Filters

DPlan's filter bar lets you focus the task table and Gantt timeline on the subset of tasks that matter right now — by status, priority, assignee, or keyword search. Filters apply instantly and can be combined to create precise views for specific team members, status meetings, or sprint reviews.

Opening the Filter Bar

Click the Filter button (funnel icon) in the HOME tab ribbon, or press F while the Gantt has focus. The filter bar expands below the ribbon, revealing four filter controls. Click the Filter button again (or press F) to collapse the filter bar and clear all active filters.

Closing the filter bar clears all filters. The filtered view is not persisted when you save the project or close the browser. Filters are a session-only view tool.

The Five Filter Controls

1. Status Filter

A multi-select dropdown. Choose one or more of the following values:

Status ValueMeaning
Not StartedWork has not yet begun
In ProgressActively being worked on
CompleteFinished (progress = 100 % OR status explicitly set to Complete)
On HoldTemporarily paused — waiting for a dependency, decision, or resource
CancelledRemoved from scope — kept for record but excluded from scheduling

Select multiple values to show tasks matching any of the selected statuses. For example, selecting "In Progress" + "On Hold" shows all active and blocked work.

2. Priority Filter

A multi-select dropdown with four priority levels:

PriorityTypical Use
LowNice-to-have; defer if schedule is tight
MediumStandard work; scheduled in normal flow
HighImportant; elevated attention required
CriticalMust not slip; often aligns with critical path tasks

Selecting "Critical" + "High" gives a view of the top-tier work in the project.

3. Assignee Filter

A searchable dropdown populated from all distinct assignee values in the project (both free-text assignees on tasks and named resources from the resource manager). Type a name to search, or click the dropdown arrow to see the full list.

Select one or multiple assignees. The filter shows tasks where the assignee field matches any of the selected names, OR where any assigned resource matches.

Pro tip: If your team uses consistent assignee names (matching the resource manager entries), the assignee filter becomes a personal work queue. Each team member can open DPlan, filter by their own name, and see exactly their tasks — a lightweight sprint board without any extra tooling.

4. Search (Keyword)

A free-text search field. As you type, DPlan filters tasks whose name or notes contain the typed string (case-insensitive). The search is live — the task list and Gantt update with each keystroke.

For example, typing API immediately shows all tasks and milestones whose name or notes contain the word "API". This is useful for tracing a particular theme or deliverable across a complex project.

5. Tag Filter

A free-text input that filters tasks by their tags (see Tags & Comments). Type any part of a tag name — the filter matches tasks where any of their tags contain the typed string (partial match, case-insensitive).

For example, typing spr matches tasks tagged sprint-3, sprint-4, and sprint-review. Typing backend shows only tasks tagged backend.

Shortcut: Clicking a tag chip on any task row immediately populates the tag filter with that tag's name. This is the fastest way to see all tasks sharing a specific tag.

AND Logic — Combining Filters

When multiple filters are active simultaneously, DPlan applies AND logic: a task must satisfy all active filters to be shown. For example:

Within a single multi-select dropdown (e.g., selecting two statuses), the logic is OR: the task needs to match any one of the selected values in that filter. The AND applies across different filter types.

Summary Phase Behavior

When filters are active, summary phases have special handling:

Additionally, filtered summary phases are automatically expanded so their matching children are immediately visible. You do not need to manually expand each phase.

Gantt Timeline Updates Live

The Gantt timeline updates in real time as filters are applied. Only the bars of matching tasks (and their parent summaries) are shown. The timeline's date axis and today-line remain visible at all times. Dependency arrows are shown only between visible tasks — arrows to hidden tasks are not drawn.

This means a filtered Gantt is a fully navigable timeline showing only the relevant subset of work. You can still drag bars, zoom, and scroll while filters are active.

Clearing Filters

Three ways to clear all filters at once:

To clear a single filter without affecting the others, click the × inside that specific dropdown to deselect all values in that dropdown.

Practical Filter Recipes

Recipe 1 — My Tasks (Personal Work Queue)

Setup: Assignee = [your name], Status = "Not Started" + "In Progress"

Use case: Start of day — see exactly what you need to be working on today. Nothing completed, nothing cancelled, nothing assigned to others.

Recipe 2 — Overdue Critical Tasks

Setup: Priority = "Critical", Status = "Not Started" + "In Progress" (and optionally enable the critical path highlight in VIEW tab)

Use case: Weekly management review — identify tasks that are critical and not yet complete. Cross-reference with the critical path highlight to see which are actively controlling the project end date.

Recipe 3 — Completed Tasks for Sprint Retrospective

Setup: Status = "Complete", and optionally set a date range by using the search field with a month abbreviation if your task names include sprint or month labels (e.g., search for Sprint 3)

Use case: Retrospective preparation — quickly build a list of what was accomplished in the sprint. Screenshot or export the filtered Gantt for the retrospective document.

Recipe 4 — Tasks on Hold (Blocked Work)

Setup: Status = "On Hold"

Use case: Risk review — see all blocked tasks in one view. Each On Hold task should have notes explaining why it is blocked and what needs to happen to unblock it. Review these notes via hover tooltip on the Gantt or by clicking into the Task Editor.

Recipe 5 — High-Value Cost Tasks

Setup: Priority = "High" + "Critical", then visually scan the cost column for the most expensive tasks

Use case: Budget review — find the tasks that are both high-priority and high-cost. These are where budget risk concentrates. Cross-reference with the Dashboard Top 5 Tasks by Cost panel.

Recipe 6 — Assignee Sprint Board

Setup: Run the filter four times with different assignee values and screenshot each — or leave one assignee filter active during the team's stand-up call and switch assignees as each person gives their update.

Use case: Daily stand-up — use the assignee filter to walk through each person's current tasks. The filtered Gantt gives a visual context for each person's work within the broader timeline.

Recipe 7 — Tag-Based Sprint View

Setup: Tag = "sprint-3" (or whichever sprint tag you use)

Use case: Sprint planning — instantly see only tasks committed to the current sprint. Combined with Status = "Not Started" + "In Progress" gives a live sprint board view directly in the Gantt.

Filter + Export Workflow

Filters are respected by several export formats, allowing you to share filtered views:

Pro tip: For client-facing reports, filter to show only milestone-level rows plus In Progress tasks, then export as PDF. This gives clients a progress summary without overwhelming them with every sub-task in your internal plan.

See also: Tasks, Resources, Export.