---
title: Filter on Format
description: Filter, clear, or flag rows by validating a column against a selected data format.
category: Data Transformation
tags: [filter, format, validation, data transformation]
---

# Filter on Format

## **Description**

The **Filter on Format** activity validates values in a selected column against a configured format and applies the selected filter action. It can keep matching rows, remove matching rows, clear matching or non-matching cells, or add a boolean flag column.

### **Supported Features**

- **Format validation**: Validate values as `Text`, `Integer`, `Decimal`, `Boolean`, `Date`, `Url`, `EmailAddress`, `IpV4Address`, `IpV6Address`, or `Currency`.
- **Row filtering**: Keep only matching rows or remove matching rows.
- **Cell clearing**: Clear matching cells or non-matching cells.
- **Row flagging**: Add a flag column showing whether the value matched the selected format.
- **Type-aware checks**: Text, integer, decimal, boolean, and date use cast-based checks; URL, email, IP, and currency use regex checks.

---

## **Input**

| Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Data | Yes | Input rows containing the column to validate. |

### **Input Scenarios**

#### **1. Keep Valid Values**

Use `KeepMatchingRowsOnly` to keep rows where the selected column matches the chosen format.

#### **2. Remove Valid Values**

Use `RemoveMatchingRows` to remove rows where the selected column matches the chosen format.

#### **3. Clear Cells**

Use `ClearContentOfMatchingCells` or `ClearContentOfNonMatchingCells` to set selected column values to null without removing rows.

#### **4. Flag Rows**

Use `FlagRows` to add a boolean output column indicating whether the selected column matches the format.

---

## **Output**

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Data | Array | Transformed rows after the selected filter action is applied. |

---

## **Configuration Fields**

| Field Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Column | Previous Data Column | Yes | Column to validate against the selected format. |
| Format | Dropdown | Yes | Expected format. Options: `Text`, `Integer`, `Url`, `Boolean`, `Currency`, `IpV4Address`, `IpV6Address`, `Date`, `EmailAddress`, `Decimal`. |
| Action | Dropdown | Yes | Action to apply. Options: `KeepMatchingRowsOnly`, `RemoveMatchingRows`, `ClearContentOfMatchingCells`, `ClearContentOfNonMatchingCells`, `FlagRows`. |
| FlagRowsColumnName | Text | Conditional | Name of the flag column. Used only when `Action` is `FlagRows`. If empty at execution, the transformer uses `<FuseDataRowFlag>`. |

### **Conditional Field Rendering Rules**

- **FlagRowsColumnName** is shown when **Action** is `FlagRows`.

---

## **Sample Input**

| ID | Email |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | user@example.com |
| 2 | not-an-email |
| 3 | admin@contoso.org |
| 4 | missing-at-symbol.com |

---

## **Sample Configurations**

### **Scenario 1: Flag Valid Email Addresses**

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Column | `Email` |
| Format | `EmailAddress` |
| Action | `FlagRows` |
| FlagRowsColumnName | `IsValidEmail` |

### **Scenario 2: Keep Only Valid Email Addresses**

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Column | `Email` |
| Format | `EmailAddress` |
| Action | `KeepMatchingRowsOnly` |

---

## **Sample Output**

### **Output for Scenario 1**

| ID | Email | IsValidEmail |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | user@example.com | true |
| 2 | not-an-email | false |
| 3 | admin@contoso.org | true |
| 4 | missing-at-symbol.com | false |

### **Output for Scenario 2**

| ID | Email |
| --- | --- |
| 1 | user@example.com |
| 3 | admin@contoso.org |