Getting Started with PD2 Filters

Everything you need to know to install, use, and customize item filters

What Are Item Filters?

Item filters are text files that control how items appear on the ground in Project Diablo 2. They can:

  • Show or hide items based on conditions (type, quality, stats, etc.)
  • Change colors of item names to make important drops stand out
  • Add map icons so you can spot drops on the minimap
  • Play sounds when valuable items drop
  • Add descriptions with extra info like item level or vendor price
Filter files use the .filter extension and are plain text — you can edit them with any text editor like Notepad, VS Code, or Notepad++.

Installing a Filter

The easiest way to use a filter is through the PD2 Launcher:

  1. Open the PD2 Launcher
  2. Click Item Filter Profiles
  3. Browse the available filters and select one
  4. The launcher downloads and activates it automatically

You can browse all available community filters on our Filters page.

To install a filter manually, place the .filter file in your local filters folder (by default
Diablo II\ProjectD2\filters\local\).
Then select it from the "Local" section in the launcher.

Using Filters In-Game

Once a filter is installed:

  1. Open PD2 Options in-game (not regular D2 options)
  2. Enable Loot Filter
  3. Choose a Filter Level (strictness) — most filters offer multiple levels
  4. Press Numpad 0 to reload the filter after making changes
Filter Level 0 always means "Show All Items" — it's built in and always available regardless of the filter. Levels 1–12 are defined by the filter author.

How Filters Work

Every filter rule follows this pattern:

ItemDisplay[conditions]: output
  • Conditions (inside []) — what items this rule matches
  • Output (after :) — how to display matching items

Key rules:

  • Rules are checked top to bottom — the first match wins
  • An empty output hides the item: ItemDisplay[key]:
  • %NAME% shows the item's default name
  • Lines starting with // are comments (ignored)

Simple Examples

// Hide keys
ItemDisplay[key]:

// Hide gold under 100
ItemDisplay[GOLD<100]:

// Show all unique items with purple text and a minimap icon
ItemDisplay[UNI]: %PURPLE%%NAME%%MAP-9B%

// Show all items normally (catch-all, goes last)
ItemDisplay[]: %NAME%

Making Your First Edit

The quickest way to get a filter of your own is the Build My Filter wizard: answer a few questions and it generates a complete filter. To tweak a filter, open it in the Filter Editor, which has a visual rule builder, live preview and one-click export.

Prefer to edit by hand? Here's how to customize an existing filter:

  1. Put a copy of the filter in your local filters folder (by default Diablo II\ProjectD2\filters\local\) so launcher updates don't overwrite your changes
  2. Open it in the Filter Editor or any text editor (Notepad++ or VS Code work well)
  3. Find the rule you want to change, or add a new rule near the top (higher = higher priority)
  4. Save the file (or export it from the editor) and select it from the "Local" section in the launcher
  5. Press Numpad 0 in-game to reload
Tip: Always keep a backup of the original filter before editing. If something breaks, you can restore it.

Common Edits

// Make Shakos (Harlequin Crest) stand out with red text and a large red minimap icon
ItemDisplay[UNI uap]: %RED%SHAKO!%BORDER-62%

// Show socket count on normal items
ItemDisplay[NMAG SOCKETS>0]: %NAME% [%SOCKETS%]

// Hide plain normal items once your character is above level 30
ItemDisplay[NMAG !SUP CLVL>30]:

// Highlight Lem (#20) and higher runes with gold + sound
ItemDisplay[RUNE>19]: %GOLD%%RUNENAME% Rune%MAP-0B%%SOUNDID-4718%

CLVL is your character level, so that rule starts hiding those items once you pass level 30. %RUNENAME% displays the rune's name (e.g. "Ber"), %MAP-0B% adds a minimap icon (the two characters after the dash pick its color; %BORDER-XX% is a larger icon), and %SOUNDID-4718% plays a drop sound.

Next Steps

Remember: You can always set Filter Level to 0 in-game to show all items, even if your filter has a bug. Numpad 0 reloads the filter instantly — no need to restart the game.