When you set up an Integration Connector, you may not want to import every record from your source system into Swapcard. An Import Filter is an inclusion rule: it defines the conditions a record from the source system must satisfy in order to be imported into Swapcard.

A record is imported only when the filter evaluates to true for that record. Any record for which the filter is false is skipped — it is never created or updated in Swapcard.

If you want to import only sessions of a specific type, only exhibitors from a given country, or only speakers tagged with a certain category, you write a condition that is true for exactly those records.

When no filter is configured, every record fetched by the connector is imported by default.

This article explains how Import Filters work, what each operator does, and how to avoid common mistakes when configuring them.

An Import Filter is a set of rules attached to a row in the Mapping tab of the connector (Sessions, Exhibitors, Attendees, etc.). It acts as an inclusion test: each record fetched from the source system is evaluated against the rules, and the filter is either true (the record satisfies the conditions) or false (it doesn't).

Every time the connector runs:

A small dot on the filter icon means a filter is currently active on that row. To remove an existing filter, open the editor and click Clear filter.

Every filter rule is a single condition made of three parts:

Four operators are available in the filter editor.

Two questions decide which operator you need:

Use the table below to find the operator that fits. For exact behavior on edge cases (case sensitivity, missing values, etc.), see Is and Is not in detail and Contains and Does not contain in detail.

When in doubt, first ask whether the field is a single value or a list of values — most operator-choice mistakes come from mixing those up.

Is and Is not check whether the field is exactly equal to the value you typed. They are designed for single text values such as a status, a type, or a name.

The whole field must match the value, character for character (case-sensitive). Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation all matter — partial matches do not count.

Is and Is not treat the field as a single value, so on a list field they will not behave the way you expect — Is will (almost) never match a list, even if the value you typed is one of the items. For list fields, use Contains or Does not contain instead.

If the source field is missing or empty, the comparison still runs:

This is worth keeping in mind: a filter like Status Name Is not Cancelled will also include records that have no Status Name at all. If you want to require a value to be present, combine the condition with another one.

The behavior of Contains and Does not contain depends on whether the source field is a list of values or a single text value. Knowing the difference avoids a lot of confusion.

The value you type is checked against each item of the list, using strict equality — the whole item must match the value exactly (case-sensitive).

The value you type is checked as a substring anywhere in the text (case-sensitive).

If the source field is missing, empty, or any other type than a list or a text value (for example, a number), both Contains and Does not contain return false — meaning the record will not pass either filter. If you need to capture records that have no value for a given field, Contains / Does not contain are not the right tools.

The filter editor lets you add multiple conditions and choose how they combine.

There are two distinct actions to know about:

The logic operator of a group is set once at the top and applies to every condition inside that group; you cannot mix And and Or within a single group — that is exactly what sub-groups are for.

Click Add condition at the bottom of the group to add another condition. Then choose the logic operator for the group:

Import only exhibitors that are based in France and marked as Active:

Logic operator: And. A record passes the filter only if both conditions are true.

Import exhibitors based in either France or Germany:

Logic operator: Or. A record passes the filter if either condition is true.

To mix And and Or in the same filter, you need a sub-group. Open the actions menu (the ⋯ icon) next to a condition and choose Create a group of condition. The condition is then wrapped into a sub-group; from there you can add more conditions inside it and choose the sub-group's own logic operator.

Adding a condition and creating a group are not the same:

Import French exhibitors whose status is either Active or Pending:

In plain English: "Country is France, and (Status is Active or Status is Pending)."

There are limits on how many conditions a filter can contain and how deeply they can be nested. The editor will let you know when you reach them.

Here are a few practical filter setups using fields from the ASP Events connector.

On the Sessions row:

Only sessions whose Session Type is exactly Keynote will be imported.

Session Categories on a Session is a list of values. Use Contains:

Sessions whose Session Categories list includes Sponsor will be imported.

On the Speakers row:

All speakers will be imported except those whose Speaker Type is Internal.

The Value must match the source system character for character, including capitalization. Active and active are not the same. Copy values directly from your source system to avoid typos.

If the source field is a list (for example, Session Categories, Streams, or Tags), Is will almost never match — the whole list rarely equals a single string. Use Contains instead.

On a text field, Contains matches the value anywhere in the text — at the start, in the middle, or at the end. It is not a "starts with" match. For example, Description Contains keynote matches "Daily keynote", "keynote opening", and "the keynote ended" equally.

Filters apply at the moment of import. If you tighten a filter to exclude records that were already imported, those records remain in Swapcard — you need to remove them manually if needed.

Once you save a filter, it takes effect on the next sync. To check that it is doing what you expect:

If something looks off, open the filter editor again and adjust the Field, Operator, or Value. Pay special attention to spelling and capitalization in the Value.

If your event had Import Filters set up by Swapcard support before January 2026, those filters have been automatically migrated and are now visible and editable in Studio — you can review them by opening the filter icon on the relevant row in the Mapping tab.

No action is required. Your existing filters continue to apply on every sync. You now have full control to modify or remove them without contacting support.