Filters
Filters let you control which tables are visible on the canvas. Hide the parts of your schema you don't care about right now to make a complex diagram navigable.
Saved filters require a paid plan. The default "show everything" view is always available on free.
How filters work
A filter is a named selection of tables that should be visible. When the filter is active:
- Included tables show on the canvas
- Excluded tables are hidden (and so are any relationships that touch only hidden tables)
- Sticky notes, table groups, and the rest of the editor still work normally
The default filter shows everything — when no includedTables are explicitly set, every table is visible.
Create a filter
- Open the Filters sidebar tab
- Click + New Filter
- Give it a name (e.g., "Billing only", "Auth tables", "Public-facing")
- Pick the tables to include — by clicking them in the list or directly on the canvas
- Save
The filter is saved to your account and can be reused or shared via the diagram.
Apply / clear a filter
- Apply: pick a filter from the Filters tab — the canvas immediately hides excluded tables
- Clear: select the default (no filter) — everything reappears
- Active filter is shown in the sidebar with a highlight
Switching filters is instant — no reload, no reflow of relationships.
Default filter per diagram
A diagram can designate one filter as its default. When you (or anyone) opens the diagram, that filter is applied automatically.
This is useful when:
- Your schema has dozens of tables but most users only care about a subset
- You want to surface a clean view to teammates without forcing them to click anything
- You have an "Architecture overview" filter for newcomers and a "Full schema" view for engineers
Set the default in the Filters tab → filter row → Set as default.
Editing a filter
Open the Filters tab, click a filter row, and use the editor to:
- Rename
- Add/remove tables (click on canvas or pick from the list)
- Set as default (or unset)
- Delete
Changes save immediately.
Filters and relationships
Relationships are filtered transitively:
- A ref is visible only if both endpoint tables are visible
- If you hide one side of a ref, the ref disappears too
This means you can isolate a subgraph (e.g., just the billing tables) and see only the relationships internal to that subgraph.
Filters and other features
| Feature | Affected by filter? |
|---|---|
| Canvas rendering | ✓ Hidden tables don't render |
| Minimap | ✓ Hidden tables disappear from the minimap |
| Refs / FKs | ✓ Filtered transitively (see above) |
| Table groups | Group itself stays visible; member tables hide |
| Sticky notes | ✗ Notes are always visible |
| Export (PNG / SVG / SQL / DBML) | ✗ Exports include the full schema, not the filtered view |
| MCP / API queries | ✗ Filters are a UI concept; tools see the full schema |
If you need to export only a subset, create a separate diagram with just those tables.
Plan limits
| Plan | Saved filters |
|---|---|
| Free | None — only the default "show everything" view |
| Pro | ✓ Saved filters per diagram |
| Enterprise | ✓ Saved filters per diagram |
See Plans.