> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://help.close.com/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://help.close.com/_mcp/server.

# Lead Filtering and Smart Views

> Filter Leads in Close and save searches as Smart Views. Combine filters, use AI Search, customize columns, sort results, and pin views to the sidebar.

Smart Views are saved Lead/Contact filters. They're customized, saved searches you create for Leads or Contacts so you can quickly return to the same filtered list later.

Using Lead Filtering and Smart Views, you can easily create a "list" of precisely the right Leads you need to reach out to at any given time. You can then prioritize the list based on specific criteria, so you have the highest chance of reaching the right Leads at the right time. These lead lists are called **Smart Views** and are used to create workflows you can easily access and share with your team.

You can also utilize the search bar to type in a query, and our built-in AI search will return your results.

## Lead Filtering

One of the most powerful features of the Close sales platform is the ability to filter all your Leads, Contacts, and Activities to find the ones that matter to you right now. Filtering can quickly find a Contact, identify which Leads need attention, do a deep dive into email or call Activities, build calling and emailing workflows for your sales team, and more.

Think of Lead Filtering as building a powerful string of filters to help users locate important lists of Leads, Contacts, and Activities. Create Filters to find leads that have been called twice, located in a specific city, or created on a certain date. Filters can be combined to create more powerful searches.

> **Note**
>
> In Lead advanced filters, you can also filter by a specific Custom Activity type (by name) from the **Custom Activities** section. This returns Leads that have one or more instances of that Custom Activity type.

## Building and Combining Filters

To get started with lead and contact filtering, expand any keyword category, and use the drop-down to choose the search filter you need. You can also add one filter after another to build more advanced searches.

### Filter Leads by related Task fields

You can filter Leads by their related Tasks using Task fields like **Status** and **Assigned to**.

For example, combining **Task Status = Open** with **Assigned to =** specific user(s) will return Leads that have **at least one open (incomplete) Task** currently assigned to any of those users.

### Segment Leads by marketing channel (and save as Smart Views)

If you want to segment and report on where Leads came from (for example, PPC vs. SEO), store the channel on the Lead and then filter by it:

1. Create a **Lead Custom Field** (for example, a single-select) named something like **Channel**.
2. Add values such as **PPC**, **PPL**, **SEO**, etc.
3. Populate that field on each Lead (manually, via import, or via integration).
4. Filter Leads by that Custom Field value and **save the filters as a Smart View** (one per channel, or combined as needed).

### Simple example

Let's find all the leads that were never contacted (i.e., never called or emailed):

1. Click on **Add Filter** to the top left of the lead page.
2. Click the **Emails** filter.
3. Check **# Total number of emails.**
4. Select **None** as your filter.
5. Now, click on **Calls**.
6. Check **# Total number of calls.**
7. Select **None** as your filter.
8. Click **Done.**

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/leads_list_view_66f5ca.gif)

This adds the filter to the top of the page as you go along.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/leads_filter_panel_4377af.png)

### Complex example

You want to follow up with leads who opened an email you sent at least seven days ago but never responded.

1. Click on **Add filter**.
2. Click the **Emails** filter.
3. Under **Find the latest Email where…**, check **Direction.**
4. Select **is any of** as your filter.
5. Select **Outgoing.**
6. Now, under **Find the latest Email where…**, check **# Number of opens.**
7. Select **Some** from the drop-down (the lead has opened the latest email you sent).
8. Under **Find the latest Email where…**, check **Date**.
9. Select **is not within** as your filter.
10. Select **"the last 7 days".**
11. The sidebar has been adding in each filter to the top of the leads page. Your final filters will look like so.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/leads_list_with_email_filter_panel_9c7f32.gif)

The final search will look like this:

![Lead filtering bar showing criteria for opens, date not within last seven days, and outgoing direction.](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/lead_filters_bar_7dbec4.png)

You can add to the search query an infinite amount of options to form more complex searches. See our article on [Combined Queries](/v1/docs/searching-guide-combined-queries) for a step-to-step guide on how to use operators ("AND", "OR", "NOT").

## AI Search

Utilize the search bar for a quick search while on any page in Close. Our AI search will recognize statements, and will show the lead and/or contact results that match the query.

Try typing out a basic search, such as leads who have not been contacted within a certain amount of time and are under a specific status. Here's an example:

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/ai_search_prompt_15ecfd.png)

\
All leads who have the lead status **Trial** and have not been contacted in 20 days will show in a list.

This also works when searching for contacts. For example, try looking for all contacts who are labeled as a CEO, and also have a phone number:

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/smart_view_filter_header_69ad12.png)

The search will automatically generate to find the contacts you are looking for.

> **Note**
>
> Close does not currently provide a Lead filter/field for which connected mailbox an email was sent from or received by. The closest built-in option is filtering by the **user** associated with the communication (for example, Smart Fields like **Latest communication user**). If a user has only a single connected mailbox, filtering by that user can act as a proxy for filtering by that mailbox.

#### **AI Search Examples**

Try using the following examples to get started:

* *All leads based on the West Coast who haven't been called this week*
* *Who have I sent an SMS to but not received a reply from?*
* *Which leads were created more than 60 days ago, that have never been contacted?*

## Customizing your view

All Smart Views can be managed in your Saved Views. This will show your Smart Views, Conversations, and Reports.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/smart_views_sidebar_f57cd0.png)

Tab between Smart Views (Leads and Contacts), Conversations, and Reports to view any custom searches. Your Private searches/reports will show in this list, but other team members' Private searches will remain private to them.

### Getting scheduled counts for a Smart View (Advanced Filtering API)

Close doesn't currently send scheduled emails with Smart View counts by default. If you need a scheduled count (for example, "how many Leads match this Smart View today?"), you can use an external scheduler (for example, Zapier) to query the same filters as the Smart View.

Use the **Advanced Filtering API** with:

* `include_counts=true`
* `results_limit=0`

This returns the count without returning the full result set, and your scheduler can email the count on whatever cadence you choose.

### Pin a saved view to the left sidebar

You can pin any Saved View to your left sidebar for quick access:

1. Go to **Smart Views**.
2. Click **View all Saved Views**.
3. Find the view in the table (use the search bar if needed).
4. Hover over the view's row.
5. Click the **...** menu.
6. Select **Pin to Sidebar**.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/saved_views_list_78a92f.png)

Under the right-most column, there is the option to manage that specific Smart View, including editing the name and sharing permissions, and removing the Smart View from your left sidebar. Deleting the view will delete it for everyone in the organization.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/smart_view_menu_28dc1e.png)

### Sorting your results

After creating a search or Smart View, you can sort your results using the **Sort** function.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/leads_filter_panel_dc89c0.png)

You can sort your results by multiple fields. For example, you can sort by Confidence % on an Opportunity and then sort via close date to see which Leads may need some following-up to help them through your sales cycle.

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/sort_by_fields_4268dd.png)

Date-type, Date\&Time-type, and Number-type Custom Fields can also be used to sort your results. Custom Fields rooted in choices cannot be used to sort your results at this time.

### Customizable Columns

Next to the **Sort** function, you can customize your columns to show more data:

![](https://close-prd-help-docs.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/feature-guide/lead-filtering-and-smart-views/search-and-smart-views/leads_column_selector_051303.png)

Saving this as part of your Smart View will retain these columns when you access that Smart View later.

> **Contact-based searches can sort by the Contact's local time based on their phone number.**
>
> There may be some occasions where a phone number matches up with multiple time zones. This will happen if we cannot determine the specific region a phone number is associated with (For example, national numbers in France or Germany are not associated with any particular region within the country), and the column will show a time range for that phone number.