Installation

FilterMate is available through the QGIS Plugin Repository and works out of the box with any QGIS installation.

Basic Installation

1. Open QGIS
2. Go to Plugins → Manage and Install Plugins

QGIS Plugin Manager - Search for FilterMate

3. Search for "FilterMate"

Search results showing FilterMate plugin

4. Click Install Plugin

FilterMate successfully installed and ready to use

That's it! FilterMate is now ready to use with OGR and Spatialite backends.

Optional: PostgreSQL Backend (Recommended for Large Datasets)

For optimal performance with PostgreSQL/PostGIS layers, install the psycopg2 package.

Performance Boost

PostgreSQL backend provides 10-50× faster filtering on large datasets (>50,000 features) compared to other backends.

Method 1: pip (Recommended)

pip install psycopg2-binary

Method 2: QGIS Python Console

1. Open QGIS Python Console (Plugins → Python Console)
2. Run:

import pip
pip.main(['install', 'psycopg2-binary'])

Method 3: OSGeo4W Shell (Windows)

1. Open OSGeo4W Shell as Administrator
2. Run:

py3_env
pip install psycopg2-binary

Verify Installation

Check if PostgreSQL backend is available:

from modules.appUtils import POSTGRESQL_AVAILABLE
print(f"PostgreSQL available: {POSTGRESQL_AVAILABLE}")

If True, you're all set! PostgreSQL backend will be used automatically for PostGIS layers.

Backend Selection

FilterMate automatically selects the optimal backend based on your data source:

Data Source	Backend Used	Installation Required
PostgreSQL/PostGIS	PostgreSQL (if psycopg2 installed)	Optional: psycopg2
Spatialite	Spatialite	None (built-in)
Shapefile, GeoPackage, etc.	OGR	None (built-in)

Learn more about backends in the Backends Overview.

Troubleshooting

PostgreSQL not being used?

Check if psycopg2 is installed:

try:
    import psycopg2
    print("✅ psycopg2 installed")
except ImportError:
    print("❌ psycopg2 not installed")

Common issues:

• Layer is not from PostgreSQL source → Use PostGIS layers
• psycopg2 not in QGIS Python environment → Reinstall in correct environment
• Connection credentials not saved → Check layer data source settings

Next Steps

• Quick Start Tutorial - Learn the basics
• First Filter - Create your first filter
• Performance Benchmarks - Understand backend performance