The two filter type options (Child Filter and Entry Criteria) serve two different purposes.

Configuring Search Filters

Adding "Product Configuration" to the Search Filter object picklist enables you to create search filters that use these objects as entry criteria.

Entry criteria-type search filters are used to check whether the contents of a shopping cart require approval before the cart can be finalized.

To trigger approvals at the shopping cart header level, you must configure search filters based on the Product Configuration context object. To trigger approvals at a specific cart line-item level, you must configure search filters for the line item context object. To consolidate approvals for the entire cart/product configuration, you must create both.

To configure Search Filters (Approvals)

Search Filters are used to determine if the products in the Shopping Cart require approval. 

1. Go to Setup > Build > Create > Objects and select Search Filter (Approvals).
2. From the Custom Fields & Relationships section, select Business Object.
3. From Picklist Values, click New and enter the API names for the cart and the line items: Apttus_Config2__ProductConfiguration__c for header-level approvals and Apttus_Config2__LineItem__c for line-item-level approvals.
4. Click Save. The values are added to the Picklist Values list.
5. Click Back to Search Filter (Approvals), and select Filter Type from the Custom Fields & Relationships section.
6. From Picklist Values, click New and enter Child Filter and Entry Criteria.
7. Click Save.

The values are added to the picklists, which are required to create search filters.

You can create Search Filters (Approvals) for controlling which carts are checked to see if they need approval.

The search filter field accommodates 16,000 characters.

To create Search Filters (Approvals)

1. Click the plus icon () and select Search Filter (Approvals).
2. Click New Search Filter (Approvals) and select either:
   • Product Configuration to set the filter to the Header (product configuration/shopping cart ) context object level.
   • Line Item to set the filter to the line-item context object level, filtering individual line items within the cart.
3. Click Next to display the Configure Filter page.
4. From Filter Type, select either:
   • Child Filter, which enables you to have step entry criteria in your approval process that reference the main context object's child record fields. Typically this enables you to use line-item fields with your product configuration approval process. Line item child filters created are available for approval step entry criteria.
   • Entry Criteria, indicating that the search filter will be used for the Approval Required check. This checks to see whether the quote or quote line-item values require the shopping cart to undergo approval. This effectively adds a level of entry criteria for approvals before the system searches for matching approval processes. There must be at least one of these for approvals to be available from the shopping cart.
5. Enter a required Filter Name and Sequence. The sequence is used to determine the order in which the search filters check if approvals are required.
6. Enter the filter criteria, which are used to determine if a quote requires approval.
7. Click Save.

The Search Filter is now active and if it is an entry criteria filter type, the system will use it to determine if a shopping cart requires approval.

You must create an approval process that can be used with the shopping cart.