How to install a Loot Filter in Path of Exile

This guide is a simple, step-by-step tutorial on how to install loot filters in Path of Exile.

Installing a Loot Filter for Path of Exile

Installing the Loot Filter

This is a simple, step-by-step guide to installing a loot filter for Path of Exile.

Step 0. What is a Loot Filter?

In Path of Exile, there is quite a bit of loot that drops onto the ground. Even though a lot of the loot is good and may be helpful, most of it is just garbage. The further you get into the game, the more annoying it is to scan through the long lists of items, and eventually at end game, it's practically unplayable since you keep accidentally picking up items instead of running away from a dangerous boss. Not only might you miss good items, but you also might die! That's where loot filters come in. They do the sorting of the loot for you, so you don't have to constantly stand around and read the list of items. It hides the garbage, and highlights the good stuff, and makes the incredible stuff unmissable. Some loot filters add noises to make double sure you notice the item. In my opinion, loot filters are a necessity to play Path of Exile.

Step 1. Pick a Loot Filter

There are quite a few good loot filters that you can find online. It mostly comes down to personal preference, but I picked out a few of the best ones for you to try out.

NeverSink's Loot Filter: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1246208
This is my personal favorite loot filter and the one I am currently using. It has great item label designs, with bright colors that are easy on the eyes, easy to remember color coding and sound notifications for item drops, and it even has some customization. While this guide will be mostly generic, this is the specific loot filter I will be installing. I strongly recommend this loot filter.

ZiggyD's Loot Filter: http://ziggyd.tv/featured/ziggyds-loot-filter/
This is the loot filter before I found out about NeverSink's. It is in most ways just as good as NeverSink's, though it is lacking in the sound notification department. The color codings are even simpler than NeverSink's, and they show less information, so you have to remember less. It is great for beginners! I recommend this loot filter as well.

One Filter to Rule Them All: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1259059/page/1
Although I have never used this loot filter, the community loves it! Check out the forum page for some details on it, if you don't like the other two. If you want to install this one, make sure to read the instructions on the forum page, it's different from the other ones.

Once you've downloaded one of the loot filters, you should find it in your downloads folder and have it ready. For NeverSink's filter, the file should be a .zip, and for ZiggyD's filter it should be a .filter file. For OFTRTA, follow the instructions, it's a bit different.

Step 2. Adding the .filter file

Once you've downloaded the loot filter, and found the file, you're gonna need to go to your Documents folder. If you don't know where that is, just check the picture below:
Once you've navigated to the Documents folder, find the "My Games" folder. If you do not have that, you probably don't have Path of Exile installed.

Then, finally, go into the "Path of Exile" folder that should be located inside of the "My Games" folder:

Now, if the loot filter you downloaded is a .filter file, you're gonna want to just drag and drop that file right into the "Path of Exile" folder. That's it. However, if you have a .zip file, like for NeverSink's, open it up. There are a few choices in there for loot filters, and all of them are .filter files. Pick the one that you want (there's a ton of information on each of the versions on the forum page), and drag that .filter file into the "Path of Exile" folder. And voila! You've installed the loot filter!

Step 3. Activate the Loot Filter in game
Now, to activate the loot filter in game, go into the settings menu, and navigate to the UI tab:
Scroll all the way down, and find where it says "List of Item Filters." Click on the drop down menu on the right, and find your newly installed loot filter:

Click the loot filter, and then click save:

You're all set! Enjoy your newly installed loot filter!

Thanks for reading my guide, if it helped you at all, make sure to rate it. I would appreciate any feedback if possible, just leave a comment below if there was a mistake in the guide or a typo or anything like that. If you have any problems installing the loot filter after reading the guide, comment below and I'll get back to you and try to help as soon as I can! Thanks again!

Also, make sure to check out my YouTube channel!

https://www.youtube.com/wiljayhay

[☦ Грйсёлдо ☦]

Path of Exile's site now allows you to connect to the Loot filter automatically and updates whenever there is a change. +rep for GGG and Guide author

[Ynsin]

For anyone else who can't find it, the Filters option has been moved to the Game tab instead.

[m8_miauchila]

When I scroll down the UI tab I don't see the option "List of Item Filters" does anyone know how can I activate it?

[[TAW] Derisat Hartfelt]

the very idea of this overly complicated filter thing is turning me off PoE hard. So i'll put it very simply, a filter for new players. Havent found one yet, the Neversink filter excludes wisdom scrolls, something I lack all the time at lvl 34. So I'm vendoring trans orbs by the score for more scrolls. A filter that cuts out what I need all the time. Not really great.

[centralohioguy]

Wadeous' suggestion works if you are having problems. Basically I just moved the file into the Path of Exile folder (as described). Then, I opened the file 'as a notepad text file' when windows asks you what you want to use to open it. Then 'Saved' it, and added ".filter" to the end of the Notepad filter file. Restarted my game, and it appeared in the filter list in game.

[Yoshimi Sugai]

I was curious about what a Loot Filter was for a bit and I never gave it much thought until I read this. Having only played a little bit of this but also banking on experience from other dungeon crawler games with loot pouring all over the place, this actually is starting to sound useful.

...and now having checked out one of the filters (NeverSink's), that's pretty damn wild. I thought it was just a simple download, not a customizable experience!

[LongStrider]

Hiho,Willjayhay. Nice one, good on yerr.

[wallywally11]

If I'm starting out at level 1 right now, should I wait to install a loot filter?

[leoaru]

thank you

[impetus_maximus]

thank you! NeverSink's site make creating a filter easy. http://www.filterblade.xyz/ the default one should be good for beginners. easy to tweak and save.

cheers