Filter Step

A filter step is a checkpoint placed between two steps of an automation that only lets the run continue when its condition is met — otherwise the run stops right there. Zapier calls it "Filter by Zapier"; Make lets you set a filter on the link between any two modules; n8n has an "IF"/"Filter" node. Example: a "new email" trigger fires on every message, but a filter after it says "only continue if the subject contains 'invoice'," so the rest of the workflow runs for invoices only. Why it matters: triggers are often noisy — they fire for every new record — and a filter is how you narrow that firehose to just the items worth acting on, saving operations/tasks and avoiding unwanted actions. Practical note: a filter halts a single run rather than branching it (that's a router's job). Under usage-based pricing, filtering early — right after the trigger, before any paid action steps — keeps failed-condition runs cheap because they stop before doing billable work.