Filters

Filters drop non-matching events[*] rows server-side, before they ever reach the wire — so they cut both bandwidth and billable messages (a block whose every event is filtered out produces no message for you). Filtering is the main lever for turning a firehose like mainnet@erc20_transfers into just the transfers you care about.

SQE expressions

A filter is an SQE expression string — StreamingFast Substreams Query Expression, the same language as Firehose substreams run -t:

• field:value — case-insensitive string equality on an events[*] column.
• bare value (no field:) — matches when anycolumn equals it. Great for "this wallet in any role".
• operators || (OR), && or whitespace (AND), ! (NOT), ( ) (grouping). && binds tighter than ||; quote values containing spaces or operators.
• only events[*] columns are filtered — top-level block_num / network / module_hash are not.

Two ways to set a filter

• At connect time — ?filter=<url-encoded-expr> (alias ?sqe=) on the upgrade URL. An invalid expression is rejected with HTTP 400 at the upgrade.
• Live — the SET_FILTER / CLEAR_FILTER / LIST_FILTERS commands, scoped per network@table selector. SET_FILTER replaces the filter for a selector — combine conditions with || in one expression.

wss://ws.pinax.network/ws/solana@swaps?filter=protocol%3Araydium_cpmm
# the filter param is a URL-encoded SQE expression — here: protocol:raydium_cpmm

Semantics

• Case-insensitive equality. A checksummed or lowercased EVM address both match; supply the exact value for case-significant keys like Solana base58.
• Missing field = miss.An event without the named column doesn't match that term.
• Event-level.You receive only the matching events; a block whose every event is filtered out isn't sent to you at all.
• Wildcard selectors (*@swaps, *@*) are filterable too — a filter applies to every (network, table) the selector matches.

Example — Ethereum ERC-20 transfers (mainnet@erc20_transfers)

Useful columns to filter a transfer row on:

Match a token by its log_addresscontract, not a symbol — the stream carries addresses, and amounts aren't a useful equality target.

Only USDC transfers landing on one wallet:

{
  "method": "SET_FILTER",
  "params": [
    "mainnet@erc20_transfers",
    "log_address:0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48 && to:0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045"
  ],
  "id": 1
}

Any of several stablecoins (by contract) sent from one wallet — OR the contracts, AND the sender:

{
  "method": "SET_FILTER",
  "params": [
    "mainnet@erc20_transfers",
    "(log_address:0xA0b86991c6218b36c1d19D4a2e9Eb0cE3606eB48 || log_address:0xdAC17F958D2ee523a2206206994597C13D831ec7 || log_address:0x6B175474E89094C44Da98b954EedeAC495271d0F) && from:0xd8dA6BF26964aF9D7eEd9e03E53415D37aA96045"
  ],
  "id": 2
}

Example — Solana swaps (solana@swaps)

Common columns on a swap row:

Raydium CPMM swaps that spend wrapped SOL, from one wallet:

{
  "method": "SET_FILTER",
  "params": [
    "solana@swaps",
    "protocol:raydium_cpmm && input_mint:So11111111111111111111111111111111111111112 && user:F2MUEfN1HG5mC5EiUoxhjjc7HpKi4QQnzvipnbGx6Av8"
  ],
  "id": 3
}

Swaps on either of two protocols (OR), across all wallets:

{
  "method": "SET_FILTER",
  "params": [
    "solana@swaps",
    "protocol:raydium_cpmm || protocol:pumpfun_amm"
  ],
  "id": 4
}