# NOT operator for smart groups - feature request

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524>\
**Category:** Feedback\
**Created:** [February 27, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524 "2011-02-27T21:08:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![elwood151](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/e/8c91f0/32.png) [@elwood151](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/elwood151)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2011, 9:08pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524/1 "2011-02-27T21:08:27Z")

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because of current events ([viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275](http://www.devon-technologies.com/scripts/userforum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275)) I want to express and emphasize the urgent need for the possibility to use in smart groups the following conditions:

- item does NOT contain Tag A
- item is NOT in group B

the best would be a general NOT operator available in every line of the smart group’s conditions

I think (like salsajid [http://www.devon-technologies.com/scripts/userforum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275#p59475](http://www.devon-technologies.com/scripts/userforum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275#p59475)) that this is a feature which is very basic and its absence makes us find very strange and difficult workarounds to achieve a certain result which could be done very easily with a simple “NOT”

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**Author:** ![alexo](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@alexo](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/alexo)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 8:16am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524/2 "2011-02-28T08:16:34Z")

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I second that.

Sometimes I dream of smart groups which are simply saved searches, with all their power.

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**Author:** ![Bill\_DeVille](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bill_deville/32/18_2.png) [@Bill\_DeVille](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/Bill_DeVille)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 1:44am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524/3 "2011-03-01T01:44:23Z")

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As a matter of fact, if you use the full Search window (Tools \> Search) you can save any search as a smart group by clicking on the little “+” button to the right of the query field.

But it’s true that ‘is not’ is not currently available for tags in the Advanced search area or in the smart group editor.

But it’s possible to set up a procedure to exclude items (not directly in the smart group, but in another group replicating its contents) that have one or more specified tags. See [viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275&p=59546#p59546](http://www.devon-technologies.com/scripts/userforum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=11275&p=59546#p59546)

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**Author:** ![alexo](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@alexo](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/alexo)\
**Post date:** [March 1, 2011, 11:44am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524/4 "2011-03-01T11:44:46Z")

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Oh, you are right, it is possible! I started experimenting with the search window some time ago but found it too complicated for my simple uses. Now, as I am no longer overwhelmed by the DTP funcitonality, it might be time to give it another try.

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**Author:** ![system](https://devontech-discourse.s3.dualstack.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/uploads/original/2X/4/4e6ff70c96be2eb307a274d890bba8d71ba671b3.png) [@system](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2022, 11:11am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/not-operator-for-smart-groups-feature-request/11524/5 "2022-01-21T11:11:35Z")

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