INVALID_FIELD: <field> is not filterable
You used a field in `WHERE`, `ORDER BY`, or `GROUP BY` that the platform refuses to filter or sort on — almost always a Long Text Area, Rich Text, or Encrypted field. The fix is either using a different field for the filter, or moving to SOSL for text searches.
Also seen asfield is not filterable·field is not sortable·INVALID_FIELD: is not filterable·Field cannot be used in a WHERE
Salesforce indexes most fields for filtering, but not all. Some are deliberately excluded: long text, rich text, encrypted, and a few standard fields. SOQL refuses to filter on these because the underlying storage isn't indexed in a way SOQL can scan efficiently.
The non-filterable field types
| Field type | Filter? | Sort? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long Text Area | ❌ | ❌ | Use SOSL FIND for text search |
| Rich Text Area | ❌ | ❌ | Same — use SOSL |
| Encrypted | ❌ (mostly) | ❌ | Some encryption types allow = only |
| Multi-Select Picklist | Partial | ❌ | Only INCLUDES/EXCLUDES operators |
| Geolocation | ❌ direct | ❌ direct | Use DISTANCE() for geo queries |
Body on Attachment | ❌ | ❌ | Binary content, can't be queried |
Plus a few standard fields like Account.LastViewedDate and Account.LastReferencedDate that the platform does index for filtering but not for ORDER BY performance reasons.
What works instead
For long-text fields, use SOSL
// ❌ SOQL on a Long Text Area
List<Case> hits = [SELECT Id FROM Case WHERE Description LIKE '%urgent%']; // INVALID_FIELD
// ✅ SOSL searches the indexed text
List<List<SObject>> results = [FIND 'urgent' IN ALL FIELDS RETURNING Case(Id, Subject)];
List<Case> hits = (List<Case>) results[0];
SOSL hits a different index that's optimized for full-text search. Don't try to make SOQL work for it.
For multi-select picklists
Use the dedicated operators:
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Industries__c INCLUDES ('Tech', 'Manufacturing')
SELECT Id FROM Account WHERE Industries__c EXCLUDES ('Retail')
= and LIKE don't work on multi-select picklists. The platform treats them as semicolon-separated stored strings, but SOQL exposes only INCLUDES/EXCLUDES.
For geolocation
SELECT Id, Name, Location__c FROM Warehouse__c
WHERE DISTANCE(Location__c, GEOLOCATION(37.7749, -122.4194), 'mi') < 50
DISTANCE() is the only way to filter on geolocation; you can't filter on the underlying lat/long components individually.
When the message names a field that should work
Some standard fields become non-filterable in specific contexts:
User.Usernameis filterable, butUser.LocaleandUser.LanguageLocaleKeyaren't filterable in some queries.Account.LastActivityDateis filterable butAccount.LastModifiedDateonly when you don't combine with certain joins.
The error message names the specific field — that's the constraint to look up in the platform docs. If the field really should be filterable per docs, file a Salesforce support case; some non-filterable flags have been bug-fixed over time.
A workaround: indexed companion fields
If you legitimately need to filter on a long-text field's content, create a shadow custom field of type Text (255) that stores a normalised excerpt or a category derived from the long text. Maintain it via a trigger or flow on save. Filter on the shadow field; display the original.
This is ugly but works in cases where the platform's "use SOSL" answer doesn't fit (e.g., a recurring report that needs to filter on text).