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

Configuring Search Filters

Entry criteria-type search filters check whether a shopping cart's contents require approval before it can be finalized.

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

Configuring Search Filters: This adds product configuration to the search filter object's picklist, so you can create search filters that use these objects for their entry criteria.

To create Search Filters (Approvals): Search filters determine if products in the shopping cart require approval. 

To configure Search Filters (Approvals)

1. Go to Setup > Build > Create > Objects and select Search Filter (Approvals).
2. Select Business Object from the Custom Fields & Relationships section.
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) to control which carts to check if they need approval.

The search filter field size accommodates 16,000 characters.

To create Search Filters (Approvals)

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

The search filter is now active. If it is of the 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.