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Simple Filtering

Filters determine which events trigger actions. Well-designed filters reduce noise, prevent unnecessary workflow executions, and keep automation targeted. For the complete filter reference, see the official Filters documentation.

Filter Types

Argo Events supports multiple filter types that can be combined:

Filter Type Purpose Argo Docs
data Match event payload fields Data Filters
context Match CloudEvents context Context Filters
time Match time windows Time Filters
expr Complex expressions Expr Filters

Data Filters

Data filters match against the event payload. They're the most common filter type:

dependencies:
  - name: github-push
    eventSourceName: github
    eventName: push
    filters:
      data:
        - path: body.ref
          type: string
          value:
            - "refs/heads/main"
            - "refs/heads/release/*"

Filter fields:

  • path: JSONPath to the field in the event payload
  • type: Data type (string, bool, number)
  • value: List of acceptable values (OR logic)
  • comparator: Comparison operator (=, !=, >=, <=, >, <)

Multiple data filters use AND logic: all must match for the event to trigger.

Negation Filters

Exclude events that match certain patterns:

filters:
  data:
    - path: body.pusher.name
      type: string
      value:
        - "dependabot[bot]"
        - "renovate[bot]"
      comparator: "!="

This filters out automated bot pushes, only triggering on human commits.

Expression Filters

For complex logic that data filters can't express, use expr filters:

filters:
  exprs:
    - expr: body.commits != nil && len(body.commits) > 0
      fields:
        - name: body.commits
          path: body.commits

Expression filters support CEL (Common Expression Language) for powerful matching:

filters:
  exprs:
    - expr: >-
        body.action == "opened" &&
        body.pull_request.draft == false &&
        body.pull_request.base.ref == "main"
      fields:
        - name: body.action
          path: body.action
        - name: body.pull_request
          path: body.pull_request

This triggers only for non-draft PRs opened against main.

Time Filters

Restrict events to specific time windows:

filters:
  time:
    start: "08:00"
    stop: "18:00"
    timezone: "Europe/Zurich"

Events outside the window are dropped. Useful for preventing deployments during off-hours.

Combining Filters

Filters can be combined for precise control:

dependencies:
  - name: prod-deploy
    eventSourceName: registry
    eventName: push
    filters:
      # AND: all data filters must match
      data:
        - path: body.tag
          type: string
          value:
            - "v*"
        - path: body.repository
          type: string
          value:
            - "example-registry/production-app"
      # AND: time filter must also match
      time:
        start: "09:00"
        stop: "17:00"
        timezone: "Europe/Zurich"

This triggers only for:

  • Production app images (AND)
  • With version tags (AND)
  • During business hours

Silent Drops

Filtered events are dropped silently. No logs, no errors, no indication that an event was received and rejected. Start with permissive filters and add restrictions incrementally. The Sensor troubleshooting guide covers debugging filter issues.

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