> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.courtaid.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.courtaid.ai/legal-research-and-search/using-filters.md).

# Using filters

Filters let you narrow CourtAid's database before you search or chat, so results focus on the jurisdiction, court, and document types relevant to your matter.

![Filters panel on the landing page](/files/qoHT8Sm6i2qZjAeuzoav)

## Where to find filters

Filters appear in several places:

| Location                  | How to open                                                                                |
| ------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Landing page / Chat**   | Click the **Filters** button (flag + funnel icon) on the right side of the input bar       |
| **Search page (desktop)** | The filter panel is shown at the top — click **Hide filters** / **Show filters** to toggle |
| **Search page (mobile)**  | Tap the **Filters** button in the header                                                   |

On mobile, filters open in a bottom sheet. On desktop, they appear as a popover or inline panel.

## Available filters

The filters you see depend on your selected **country**:

### Document Type

Restrict to specific kinds of legal material.

| Country        | Options                                   |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Australia      | Judgements, Legislation, The Constitution |
| New Zealand    | Judgements, Legislation                   |
| United Kingdom | Judgements, Legislation                   |
| United States  | Case Law (Opinions), Legislation          |

### Jurisdiction

Available for Australia, UK, and US. Narrows results to a specific state, territory, or region.

* **Australia:** Federal, NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, ACT, Tasmania
* **UK:** UK, Scotland, Northern Ireland
* **US:** Federal + all 50 states and DC (searchable dropdown)

### Court

Available for Australia, New Zealand, and UK. Only appears when **Document Type** is set to **Judgements**.

Courts are grouped by jurisdiction. If you've selected a jurisdiction, the court list narrows to courts in that region.

Examples for Australia:

* High Court of Australia
* Federal Court of Australia
* Supreme Court New South Wales
* Fair Work Commission

### Categories

Available for Australia, New Zealand, and UK. A searchable list of legal topic areas (e.g. Contract Law, Criminal Law, Employment Law) to focus your research.

## How to apply filters

1. Open the **Filters** panel
2. Set your **Country** if needed (see [Changing countries](/legal-research-and-search/changing-countries.md))
3. Choose values from each dropdown — the default **All** means no restriction
4. Click **Apply** if the button appears (when you have pending changes)
5. Run your search or send your chat message

### Active filter badges

When filters are active, coloured badges appear below the input or search bar showing what's applied — e.g. `Jurisdiction: Victoria`, `Court: Supreme Court Victoria`.

* Click the **×** on a badge to remove that filter
* Click **Clear All** to reset everything

The **Filters** button also shows a count badge when filters are active.

## Filter behaviour

### Court depends on Document Type

The **Court** filter only appears when **Document Type** includes **Judgements**. If you select only Legislation, the court filter is hidden.

### Court narrows by Jurisdiction

If you select a jurisdiction (e.g. Victoria), the court dropdown only shows courts in that jurisdiction.

### Filters persist in your URL

Active filters are saved in the page URL. You can bookmark or share a filtered search link with colleagues.

### Search page auto-refreshes

On the Search page, changing a filter automatically re-runs your search (after a short delay).

## Filters on Search vs Chat

| Context                            | Filters available                           |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat** (landing page, chat page) | Country, Document Type, Jurisdiction, Court |
| **Search** (casenotes page)        | Country, Jurisdiction, Court, Categories    |

The Search page also has a separate **Content Type** toggle (All / Judgements / Legislation) below the search bar, which works alongside the filter panel.

## Example workflows

### NSW Supreme Court contract cases

1. Country: **Australia**
2. Document Type: **Judgements**
3. Jurisdiction: **New South Wales**
4. Court: **Supreme Court New South Wales**
5. Search for your topic in **Smart** mode

### Federal legislation only

1. Country: **Australia**
2. Document Type: **Legislation**
3. Jurisdiction: **Federal**
4. Chat or search for the provisions you need

### UK employment law

1. Country: **United Kingdom**
2. Document Type: **Judgements**
3. Categories: search for **Employment** or related topics
4. Run your query

## Tips

* **Start broad, then narrow** — if you get too few results, remove one filter at a time
* **Use Categories on Search** — especially helpful when you don't know which court decided a case
* **Check the badge count** — the number on the Filters button tells you how many filters are active without opening the panel


---

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