[Due for payment 2025-12-30] [$250] Remove 'Action' From Search RHP

[JS00001]

Since we have removed the search syntax from the UI when not entered by users, we no longer want to show the 'Action' filter in the RHP UI. Note: this should still exist as a filter that can be entered/used, just not selectable in the UI

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• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021999509417232683872
• Upwork Job ID: 1999509417232683872
• Last Price Increase: 2025-12-12
• Automatic offers:
• daledah | Contributor | 109849676

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @chuckdries

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021999509417232683872

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @jayeshmangwani (External)

[github-actions]

⚠️ @daledah Thanks for your proposal. Please update it to follow the proposal template, as proposals are only reviewed if they follow that format (note the mandatory sections).

[daledah]

🚨 Edited by proposal-police: This proposal was edited at 2025-12-12 16:11:07 UTC.

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Remove Action form search RHP

What is the root cause of that problem?

Improvement

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

WE should remove action key CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION in typeFiltersKeys in useAdvancedSearchFilters hooks

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 51 in 98bd593

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 76 in 98bd593

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 114 in 98bd593

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 153 in 98bd593

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

We can add the logic to return undefined in useAdvancedSearchFilters hooks

        // Hide Action filter from UI (still works via search syntax)
        if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION) {
            return;
        }

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Lines 278 to 303 in 98bd593

	.map((key) => {
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.CATEGORY && !shouldDisplayCategoryFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.TAG && !shouldDisplayTagFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if ((key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.CARD_ID || key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.POSTED) && !shouldDisplayCardFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.TAX_RATE && !shouldDisplayTaxFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.POLICY_ID && !shouldDisplayWorkspaceFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.GROUP_CURRENCY && !shouldDisplayGroupCurrencyFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ATTENDEE && !shouldDisplayAttendeeFilter) {
	return;
	}
	if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.REPORT_FIELD && !shouldDisplayReportFieldFilter) {
	return;
	}
	return key;

Or we can add the filter in AdvancedSearchFilters component

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[github-actions]

⚠️ @daledah Thanks for your proposal. Please update it to follow the proposal template, as proposals are only reviewed if they follow that format (note the mandatory sections).

[abbasifaizan70]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

The 'Action' filter is currently displayed in the Right Hand Panel (RHP) filters UI, but since we have removed the search syntax from the UI when not entered by users, we no longer want to show the 'Action' filter as a selectable option in the RHP UI. The filter should still be functional and usable when entered via search syntax, but it should not appear as a clickable filter option in the filters sidebar.

Current Behavior:

• The 'Action' filter appears in the "Reports" section of the RHP filters UI
• Users can click on it to select an action filter value
• The filter works when entered via search syntax

Desired Behavior:

• The 'Action' filter should NOT appear in the RHP filters UI
• The filter should still work when entered via search syntax (e.g., action:approve)
• Users should not be able to select the Action filter from the UI

What is the root cause of that problem?

The 'Action' filter is included in the typeFiltersKeys configuration in App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts for multiple search types (EXPENSE, EXPENSE_REPORT, INVOICE, TRIP). The hook filters out certain filters conditionally (like Category, Tag, Card, etc.) based on feature availability, but there is no condition to exclude the Action filter from the UI.

The Action filter is defined in the filter configuration arrays:

• Line 51: CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION in EXPENSE section
• Line 76: CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION in EXPENSE_REPORT section
• Line 114: CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION in INVOICE section
• Line 153: CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION in TRIP section

When useAdvancedSearchFilters processes these filter keys, it maps through each section and includes all filters that don't have exclusion conditions. Since the Action filter has no exclusion condition, it always appears in the UI.

The filter functionality itself (via search syntax) is separate and handled by the search query parsing logic, so removing it from the UI will not affect its ability to work when entered manually.

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Add a condition in the useAdvancedSearchFilters hook to filter out the Action filter from the UI, similar to how other filters are conditionally excluded (Category, Tag, Card, etc.).

File: App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

In the useAdvancedSearchFilters function, add a condition to exclude the Action filter from the returned filter keys:

return {
    currentType,
    typeFiltersKeys: typeFiltersKeys[currentType]
        .map((section) =>
            section
                .map((key) => {
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.CATEGORY && !shouldDisplayCategoryFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.TAG && !shouldDisplayTagFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if ((key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.CARD_ID || key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.POSTED) && !shouldDisplayCardFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.TAX_RATE && !shouldDisplayTaxFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.POLICY_ID && !shouldDisplayWorkspaceFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.GROUP_CURRENCY && !shouldDisplayGroupCurrencyFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ATTENDEE && !shouldDisplayAttendeeFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.REPORT_FIELD && !shouldDisplayReportFieldFilter) {
                        return;
                    }
                    // Exclude Action filter from UI - it should only be usable via search syntax
                    if (key === CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION) {
                        return;
                    }
                    return key;
                })
                .filter((filter): filter is NonNullable<typeof filter> => !!filter),
        )
        .filter((section) => !!section.length),
};

Why this works:

1. Removes from UI: The Action filter will no longer appear in the RHP filters sidebar
2. Preserves functionality: The filter will still work when entered via search syntax, as that is handled separately by the search query parsing logic
3. Consistent pattern: Follows the same conditional exclusion pattern used for other filters (Category, Tag, Card, etc.)
4. Minimal change: Only requires adding one condition check in the existing filter mapping logic
5. No breaking changes: Existing saved searches or queries with action filters will continue to work

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Alternative 1: Remove Action filter from typeFiltersKeys arrays

None

[JmillsExpensify]

To make sure we're consistent with recent changes where the search syntax is no longer automatically shown in the router:

• Typing action: in the router is the only way to access this filter

It's been tripping up users in FullStory a bunch. Latest example: https://app.fullstory.com/ui/o-1WN56P-na1/session/8231605306167265647:8231605306167265647!3953542001768199868

[Eskalifer1]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

Remove 'Action' From Search RHP

What is the root cause of that problem?

Improvement

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Currently we display it here:

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 51 in 40201ab

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 76 in 40201ab

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 114 in 40201ab

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

App/src/hooks/useAdvancedSearchFilters.ts

Line 153 in 40201ab

CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION,

Additionally, we have a separate filter page, which, if not removed, will allow the user to open this page via a link and select a filter. As can be seen from the previous message, we should be able to select this filter only by entering it.

App/src/pages/Search/SearchAdvancedFiltersPage/SearchFiltersActionPage.tsx

Line 20 in 5c6e326

function SearchFiltersActionPage() {

App/src/SCREENS.ts

Line 87 in 40201ab

ADVANCED_FILTERS_ACTION_RHP: 'Search_Advanced_Filters_Action_RHP',

We need to remove all links (CONST.SEARCH.SYNTAX_FILTER_KEYS.ACTION) from useAdvancedSearchFilters.
We can also discuss what we want to do with this filter page; we can completely remove any mention of this page. Or we can simply display NotFound if we want to keep this page for future use, just in case.
Additionally, we can remove this part, since there are no links to it anyway:

App/src/pages/Search/AdvancedSearchFilters.tsx

Lines 244 to 248 in 5c6e326

	action: {
	getTitle: getFilterDisplayTitle,
	description: 'common.action' as const,
	route: ROUTES.SEARCH_ADVANCED_FILTERS.getRoute(CONST.SEARCH.SEARCH_USER_FRIENDLY_KEYS.ACTION),
	},

What alternative solutions did you explore? (Optional)

Reminder: Please use plain English, be brief and avoid jargon. Feel free to use images, charts or pseudo-code if necessary. Do not post large multi-line diffs or write walls of text. Do not create PRs unless you have been hired for this job.

[github-actions]

⚠️ @Eskalifer1 Your proposal is a duplicate of an already existing proposal and has been automatically withdrawn to prevent spam. Please review the existing proposals before submitting a new one.