See What Matters to You with Filter

Last updated: August 10, 2026

Sometimes, when you are working on a project, you only want to focus on tasks that are of the uttermost importance to you at the moment, like see the ones you are responsible for, or the ones that are marked urgent.

According to Ben Shneiderman's Information Seeking Mantra, formalized in his 1996 paper, the pattern that works is "overview first, zoom and filter, then details on demand," and most modern productivity tools follow exactly that. Quire's Filter is the zoom-and-filter step on a project task list.

One way to focus on what matters without distraction is via the "filter" function. Simply decide how you would like to see your tasks, and follow the steps.

How do you open Quire's filter menu?

By clicking on the filter icon below the project’s name, you will see a menu bar.

There, you can choose what kinds of tasks you would like to see, sort (aka group) and filter them further.

Right now, you are only seeing your Active Tasks, tasks that have not yet been completed.

If you want to see tasks that you have completed, click on “Active Tasks” and choose “Completed Tasks.”

Or if you want to see all of your tasks, both active and completed, choose “All Tasks” instead.

Note: You can hide the menu bar by toggling the filter icon. The green dot indicates you are in a filtered mode.

Now, let us sort and filter the tasks further.

How do Quire's sort options work?

When you sort by

Date

To see all your tasks ordered by due dates, choose sort by “Date.”

This is what you will see:

Note: We group tasks into 4 categories: Overdue, Today, Due in 5 days and Later.

Assignee

To see what tasks each assignee is or was responsible for, choose “Assignee” instead. This is what you will see:

Note: You can click on “Clear” in the menu bar whenever you want to return to the default status, which is “Active Tasks” without any filtering.

How do Quire's filter options work?

Next, when you filter by

Tag

If you filter by, for example, Appetizer, from “Tags” like this:

You will see all the tasks that are labeled with Appetizer under whoever is responsible.

Assigned to

If you choose, for example, Crystal, from “Assigned to” like this:

You will see all the tasks that have been assigned to Crystal under Crystal.

Here, you can click on “+” to create a task:

The task will be assigned to Crystal directly.

Assigned by

If you choose, for example, Crystal, from “Assigned by” like this:

You will see all the tasks assigned by Crystal under whoever is responsible.

Created by

If you choose, for example, Crystal, again, from “Created by.”

You will see all the tasks that have been created by Crystal under whoever is responsible.

Followed by me

If you want to see the tasks you are following, choose “Followed by me.”

You will see all the tasks you are following under whoever is responsible.

Note: You will automatically follow tasks created by you.

Now that you have learned the different ways to see your tasks, you can try them out and choose whichever combination fits your needs the best! And once you've filtered down to the task you need, drill down into it to see the full detail without losing your place in the list.

Can you keep a filter you like?

Yes, in two ways, and both hide behind the same button. Look at the right end of the filter bar for the star icon.

Save new filter keeps the combination itself. Reapply it any time from the filter dropdown instead of walking back through the menus.

Create sublist goes further. It saves what you're currently looking at as its own named tab on the project, with an icon and its own access setting, and the filter carries over as that tab's standing conditions. A task created next week that matches the filter turns up there without anyone adding it by hand. If you already saved the filter, hover over it in the filter dropdown and the same Create sublist option is waiting.

So the sequence is simple. Filter until the screen looks right, then decide whether you want to keep the recipe or the finished dish.

Related: Quire Sublist: Bridge the Gap between Team To Do Lists and Personal Productivity covers what a Sublist does for you once you've saved one.

Ready to filter what matters in your Quire project?

Open any project, click the filter icon, and try one filter at a time. Sort by Date first, then filter by Assigned to me, then use the star icon to keep that exact view as a Sublist you can open tomorrow. The filter pattern usually settles within a few minutes once you see how it composes. Free on every Quire plan.

Once single-project filtering feels natural, Smart Folders apply the same idea across every project you're in.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you use the Filter feature in Quire?

Click the filter icon below the project name to open the menu bar. Choose which tasks to see, sort them, or filter by tag, assignee, creator, or follower. A green dot on the icon means you're in a filtered mode.

What sorting options does Quire's Filter support?

Date, which groups tasks into Overdue, Today, Due in 5 days, and Later, and Assignee, which groups tasks under each team member. Sorting reorders tasks; filtering hides the ones that don't match.

How do you filter Quire tasks by tag, assignee, or follower?

Open the filter menu bar and pick a criterion: Tag for a label, Assigned to for a person's tasks, Assigned by or Created by for who set them up, or Followed by me for tasks you follow.

How do you clear a filter and return to the default view?

Click Clear in the filter menu bar to reset to Active Tasks with no filtering. You can also just toggle the filter icon to collapse the bar without clearing anything.

Is the Filter feature available on all Quire plans?

Yes. Filter is part of every Quire plan, including the free one.

What does the star icon in Quire's filter bar do?

It holds two options. Save new filter stores the combination for later, and Create sublist keeps the current view as its own project tab, filter attached, so matching tasks are added for you.