> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ce-docs.keywordrush.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ce-docs.keywordrush.com/modules/feed-modules/filtering-products.md).

# Filtering products on import

Import only part of a large feed instead of the whole catalog.

Marketplace feeds are often far larger than what you actually need. An affiliate network may only offer one broad category file — for example a single "Arts & Entertainment" feed with 1.6 million Etsy products, when your site only covers party supplies.

The import filter solves this. Products are matched **before** they are written to your database, so only the ones you want are stored.

### Setting it up

In the module settings you'll find three fields:

* **Filter products by** — which field to match against: **Category**, **Title**, or **Brand**.
* **Filter mode** — **Include matching products** (keep only matches) or **Exclude matching products** (keep everything else).
* **Filter values** — one value per line. Leave empty to import every product.

Matching is **case-insensitive and partial**, so you don't have to type a value exactly. This matters most for categories, which are usually hierarchical: filtering on `Party Supplies` also keeps `Party & Celebration~~Party Supplies~~Party Games` and every other subcategory beneath it. Multiple lines are combined with OR — a product is a match if it matches any one of them.

{% hint style="info" %}
To filter by category, the **category** field must be mapped in [Field mapping](/modules/feed-modules/field-mapping.md). If it isn't, there is nothing to match against and an Include filter will keep nothing.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Other settings can remove products before the filter ever sees them. **Import only products in stock** is the common one: if your feed's stock field holds a *quantity* rather than a yes/no value, only rows whose value reads as "in stock" survive, and the filter is applied to whatever is left. If a filter returns fewer products than you expect, check that setting and your stock mapping first.
{% endhint %}

After the import, the feed status shows how many rows were skipped, for example `Skipped rows: 1,626,235 filtered`. If that number is the entire feed, your filter matched nothing — check the mapping and the exact spelling of your values.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Filtering reduces what is **stored**, not what is **downloaded**. The full feed file is still fetched and parsed on every sync, so a very large feed takes the same time and disk space as before. If the import exceeds your server's time limit, ask your network for a narrower category feed, or run the sync from system cron using WP‑CLI, which has no PHP execution limit.
{% endhint %}

Changing any filter setting re-imports the feed with the new rules.

### Filtering with code

When the three fields aren't enough — combining conditions, matching on price, or reading a field the UI doesn't offer — use the `cegg_feed_product_filter` hook. Return `false` to skip a product. It runs for every row, in addition to any filter configured in the settings.

```php
add_filter('cegg_feed_product_filter', function ($keep, $product, $module_id) {

    // Only apply this to one feed module.
    if ($module_id !== 'Feed__1') {
        return $keep;
    }

    // Skip anything under 10.00.
    if ($product['price'] < 10) {
        return false;
    }

    // Keep party games, but not the printable ones.
    if (stripos($product['category'], 'Party Games') === false) {
        return false;
    }

    return stripos($product['title'], 'printable') === false;

}, 10, 3);
```

The `$product` array holds the mapped fields — `title`, `price`, `category`, `brand`, `ean`, `orig_url`, `stock_status` and the rest. Add the snippet to your theme's `functions.php` or a small custom plugin, then reload the feed data so it applies.