Filters in Tactical Arbitrage: More or Less?

Oct 2 / Adinda Wardani
Filters are one of the most powerful features in Tactical Arbitrage, but also one of the most misunderstood.

Use too many, and your scan gets narrowed down so tightly that only a handful of results appear. Use too few, and you’re left with thousands of products to sort through. The question isn’t whether filters are good or bad, it’s about finding the right balance. 
If you’re more of a visual learner, we’ve got you covered! Watch the YouTube video below for a step-by-step walkthrough:

Why Filters Matter in Tactical Arbitrage

Tactical Arbitrage scans can return hundreds or even tens of thousands of products, depending on the store and category you’re searching. Without filters, you’d spend hours sifting through mismatches, low-profit items, or products with little demand.

Filters let you narrow that firehose of data into results that actually match your sourcing strategy. You can focus on products that meet your profit, ROI, rank, or category requirements instead of wasting time reviewing items you’d never buy.

But here’s the catch: filters are not about finding “perfect” products. They should refine your scan so you see more of the right opportunities without cutting out products that are still worth considering.

Think of it as tuning a radio. Too much static (no filters) and you can’t hear the signal; too much fine-tuning (over-filtering) and you lose the music altogether.

The Risk of Over-Filtering

When scanning with Tactical Arbitrage, it’s common to stack on too many in hopes of finding only the “best” products. But most filters are designed to remove products from your scan. Add several at once, and you’ll shrink your results so much that very little comes back.
For example, imagine you set:
  • Minimum ROI at 30%
  • Minimum profit at $25
  • Sales rank under 50k
  • A very tight price range
On their own, these settings might make sense. But combined, they leave almost no products that qualify. The scan will still run, but instead of hundreds of potential leads, you may only see a handful.
  • If your scan looks empty, don’t assume TA is broken — it’s often just the filters. For example, if you set ROI at 30%, a product with 25% ROI won’t show up, even though that’s still a profitable deal worth reviewing.
Not all filters cut down your results, though. Some are inclusive, like “Also Show Out of Stock” or “Also Show Other Amazon UPC Matches.” These options actually expand what you see, helping you catch opportunities that would otherwise stay hidden. The key is knowing which filters restrict results and which simply adjust how results are displayed.

The Risk of Under-Filtering

On the other side, running a scan with very few filters can return thousands of results. This can feel overwhelming when you’re faced with a massive dataset, but the benefit is you won’t accidentally block out profitable products.

In fact, many advanced sellers prefer this approach. They run wide scans first, then refine later using built-in History charts, Keepa graphs, sales data, or their own buying rules.

For beginners, though, starting too open can feel like drinking from a firehose. A better middle ground is to apply a few recommended beginner filters. These remove obvious mismatches while still leaving plenty of opportunities to explore.

Recommended Beginner Filter Setup

If you’re new to Tactical Arbitrage, here’s a safe starting point. It avoids the “too strict / too loose” extremes and helps you find products worth reviewing. 
Tactical Arbitrage beginner filters setup table with ROI >10%, Profit >$3, Sales Rank top 3–5%, Exclude Amazon, and Remove Hazmat.
This starter setup gives you a balanced funnel, not too wide, not too narrow. As you gain experience, you can adjust these settings and save them as your own presets. In Tactical Arbitrage 2, you can also begin with the Popular tab filters for a quick and reliable starting point.
Tactical Arbitrage Popular Filters
  • In TA 1, you can use the Beginner filter preset under Saved Filters to get started quickly without setting things too tight.

The Balanced Approach: Start Broad, Then Refine

The most effective workflow is to start simple, then refine as you go.
1. Begin with 1–2 broad filters (e.g., ROI > 10% and Price > $3).
2. Run the scan.
3. Review the results.
4. Tighten your search:
  • After your scan, use the Filters tab in the Results page to narrow down and refine your product list.
  • Or rerun with stricter ROI, margin, or rank.

Saving Filters

Once you find settings that work, save them as presets. Over time, you’ll want multiple:
  • Replenishables (steady ROI, decent rank)
  • Quick flips (fast-moving, lower-margin products that help with cash flow)
  • Seasonal buys (holiday, back-to-school, etc.)
This saves time and makes it easy to switch strategies without starting from scratch. 

Pro Tips from the Field 

Once you’re comfortable with the basics, here are a few advanced ways experienced sellers get more out of Tactical Arbitrage filters:
  • Tag & Collection Workflow: Don’t try to filter everything upfront. Run broad scans, then tag interesting results into collections (like “seasonal,” “bundle ideas,” or “replenishables”). Later, you can re-scan or apply stricter filters just to those saved groups.
  • Don’t Fear 10–25% ROI: A lower ROI doesn’t always mean “bad.” Some replenishable products with 10–25% ROI sell much faster and scale bigger than products with higher margins. Filters shouldn’t blind you to these steady winners.
  • Watch Inclusive Filters: Options like “Also show out of stock products” or “Also show other Amazon UPC matches” expand your results instead of shrinking them. These can surface restock opportunities or hidden variations you’d otherwise miss.

Key Takeaways

Filters are there to guide your results, not block them.
  • Start broad, run your scan, then refine.
  • Save multiple presets for different strategies—replenishables, quick flips, or seasonal buys.
  • If results look thin, check for restrictive filters or weak sources before assuming something’s wrong.
The best strategy: Start broad. Refine later. Save what works.

That’s how you move from beginner mistakes to pro-level efficiency with Tactical Arbitrage.