Cross Filters are very useful for creating focused reports in Salesforce.
Cross Filters allow Salesforce reporting based on primary-secondary object relationships. Plus Cross Filters allow additional filters on the secondary object.
Cross Filter allows users to filter results that match (WITH) and also those that do not match (WITHOUT)
For example;
- We can use a Cross Filter to report on accounts with open (Status = Working) cases. To do this we would create an Accounts report and add a Cross Filter. This Cross Filter would be set to show accounts with cases. We would then filter cases for Status equal Working
The steps below describe how to create a Cross Filter in Salesforce’s Lightning Experience. If you’re still using Salesforce Classic then you need to move with the times and start using Lightning Experience (Salesforce Classic isn’t going away but Lightning is the way forward and offers much more modern functionality, compared to Classic.)
To get started with Cross Filters:
- Create a new Salesforce report or Edit a report you created previously
- From the Filters tab, click Add Cross Filter
- Choose whether to show your primary object with or without a secondary object. Then, choose the secondary object. We’ll choose Accounts with Cases to match our example above.
- Click Apply.
We now have a report that will show us all Accounts with Cases.
We can stop there, or we have the option to add a filter to the secondary object. In our example, add a further filter to show us Accounts with Cases that are Open (Status = Working). To do this:
- Choose a field from the list associated with the secondary object. In our example Status.
- Specify an operator and values for the secondary object filter.
- Click Apply.
- Then Save.
After following this additional step, our report now shows us all Accounts with Cases, where the Cases Status = Working.
Conclusion
Cross Filters are very useful to understand if you want to create laser-focused Salesforce reports. They can be a bit tricky to get your head around initially, but once mastered Cross Filters will prove to be very useful.
