Filtering and Viewing by Layer

Difficulty: Beginner

Overview

As your taskboard grows with multiple layers, epics, sprints, or project phases, the ability to filter and focus on specific layers becomes essential for productivity. Layer filtering allows you to cut through complexity, showing only the tasks relevant to your current focus—whether that's a single sprint, an epic, a project phase, or a combination of layers.

This guide covers everything you need to know about filtering and viewing tasks by layer in Waymaker. You'll learn how to use the layer filter controls, switch between different layer views, understand layer-specific metrics, and optimize your workflow with efficient layer navigation.

What You'll Learn

• How to use the layer filter dropdown interface
• Selecting single or multiple layers to view
• Showing and hiding layers in Kanban view
• Understanding layer-specific progress metrics
• Using layer selection in List view
• Collapsing and expanding layer hierarchies
• Working with "All layers" vs "No layer" views
• Keyboard shortcuts for faster layer navigation
• Best practices for layer filtering workflows

Prerequisites

• Basic understanding of Waymaker layers (see Introduction to Layers)
• Familiarity with creating layers (see Creating and Managing Layers)
• A taskboard with at least 2-3 layers created

Layer Filter Dropdown Interface

The layer filter is your primary tool for controlling which tasks are visible on your taskboard.

Accessing the Layer Filter

Location: Top navigation bar of the taskboard, typically left side

To Open:

1. Navigate to your taskboard
2. Look for the layer filter dropdown (shows current selection)
3. Click the dropdown to open layer selection menu

Default State: Shows "All layers" when no filter is applied

Layer Filter Dropdown Components

When you open the layer filter, you'll see:

Search Box (if many layers):

• Quick search to find specific layers
• Type layer name or partial match
• Filters the layer list as you type

Layer List:

• All layers in hierarchical structure
• Checkboxes for selection
• Indentation shows parent-child relationships
• Layer color indicators

Quick Actions:

• "All layers" - Show tasks from all layers
• "No layer" - Show tasks not assigned to any layer
• "Clear selection" - Deselect all layers
• "Collapse all" / "Expand all" - For hierarchical navigation

Apply/Cancel Buttons:

• Apply: Apply selected filter to taskboard
• Cancel: Close without changing filter

Understanding the Layer List

Hierarchical Display:

☐ Epic: User Authentication (Purple)
  ☐ Sprint 10: Oct 1-14 (Blue)
  ☐ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28 (Blue)
☐ Epic: Dashboard Features (Purple)
  ☐ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28 (Blue)
  ☐ Sprint 12: Oct 29-Nov 11 (Blue)
☐ Custom: Product Backlog (Gray)
☐ Milestone: MVP Launch (Gold)

Visual Indicators:

• Checkbox: Checked = layer is shown, unchecked = layer is hidden
• Indentation: Shows parent-child relationships
• Color dot: Layer color for quick identification
• Task count: Number of tasks in each layer (e.g., "(12 tasks)")
• Expand/collapse arrow: For parent layers with children

Layer Filter States

No Filter (Default):

• Shows: All tasks from all layers + unlayered tasks
• Display: "All layers" in filter dropdown
• Use case: See entire board at once

Single Layer Selected:

• Shows: Tasks from only the selected layer
• Display: Layer name in filter dropdown (e.g., "Sprint 10: Oct 1-14")
• Use case: Focus on specific sprint or phase

Multiple Layers Selected:

• Shows: Tasks from all selected layers
• Display: "Multiple layers (3)" in filter dropdown
• Use case: View related work across multiple sprints/epics

No Layer Selected:

• Shows: Only tasks not assigned to any layer
• Display: "No layer" in filter dropdown
• Use case: Find unorganized tasks

Selecting Single or Multiple Layers

The layer filter supports flexible selection to match your workflow needs.

Selecting a Single Layer

Method 1: Click to Select

1. Open layer filter dropdown
2. Click checkbox next to desired layer
3. Uncheck any other selected layers (if needed)
4. Click "Apply"
5. Taskboard now shows only tasks from selected layer

Method 2: Quick Select

1. Open layer filter dropdown
2. Click layer name (not checkbox)
3. Automatically selects only that layer and applies
4. Closes dropdown

Example Use Cases:

• View only "Sprint 10: Oct 1-14" to focus on current sprint
• Show only "Phase 2: Design" to review design work
• Filter to "Epic: User Authentication" to see all auth-related tasks

Selecting Multiple Layers

Method: Check Multiple Boxes

1. Open layer filter dropdown
2. Check first layer
3. Check second layer
4. Check third layer (and so on)
5. Click "Apply"
6. Taskboard shows tasks from all selected layers

Example Scenarios:

Scenario 1: Current Sprint Across Multiple Epics Select:

• ☑ Epic: User Authentication → Sprint 11: Oct 15-28
• ☑ Epic: Dashboard Features → Sprint 11: Oct 15-28

Result: See all work for current sprint (Sprint 11) regardless of epic

Scenario 2: All Sprints in One Epic Select:

• ☑ Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
• ☑ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28
• ☑ Sprint 12: Oct 29-Nov 11

Result: See all sprint work within the User Authentication epic

Scenario 3: Multiple Phases Select:

• ☑ Phase 2: Design
• ☑ Phase 3: Development

Result: See work across both Design and Development phases

Parent Layer Selection Behavior

Question: What happens when you select a parent layer?

Answer: Depends on selection mode:

Mode 1: Parent Only (default)

• Selecting parent shows tasks directly in parent layer only
• Does NOT include tasks in child layers
• Use case: See high-level epic tasks without sprint details

Mode 2: Parent + Children (when enabled)

• Selecting parent automatically includes all child layers
• Shows parent tasks + all descendant tasks
• Use case: See entire epic including all sprints

To toggle: Check "Include child layers" option in filter dropdown (if available)

Deselecting Layers

To Deselect:

• Click checkbox again to uncheck
• Click "Clear selection" to deselect all
• Select different layer to replace selection

To Return to All Layers:

• Click "All layers" option at top of dropdown
• Shows all tasks regardless of layer

Showing and Hiding Layers in Kanban View

In Kanban view, layer filtering changes which task cards are visible in your columns.

How Layer Filtering Affects Kanban View

Before Filtering (All Layers):

┌─────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────┐
│ Backlog     │ To Do        │ In Progress  │ Done     │
├─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────┤
│ Epic 1 Task │ Epic 1 Task  │ Epic 2 Task  │ Epic 1   │
│ Epic 2 Task │ Sprint 10    │ Sprint 10    │ Sprint 9 │
│ Backlog     │ Sprint 11    │ Epic 3 Task  │ Epic 2   │
│ No Layer    │ No Layer     │              │          │
└─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────┘

After Filtering (Sprint 10 Only):

┌─────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────┐
│ Backlog     │ To Do        │ In Progress  │ Done     │
├─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────┤
│             │ Sprint 10    │ Sprint 10    │          │
│             │              │              │          │
└─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────┘

Visual Changes in Kanban

Task Cards:

• Tasks from filtered layers: Visible
• Tasks from other layers: Hidden
• No-layer tasks: Hidden (unless "No layer" selected)

Empty Sections:

• Sections with no matching tasks appear empty
• Section headers remain visible
• Useful to see where filtered tasks are (or aren't)

Task Count:

• Section counts update to reflect filtered tasks only
• Board total shows filtered task count
• Helps understand scope of current view

Layer Indicators on Task Cards

When viewing filtered tasks, task cards may show layer information:

Layer Badge:

• Small colored badge on task card
• Shows layer name or abbreviation
• Matches layer color
• Helps identify which layer task belongs to (when multiple layers selected)

Example:

┌────────────────────────────────────┐
│ ● Sprint 10                        │
│ Design login page                  │
│ 👤 Sarah  📅 Oct 8  ⏱ 5 points    │
└────────────────────────────────────┘

Swimlane View (Future Feature)

Horizontal Swimlanes: Group tasks by layer

Epic: User Authentication
┌─────────┬─────────┬──────────┬──────┐
│ Backlog │ To Do   │ Progress │ Done │
└─────────┴─────────┴──────────┴──────┘

Epic: Dashboard Features
┌─────────┬─────────┬──────────┬──────┐
│ Backlog │ To Do   │ Progress │ Done │
└─────────┴─────────┴──────────┴──────┘

Benefits:

• See multiple layers simultaneously
• Compare progress across layers
• Drag tasks between layers and sections

Layer-Specific Progress Metrics

When you filter to specific layers, you'll see progress metrics calculated for just those layers.

Progress Metrics Display

Location: Top of taskboard, near layer filter

Metrics Shown:

• Task Count: X of Y tasks complete
• Percentage: XX% complete
• Story Points: X of Y points complete (if using points)
• Time Progress: X of Y hours logged (if tracking time)

Example Display:

Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
15 of 18 tasks complete (83%)
38 of 40 story points complete

Filtered vs Unfiltered Metrics

Unfiltered (All Layers):

Board: Product Development
Total: 156 tasks
Complete: 87 tasks (56%)

Filtered (Sprint 10 Only):

Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
Total: 18 tasks
Complete: 15 tasks (83%)
Story Points: 38 of 40 (95%)

Key Insight: Filtering shows progress for selected layer(s) only, not entire board.

Layer Progress Breakdown

When multiple layers selected, see breakdown:

Viewing 2 layers:

Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
├── 15 of 18 tasks (83%)
└── 38 of 40 points (95%)

Sprint 11: Oct 15-28
├── 6 of 16 tasks (38%)
└── 14 of 40 points (35%)

Combined Total
├── 21 of 34 tasks (62%)
└── 52 of 80 points (65%)

Progress Indicators

Visual Progress Bars:

• Green bar: Layer progress percentage
• Width proportional to completion
• Color may indicate status (green = on track, yellow = at risk, red = behind)

Status Icons:

• ✅ Complete (100%)
• ⏳ In Progress (1-99%)
• ⚠️ At Risk (behind schedule)
• ❌ Blocked (dependencies not met)

For more on layer progress tracking, see Layer Progress Tracking.

Layer Selection in List View

List view provides a different interface for layer filtering, optimized for hierarchical task management.

Switching to List View

1. Click view switcher at top of taskboard
2. Select "List" view
3. Board displays in hierarchical list format

Layer Filter in List View

Filter Controls: Same layer filter dropdown as Kanban view

Display Differences:

• Tasks shown in hierarchical list (not columns)
• Indentation shows task hierarchy
• All task details visible in columns

Example Unfiltered:

Task Name                          | Layer           | Status      | Assignee | Due Date
───────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────┼──────────┼──────────
Epic: User Authentication          |                 |             |          |
  Sprint 10: Oct 1-14              |                 |             |          |
    Design login page              | Sprint 10       | In Progress | Sarah    | Oct 8
    Implement OAuth                | Sprint 10       | To Do       | Michael  | Oct 12
  Sprint 11: Oct 15-28             |                 |             |          |
    Password reset flow            | Sprint 11       | To Do       | Sarah    | Oct 20
Epic: Dashboard Features           |                 |             |          |
  Sprint 11: Oct 15-28             |                 |             |          |
    Analytics widgets              | Sprint 11       | In Progress | Emily    | Oct 22

Example Filtered (Sprint 10):

Task Name                          | Layer           | Status      | Assignee | Due Date
───────────────────────────────────┼─────────────────┼─────────────┼──────────┼──────────
Design login page                  | Sprint 10       | In Progress | Sarah    | Oct 8
Implement OAuth                    | Sprint 10       | To Do       | Michael  | Oct 12
Configure auth endpoints           | Sprint 10       | Done        | Michael  | Oct 5
Write auth tests                   | Sprint 10       | Done        | Emily    | Oct 7

Grouping by Layer in List View

Option: Group tasks by layer (even when not filtered)

To Enable:

1. In List view, click "Group by" dropdown
2. Select "Layer"
3. Tasks organize into layer groups

Display:

┌─ Sprint 10: Oct 1-14 (4 tasks)
│  ├─ Design login page
│  ├─ Implement OAuth
│  ├─ Configure auth endpoints
│  └─ Write auth tests
│
┌─ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28 (3 tasks)
│  ├─ Password reset flow
│  ├─ Two-factor authentication
│  └─ Session management
│
┌─ No Layer (2 tasks)
│  ├─ Update dependencies
│  └─ Team standup notes

Benefits:

• See tasks organized by layer
• Collapse/expand groups
• Quickly assess layer scope

Sorting by Layer

Sort Options:

1. Click "Sort" dropdown in List view
2. Select "Layer"
3. Tasks sort alphabetically by layer name

Useful for:

• Finding all tasks in a specific layer
• Comparing layer task counts
• Organizing export data

Collapsing and Expanding Layer Hierarchy

For boards with complex layer hierarchies, collapsing and expanding layers helps you navigate efficiently.

Layer Hierarchy View

Where: Layer filter dropdown and Layer Manager

Visual Structure:

▼ Epic: User Authentication
  ▼ Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
    ▶ Milestone: Sprint 10 Complete
  ▼ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28
    ▶ Milestone: Sprint 11 Complete
▶ Epic: Dashboard Features
▶ Custom: Product Backlog

Symbols:

• ▼ Expanded: Showing child layers
• ▶ Collapsed: Hiding child layers
• No symbol: Leaf layer (no children)

Collapsing Layers

To Collapse a Parent Layer:

1. Click the expand arrow (▼) next to parent layer
2. Arrow changes to collapsed (▶)
3. Child layers hide from view

Effect:

• Simplifies layer list
• Shows only top-level layers
• Does NOT change task visibility (only layer list organization)

Example:

Before (Expanded):
▼ Epic: User Authentication
  ▼ Sprint 10: Oct 1-14
  ▼ Sprint 11: Oct 15-28

After (Collapsed):
▶ Epic: User Authentication

Expanding Layers

To Expand a Parent Layer:

1. Click the collapsed arrow (▶) next to parent layer
2. Arrow changes to expanded (▼)
3. Child layers become visible

Expand All:

• Click "Expand all" at top of layer filter
• Shows entire hierarchy
• Useful for seeing full layer structure

Collapse All:

• Click "Collapse all" at top of layer filter
• Shows only root layers
• Useful for high-level overview

Persistent State

Behavior: Collapse/expand state persists

• If you collapse Epic 1, it stays collapsed when you reopen filter
• Helpful for consistent navigation

Reset: Clear browser cache or use "Reset view" to restore defaults

"All Layers" vs "No Layer" Views

Two special filter states help you manage layered and unlayered tasks.

"All Layers" View

Purpose: Show all tasks, regardless of layer assignment

To Select:

1. Open layer filter dropdown
2. Click "All layers" option at top
3. Click Apply (or it applies automatically)

Shows:

• Tasks from all layers
• Tasks not assigned to any layer
• Complete board view

When to Use:

• Getting overall board overview
• Searching for a task (don't know which layer)
• Reviewing all upcoming work
• Reporting on entire project

Indicator: Filter dropdown shows "All layers"

"No Layer" View

Purpose: Show only tasks that are NOT assigned to any layer

To Select:

1. Open layer filter dropdown
2. Click "No layer" option
3. Click Apply

Shows:

• Tasks with no layer assigned
• Unorganized or new tasks

Hides:

• All tasks assigned to any layer

When to Use:

• Finding unorganized tasks that need layer assignment
• Reviewing backlog before assigning to sprints/phases
• Cleanup sessions to ensure all tasks are properly layered

Example:

┌─────────────┬──────────────┬──────────────┬──────────┐
│ Backlog     │ To Do        │ In Progress  │ Done     │
├─────────────┼──────────────┼──────────────┼──────────┤
│ Update docs │ Team meeting │              │          │
│ Fix bug #42 │ Code review  │              │          │
└─────────────┴──────────────┴──────────────┴──────────┘

Action: Assign these tasks to appropriate layers for better organization.

Combining "No Layer" with Other Filters

Not Supported: Can't select "No layer" AND specific layers simultaneously

Reason: Logical conflict—tasks are either in a layer or not in any layer

Workaround:

1. Use "No layer" view to identify unlayered tasks
2. Assign them to layers
3. Switch to layer filter to view organized tasks

Keyboard Shortcuts for Layer Navigation

Speed up your workflow with keyboard shortcuts for layer filtering.

Available Shortcuts

Note: Actual shortcuts may vary. Check Waymaker's keyboard shortcuts reference.

Suggested Shortcuts:

Toggle Layer Filter:

• L - Open/close layer filter dropdown
• Fast access without mouse

Select Layers:

• 1-9 - Select layer 1-9 from current list
• Quick select for frequently used layers

Navigation:

• ↑/↓ - Navigate layer list
• Space - Check/uncheck layer
• Enter - Apply selection
• Esc - Cancel and close

Filter States:

• Shift + L - Show all layers
• Shift + N - Show no layer
• Shift + C - Clear layer selection

Creating Custom Shortcuts (Future Feature)

Favorite Layers:

• Mark frequently used layers as favorites
• Assign custom shortcuts (e.g., Ctrl + 1 = Current sprint)
• Quick toggle between common views

Example:

• Ctrl + 1 → Current sprint
• Ctrl + 2 → Current epic
• Ctrl + 3 → Product backlog
• Ctrl + 0 → All layers

Keyboard Shortcut Tips

• Learn Top 3: Master shortcuts for your most common filters
• Combine with Sections: Use shortcuts to quickly focus on sprint + section (e.g., current sprint in "In Progress")
• Practice: Use shortcuts for one week to build muscle memory
• Reference Card: Keep shortcut list visible until memorized

Layer Filtering Workflows

Put layer filtering to work with these practical workflow patterns.

Workflow 1: Daily Standup (Agile Team)

Objective: Review current sprint tasks during standup

Steps:

1. Open taskboard
2. Filter to current sprint (e.g., "Sprint 11: Oct 15-28")
3. Switch to Kanban view
4. Review "In Progress" section
5. Team members update their tasks
6. Identify blockers

Time Saved: Focus only on current sprint, not entire backlog

Workflow 2: Sprint Planning (Agile)

Objective: Move tasks from backlog to new sprint

Steps:

1. Filter to "Product Backlog" layer
2. Review top-priority tasks
3. For tasks to include in sprint:
   • Open task editor
   • Change layer to new sprint (e.g., "Sprint 12")
   • Save task
4. Filter to new sprint layer
5. Verify all selected tasks are present
6. Estimate capacity and adjust

Benefit: See backlog clearly, then switch to sprint view to validate

Workflow 3: Phase Review (Waterfall)

Objective: Review all work in a project phase

Steps:

1. Filter to phase layer (e.g., "Phase 2: Design")
2. Switch to List view
3. Group by "Status" to see completed vs remaining
4. Review each completed task
5. Identify incomplete tasks
6. Generate phase report

Outcome: Complete phase review without distractions from other phases

Workflow 4: Epic Progress Report

Objective: Report on epic completion to stakeholders

Steps:

1. Filter to epic layer (e.g., "Epic: User Authentication")
2. Note progress metrics at top (e.g., "38 of 40 points, 95%")
3. Switch to Gantt view to show timeline
4. Screenshot or export view
5. Add commentary and share with stakeholders

Benefit: Isolated epic view shows progress without unrelated tasks

Workflow 5: Multi-Sprint View (Cross-Epic)

Objective: See all work in current sprint across multiple epics

Steps:

1. Open layer filter
2. Select all sprint layers with same sprint number:
   • ☑ Epic: Auth → Sprint 11
   • ☑ Epic: Dashboard → Sprint 11
   • ☑ Epic: Reporting → Sprint 11
3. Apply filter
4. View combined sprint work

Use Case: Teams working on multiple epics simultaneously in one sprint

Workflow 6: Cleanup Session

Objective: Find and organize unlayered tasks

Steps:

1. Filter to "No layer"
2. Review each unlayered task
3. For each task:
   • Open task editor
   • Assign to appropriate layer (epic, sprint, or phase)
   • Save task
4. Repeat until "No layer" view is empty
5. Switch to "All layers" to verify organization

Frequency: Weekly or bi-weekly cleanup

Tips & Best Practices

• Start Broad, Narrow Down: Begin with "All layers" to get context, then filter to specific layer
• Use Layer Filter + Section Filter: Combine layer filtering with section status (e.g., Sprint 10 + In Progress)
• Favorite Frequent Filters: If your tool supports it, save common filter combinations for one-click access
• Clean Up Unlayered Tasks Weekly: Regularly check "No layer" view and assign tasks to layers
• Learn Keyboard Shortcuts: Master shortcuts for your top 3 most-used filters
• Use Multi-Select for Context: Select related layers (e.g., Design + Development phases) to see dependencies
• Layer Color Coding: Use consistent colors for layer types (epics, sprints, phases) for quick visual identification
• Collapse When Overwhelming: If layer list is long, collapse parent layers to simplify navigation
• Document Filter Logic: For complex projects, document which filters team members should use for different workflows
• Export Filtered Views: Use layer filtering before exporting to get focused reports

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Forgetting Filter Is Active: Working with filtered view and wondering where tasks went (check active filter!)
• Not Clearing Filters: Leaving filters active and being confused by missing tasks
• Over-Filtering: Selecting too specific a filter and missing important context
• Ignoring "No Layer" Tasks: Letting unlayered tasks accumulate without organization
• Not Using Multi-Select: Manually switching between layers instead of selecting multiple for related work
• Inconsistent Filter Use: Team members using different filters, leading to miscommunication
• Filtering in Wrong View: Applying filters and then being surprised by view (Kanban vs List)
• Not Understanding Parent Behavior: Expecting child layer tasks to show when only parent selected (depends on settings)
• Losing Track of Current Filter: Not noticing which filter is active, especially with multiple layers selected
• Not Using Layer Progress: Ignoring the layer-specific metrics shown when filtered

Related Articles

• Introduction to Layers - Layer fundamentals
• Creating and Managing Layers - Layer creation guide
• Layer Progress Tracking - Monitoring layer completion
• Using Layers for Agile Projects - Agile filtering workflows
• Using Layers for Waterfall Projects - Waterfall filtering workflows
• List View - List view with layer grouping
• Kanban Board View - Kanban view with layer filtering

Need More Help?

If you have questions about layer filtering, multi-layer selection, or optimizing your layer navigation workflow, please contact support or visit our community forums. Our team can help you set up efficient filtering patterns for your team.