PoE Filter Guide — Loot Filters & FilterBlade

A loot filter decides which drops your screen even bothers to show — the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade in Path of Exile. Here's how filters work, how to install NeverSink's filter through FilterBlade, and what 3.30 changed.

Free, built into the game NeverSink + FilterBlade = standard setup Update your filter every league
Customize a filter on FilterBlade FilterBlade is the community editor for NeverSink's filter — free, no install.
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Quick version: a filter is a .filter text file in your PoE folder that reskins item drops — hiding junk, recoloring tiers, and screaming (sound + giant text + beam) when something valuable lands. Most players run NeverSink's filter, tuned through FilterBlade. Download → drop in the folder → select it in game options. Done in two minutes.

Installing a filter (PC)

  1. 1
    Customize on FilterBlade

    Pick a strictness level and theme, tweak the style for any item class you care about, then download the .filter file (or use the save-to-PoE-folder option).

  2. 2
    Drop it in the PoE folder

    Put the file in Documents\My Games\Path of Exile (the same folder as your settings, not the install directory).

  3. 3
    Select it in-game

    Options → Game → Item Filter → pick your filter from the dropdown. It activates immediately.

  4. 4
    On console

    Console filters are built into the game — pick a strictness in options; FilterBlade customization is PC-only.

Picking a strictness

StrictnessShowsBest for
RegularNearly everythingCampaign — you still need scrolls, flasks and leveling gear
Semi-StrictGood bases + currencyEarly maps, first character
StrictValuable drops onlyEndgame mapping — most players settle here
Very/Uber StrictTop-tier drops onlyJuiced mapping, speed-farmers, second+ characters

Rule of thumb: if you're clicking less than you're ignoring, go stricter. You can switch strictness mid-league — it's a FilterBlade dropdown, not a new filter.

What 3.30 changed for filters

  1. 1
    Scarabs are gone — Threads are in

    Your old filter has no idea what a Thread of Creation is. Download a 3.30-updated filter version or Threads show as generic trash.

  2. 2
    New league drops

    Viscera, the new uniques (Hide of the Vendigo, Sword of Ages...) and the Mycelium Core jewel all need updated rules — updated filters color them properly so they don't blend into ground clutter.

  3. 3
    Loot rework

    Item rarity now enhances all drop types and the loot rebalance shifts what's worth showing — another reason last league's file is stale.

  4. 4
    Orb of Chance is rare now

    Vendor-sold no more and much rarer — make sure your filter isn't hiding it like a common scroll.

The #1 league-start mistake: running last league's filter file. It still "works" — it just hides or mislabels half the new league's drops. Always re-download after a major patch.

FAQ

  1. ?
    What is the best PoE loot filter?

    NeverSink's filter is the community standard — maintained every league, tuned through the FilterBlade editor. Alternatives exist (each with their own style), but this is the safe default.

  2. ?
    What is FilterBlade?

    The free web editor for NeverSink's filter — lets you set strictness, recolor items, adjust sounds and beams, then download a personalized .filter file. It's not a filter itself; it's how you customize the standard one.

  3. ?
    Do filters work on console?

    Yes, but only built-in strictness presets in the options menu — no FilterBlade customization on PlayStation/Xbox.

  4. ?
    Can a loot filter get me banned?

    No — filters are a supported game feature using an official file format. They only change how drops look/sound; they touch nothing else.