Troubleshooting: Global Filter Not Appearing in a Widget's Filter Library

If you've created a global filter but can't find it in a widget's Filter Library when building a template, the filter is almost always being hidden by a compatibility check between the filter and the widget's data source. This guide walks through the most common reasons and how to resolve each one.

Why a filter is hidden from the list

When you open a widget's Filter Library, NinjaCat only shows the global filters that are valid for that specific widget. A filter is hidden when any of the following is true:

1. The filter's data source doesn't match the widget's data source (most common)

This is the primary check. A global filter will only appear if its data source exactly matches the base data source of the widget you're editing. If the filter was built for one data source and the widget uses another, the filter won't appear in the list.

Fix: Confirm the filter and the widget are using the same data source. Open the filter in your Library and check which data source it's assigned to, then compare it to the widget's data source in the widget settings.

2. A custom data mapping doesn't match

If the filter is bound to a specific custom data mapping (for example, on Google Sheets, Custom Email, URL, FTP, or SQL sources), the widget's selected source must use that same mapping. If the mappings differ, the filter is hidden.

Fix: Make sure the same custom data mapping selected on the filter is also selected on the widget's data source.

3. The filter's dimension isn't compatible with the selected data source

A filter is built around a dimension. If that dimension isn't available for the data source(s) currently selected on the widget, the filter won't appear.

Fix: Confirm the filter's dimension is supported by the widget's current data source.

4. The filter is already applied

Once a filter has been added to the widget, it's removed from the "add" list so it can't be applied twice.

Fix: Check the filters already applied to the widget — it may already be in use.

5. The filter belongs to a different agency

Global filters are scoped to the agency that owns them. A filter created under a different agency will not be available.

Fix: Confirm the filter was created in the same agency you're working in.

Still not appearing?

If you've confirmed the data source, custom mapping, dimension compatibility, agency scope, and that the filter isn't already applied, contact NinjaCat Support with the filter name, the widget, and the data source in use so we can investigate further.