: "If you have added new custom list fields from, you may want to filter your lists by this new field.SysAid allows you to add a drop-down filter to the list view for just this purpose."
tags: ["SysAid Spaces"]
updated: 2026-08-17T14:28:32Z
published: 2026-08-17T14:28:32Z
canonical: "documentation.sysaid.com/new-dropdown-filter"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.sysaid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating a Drop-down Filter

Drop-down filters sit above a table and narrow it to the value you pick. SysAid already provides a set of them, and any custom field you create can be added as one more, so people can filter by a value your organization defined rather than only by the fields SysAid ships with.

> [!NOTE]
> Available for:
> 
> Customers using SysAid Spaces. If you're using SysAid Classic, see [New Dropdown Filter](https://documentation.sysaid.com/classic/docs/new-dropdown-filter).

## How it works

You build a custom field filter in two parts: First, you define the filter itself in the **Customize view** window.

Then you create a column for the custom field so the filter has something to read. Neither part works without the other.

Once both are in place, the filter appears above the table alongside the built-in ones.

### Before you begin

The custom field has to exist first. To create one, see [Custom Fields in Spaces](https://documentation.sysaid.com/docs/custom-fields).

You also need that field's **database name**, which is not the label you gave it. Find it under **Settings** > **Templates & Fields** > **Custom Fields**.

Opening the Customize view window needs the **SysAid Administrator** permission. To learn more, see [Managing Agent and Admin Permissions](https://documentation.sysaid.com/docs/managing-agent-permissions).

## Creating the filter

1. Open the table you want the filter on, then click the columns icon in the toolbar above it.
2. Open the list view you want to add the filter to.
3. Click **Add** beside **Filter Menus**. The Customize Filter view opens. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/52d3cb6c-cc81-43c2-b6f7-cbabcb449271/Images/Documentation/image-NDJ79QSR.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-14T13%3A29%3A10Z&se=2026-10-14T14%3A29%3A10Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=smdMMumRIdpAd0uLRRLeOlNAX6QxuXVhMPgZTbMJEq8%3D)
4. Enter a **Name** for the filter.
5. From the **Field Name** drop-down, choose the field to filter by. Skip this step if the table is for projects or tasks.
6. Under **List Field**, enter the database name of the custom field.
7. Under **Lookup Table**, replace `field_name` with that same database name. Keep the single quotation marks around it.
8. Click **Close** to return to the Customize view window.
9. Click **Save**.

A completed **Lookup Table** value looks like this:

```plaintext
cust_values where list_name = 'asset_cust_testtwenty'
```

For everything else the Customize view window does, see [Customizing Table Columns in SysAid](https://documentation.sysaid.com/docs/customize-a-list).

## Adding the column

The filter reads from a column, so the custom field needs one before the filter returns anything. Create the column for the field you just filtered on, and it applies to the entity you chose.

To learn more, see [Create/Edit Custom Entity Column](https://documentation.sysaid.com/docs/createedit-custom-entity-column).

> [!WARNING]
> Important:
> 
> Consult our support team before changing any other field on this page. An invalid value can corrupt the filter view and leave the table unusable. To contact our support team, go to the [SysAid Support portal](https://helpdesk.sysaid.com/servicePortal/).