Filters - Target and Source

Overview

Filters give you precise control over which records get associated through your rules. Instead of associating everything, filters let you narrow down to exactly the records that matter.

What they do: Refine association rules to target specific records based on criteria like creation date, association labels, or pipeline values.

When to use them: When you need selective association behavior - like only linking to recent deals, primary contacts, or records in specific pipelines.

Business value: Prevents over-association, keeps data clean, reduces noise, and ensures associations add value rather than clutter.

Filter Types

Auto Associations Pro supports two types of filters:

1. Target Filters - Control which target records receive associations
2. Source Filters - Control when rules trigger based on source record properties

Target Filters

Target filters determine which records from the target object will receive the association. Think of these as the final selection criteria.

All (No Filter)

What it does: Associates to every matching target record with no restrictions.

When to use: When you want comprehensive association coverage and all related records should be connected.

Example Rule: “Associate Emails from Contacts to all associated Companies”

Result: Every company associated with the contact gets the email association.

Use Case: Ensuring complete communication history across all related companies.

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X Most Recent

What it does: Associates only to the newest N records based on creation date.

Configuration: You choose the number (e.g., “1 most recent”, “3 most recent”, “5 most recent”)

When to use: When you want to focus on active or current records and avoid cluttering old, closed, or archived items.

Example Rule: “Associate Emails from Contacts to the 3 newest associated Deals”

Result: Only the 3 most recently created deals get the email association, older deals remain clean.

Use Cases:

• Keep active deals updated without affecting closed deals
• Associate activities with current projects only
• Focus team attention on recent, relevant records

Configuration Options:

• 1 most recent (only the newest)
• 3 most recent
• 5 most recent
• 10 most recent
• Custom number

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Association Label Match

What it does: Associates only to records with a specific association label.

When to use: When you need to distinguish between different types of relationships (e.g., “Primary Contact” vs “Secondary Contact”).

Example Rule: “Associate Deals from Companies to all primary associated Contacts”

Result: Only contacts with the “Primary” association label get the deal association.

Use Cases:

• Associate deals with decision makers only (primary contacts)
• Link activities to main company locations (primary company associations)
• Target specific relationship types defined by your team

Common Association Labels:

• Primary Contact / Primary Company
• Decision Maker
• Billing Contact
• Technical Contact
• Executive Sponsor

Source Filters

Source filters control whether a rule should trigger at all, based on properties of the source object. These act as gatekeepers for your rules.

All (No Filter)

What it does: Processes all source records with no restrictions.

When to use: When you want the rule to apply universally regardless of source record properties.

Example: Process all contacts, companies, or deals regardless of their properties.

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Pipeline Match

What it does: Only triggers the rule when the source record is in specific pipelines.

Configuration: Select which pipelines should activate the rule.

When to use: When association behavior should differ based on deal stage, ticket pipeline, or other pipeline-based workflows.

Example Rule: “Associate Contacts from Deals (in Sales Qualified pipeline) to all associated Companies”

Result: Only deals in the “Sales Qualified” pipeline trigger contact associations. Deals in other pipelines are ignored.

Use Cases:

• Only associate activities with qualified deals, not all opportunities
• Separate association logic for different ticket types (Support vs Sales)
• Apply different rules based on deal maturity

Pipeline-Based Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Qualified Deals Only

• Source Filter: Pipeline = “Sales Qualified”
• Rule: Associate Emails from Deals to associated Contacts
• Result: Only qualified deals trigger email associations, early-stage opportunities don’t

Scenario 2: Support Ticket Routing

• Source Filter: Pipeline = “Technical Support”
• Rule: Associate Notes from Tickets to associated Companies
• Result: Technical support notes flow to companies, general inquiry notes don’t

Combining Filters

You can combine source filters and target filters for maximum precision.

Example: Qualified Deals to Primary Contacts

Rule Components:

• Subject: Emails
• Source: Deals
• Source Filter: Pipeline = “Sales Qualified”
• Target: Contacts
• Target Filter: Association Label = “Primary”

How it works:

1. An email gets associated to a deal
2. Source filter check: Is the deal in “Sales Qualified” pipeline? If yes, continue. If no, stop.
3. Find all contacts associated with the deal
4. Target filter check: Filter to only “Primary” labeled contacts
5. Associate email to those primary contacts

Result: Only emails on qualified deals reach primary contacts, preventing notification overload.

Filter Strategy Best Practices

Start Broad, Then Narrow

1. Create a rule with no filters first
2. Test and observe the results
3. Add filters if you’re getting too many or irrelevant associations
4. Refine filters based on actual usage patterns

Use Target Filters to Reduce Noise

If a rule is creating clutter (e.g., too many old deals getting updated):

• Add a “newest N” target filter
• Or use association labels to target only active records

Use Source Filters for Workflow Stages

If association behavior should change based on record maturity:

• Use pipeline match filters to trigger different rules at different stages
• Create separate rules for each pipeline with different target logic

Monitor and Adjust

• Review association patterns monthly
• Adjust filter thresholds based on team feedback
• Remove filters that aren’t adding value

Common Filter Combinations

Active Deals Only

Goal: Keep current deals updated, avoid cluttering closed deals

Solution:

• Target Filter: 5 newest associated Deals
• Ensures only recent, likely-active deals get updates

Decision Makers for Important Activities

Goal: Only notify key stakeholders about critical activities

Solution:

• Target Filter: Association Label = “Decision Maker”
• Limits associations to primary contacts only

Pipeline-Specific Routing

Goal: Different association behavior for different deal stages

Solution:

• Source Filter: Pipeline = “Negotiation”
• Target Filter: All associated Contacts
• Only deals in negotiation trigger contact associations

Newest Records with Label Restrictions

Goal: Recent deals, but only primary company associations

Solution:

• Target Filter 1: Association Label = “Primary Company”
• Target Filter 2: 3 newest
• Combines label matching with recency filtering

Troubleshooting Filters

Filter Not Working

Check:

• Filter configuration is saved correctly
• Source records actually have the property values you’re filtering on
• Association labels are spelled exactly as configured

Too Restrictive

Symptoms: Fewer associations than expected

Solution:

• Review filter criteria - might be too narrow
• Check if “newest N” count is too low
• Verify association labels are applied consistently

Not Restrictive Enough

Symptoms: Still getting too many associations

Solution:

• Lower the “newest N” count
• Add additional filter criteria
• Consider using association label matching