Filtering & Searching

Filtering & Searching

When working with large URL lists, finding specific URLs quickly is essential. bulkU offers powerful filtering and searching capabilities to help you locate exactly what you need.

Non-destructive filtering: Filters only change what you see, not what’s stored. Your URLs remain safe in the group.

Text Filters

Text filters let you search for URLs containing (or not containing) specific text patterns.

Screenshot: Filter dropdown showing text filter options

Contains

Shows only URLs that contain your search term anywhere in the URL.

1

Select “Contains” Filter

Choose “Contains” from the filter dropdown menu.

2

Enter Search Term

Type the text you’re looking for (e.g., “blog”, “product”, “2024”).

3

View Filtered Results

Only URLs containing your search term are displayed.

Example: Searching for “blog” shows:

  • ✅ https://example.com/blog/post-1
  • ✅ https://example.com/category/blog
  • ❌ https://example.com/products

Case-insensitive: Searches are case-insensitive by default, so “Blog”, “blog”, and “BLOG” all match.

Does Not Contain

Shows only URLs that do NOT contain your search term. Perfect for excluding specific patterns.

Example: Excluding “test” hides:

  • ❌ https://example.com/test-page
  • ❌ https://test.example.com
  • ✅ https://example.com/products

Common use cases:

  • Exclude staging URLs: “staging”, “dev”, “test”
  • Exclude specific domains: “competitor.com”
  • Exclude URL parameters: “?utm_”

Exact Match

Shows only URLs that exactly match your search term. Useful for finding specific pages.

Example: Exact match for “https://example.com/about” shows:

  • ✅ https://example.com/about
  • ❌ https://example.com/about-us
  • ❌ https://example.com/about/team

Exact match is strict: The entire URL must match character-for-character, including protocol (https://) and trailing slashes.

Regex (Regular Expressions)

For advanced users, regex provides powerful pattern matching capabilities.

Screenshot: Regex filter input with example pattern

Common Regex Patterns

Match URLs with numbers:

\d+

Matches: https://example.com/page-123, https://example.com/product/456

Match specific file extensions:

\.(pdf|docx|xlsx)$

Matches: https://example.com/file.pdf, https://example.com/doc.docx

Match URLs with query parameters:

\?.*=

Matches: https://example.com/page?id=123, https://example.com/?ref=abc

Match subdomains:

https://[^/]+\.example\.com

Matches: https://blog.example.com, https://shop.example.com

Match date patterns (YYYY-MM-DD):

\d{4}-\d{2}-\d{2}

Matches: https://example.com/2024-11-15/post

Learning regex? Try regex101.com to test patterns before using them in bulkU.

Tag Filters

Filter URLs based on their tags for quick organization and review.

Screenshot: Tag filter dropdown showing available tags

All Tags

Default view showing all URLs regardless of tags.

Untagged

Shows only URLs without any tags. Perfect for finding URLs that need categorization.

Use case: After importing a large list, filter by “Untagged” to see which URLs still need tags.

Specific Tag

Shows only URLs with a specific tag. Each tag in your group appears as a filter option.

Example workflow:

  1. Tag URLs as “Priority”, “Review”, or “Done”
  2. Filter by “Priority” to see urgent URLs
  3. Work through them, then switch to “Review”
  4. Filter by “Done” to see completed work

Pro tip: Combine tag filters with text filters for even more precise results!

Combining Filters

Use multiple filters together for powerful, precise searching.

Text + Tag Filters

Apply both a text filter and a tag filter simultaneously.

Example:

  • Text filter: Contains “blog”
  • Tag filter: “Priority”
  • Result: Only blog URLs tagged as Priority
Screenshot: Combined text and tag filters active

Multiple Search Terms

While you can only use one text filter at a time, you can use regex to match multiple patterns:

(blog|article|post)

Matches URLs containing “blog” OR “article” OR “post”

Filter Actions

Once you’ve filtered your URLs, you can perform actions on the filtered results.

Open Filtered URLs

When a filter is active, “Open Selected” only opens URLs that match the filter (and are checked).

Workflow example:

  1. Filter by tag “Review”
  2. Select all filtered URLs
  3. Click “Open Selected”
  4. Only “Review” tagged URLs open

Export Filtered URLs

Export only the URLs that match your current filter.

  1. Apply your filter
  2. Click “Export” → Choose format (CSV or JSON)
  3. Only filtered URLs are exported

Use case: Filter by “Completed” tag, then export to create a report of finished work.

Copy Filtered URLs

Copy only the filtered URLs to your clipboard.

  1. Apply your filter
  2. Click “Copy” button
  3. Paste into any application

Clearing Filters

Reset filters to see all URLs again.

1

Click “Reset Filter”

The “Reset Filter” button appears when any filter is active.

2

All URLs Visible

All URLs in the group are displayed again.

Quick reset: Clearing the search text or selecting “All Tags” also resets the respective filter.

Practical Examples

Real-world filtering scenarios to inspire your workflow.

SEO Audit: Find All 404 Pages

  1. Import URLs from Screaming Frog
  2. Tag 404 pages as “404”
  3. Filter by “404” tag
  4. Export list for client report

Content Review: Find Blog Posts from 2024

  1. Use regex filter: 2024
  2. Combine with text filter: Contains “blog”
  3. Review and tag as needed

WordPress: Find All Edit URLs

  1. Use text filter: Contains “wp-admin/post.php”
  2. Select all filtered results
  3. Open in batches for editing

Research: Find Unreviewed Sources

  1. Filter by “Untagged”
  2. Review each URL
  3. Tag as “Read”, “To-Read”, or “Cited”
  4. Repeat until no untagged URLs remain

Cleanup: Find Test URLs

  1. Use text filter: Contains “test” or “staging”
  2. Review filtered results
  3. Delete test URLs
  4. Reset filter to see clean list

Best Practices

Get the most out of filtering and searching:

✅ Do:

  • Use simple text filters for quick searches
  • Use regex for complex pattern matching
  • Combine text and tag filters for precision
  • Export filtered results for reports
  • Clear filters when done to avoid confusion
  • Tag URLs consistently for easier filtering

❌ Don’t:

  • Forget that filters are active (check the filter indicator)
  • Use overly complex regex patterns (keep it simple)
  • Rely solely on filters (use tags for permanent organization)
  • Delete URLs while filtered (you might miss some)

Troubleshooting

No Results Found

Possible causes:

  • Search term doesn’t match any URLs
  • Multiple filters are too restrictive
  • Typo in search term
  • Regex pattern is incorrect

Solution: Clear filters and try again with simpler terms.

Regex Not Working

Possible causes:

  • Invalid regex syntax
  • Special characters not escaped
  • Pattern too complex

Solution: Test your regex at regex101.com first.

Filter Seems Stuck

Possible causes:

  • Filter is still active
  • Search text not cleared

Solution: Click “Reset Filter” to clear all filters.

What’s Next?

Now that you can find URLs quickly, learn how to organize and manipulate them:

🔄
Sorting & Transforming

Reorder and manipulate your URL lists.
🏷️

Tag System

Create and manage tags for better organization.

🌐

Opening URLs

Configure how bulkU opens your URLs.

📊

SEO Guide

Advanced filtering for SEO workflows.