Process Street doesn’t support native dynamic filtering for dropdowns based on earlier selections. That’s fine for simple workflows. But it’s a problem when you’re dealing with large data sets, clients, or product categories.
This guide shows how to simulate filtered dropdowns using Code Tasks. It gives your workflows real flexibility, without the overhead of complex logic branches.
What Are “Faux” Filtered Dropdowns?
These are dropdowns that appear filtered based on earlier inputs, like choosing a region and only seeing clients from that region, but it’s done through automation rather than built-in functionality.
The solution is Code Tasks, which let you fetch external data, apply logic, and return only the relevant results directly inside your workflow.
How It Works With Code Tasks
Here’s the basic pattern:
- A user makes a selection in an earlier field (for example, Region = “Southwest”).
- A Code Task runs immediately afterward.
- That Code Task:
- Connects to an external data source (SharePoint, Google Sheets, an API, etc.)
- Filters the data using the user’s input
- Sends the filtered results back into Process Street using a variable or linked data set
- A later dropdown field reads from that filtered result, not the full source.
You’re not syncing large static lists or pre-building every scenario. The data is pulled and filtered in real time.
Why This Beats Conditional Logic
1. Cleaner Workflows
No endless if/then branches. Just a single Code Task that handles the logic.
2. Live Filtering
Dropdowns always reflect the latest version of your external data. No manual updates of your views or stale entries.
3. Flexible Integrations
You can pull filtered data from CRMs, ERPs, spreadsheets, or custom APIs. Whatever your source, Code Tasks can work with it.
4. Better UX
Users only see what matters. It reduces errors, shortens forms, and makes workflows easier to follow.
5. Scales Easily
Add a new item to your data source and it shows up automatically. You don’t need to edit the workflow every time.
6. Fully Custom Logic
Since Code Tasks use Javascript, you’re not limited by dropdown field logic. You can include any filters, sorting, or data shaping you need.
Common Use Cases
- Filtering clients by region
- Showing products based on category
- Selecting locations by country or state
- Limiting users by department
Whenever a dropdown should depend on a previous field, this approach fits.
What You’ll Need
- An external data source (SharePoint, API, Google Sheets, etc.)
- You can also just use Data Sets entirely for this, but your data will most likely already be in a database somewhere.
- A Code Task in your workflow (Enterprise Process Street or you can get it as an add-on)
- Inputs: captured values from earlier fields
- Logic: written in JavaScript. You can use any AI tool to do this (even their built in one!)
- Error message outputs: (Highly recommended) I just used a long text/hidden field.
If you haven’t used Code Tasks before, start here:
Final Thoughts
Conditional logic becomes a nightmare as workflows grow. Code Tasks give you a smarter, cleaner way to filter dropdowns using your actual data. It’s a faster path to dynamic workflows that are easier to build, scale, and maintain.
Want to See More Examples?
We dove deeper into this live during our webinar:
Webinar Recording Coming Soon!
Learn how to use Code Tasks and Process Street to create dynamic, scalable workflows without the logic sprawl. We covered real use cases and answered questions live.