Add regex support for text-based Custom Host Attributes in WATO host search
Currently, when filtering hosts in WATO using text-based fields such as Custom Host Attributes, the search only supports exact string matching. This significantly limits the ability to perform flexible and efficient host searches based on partial patterns or naming conventions.
I propose to add support for regular expression (regex) filtering in the WATO host search for text-based Custom Host Attributes.
This enhancement would:
Eliminate the current limitation of exact-only matching
Enable advanced pattern-based searches (e.g., starts with, ends with, structured formats)
Reduce the need to use external scripts or REST API queries for complex filtering tasks
Example use case: Search for hosts with a custom attribute that starts with "web-" and ends with a digit, using a pattern like ^web-.*[0-9]$.
Adding regex support would provide much-needed flexibility for administrators working with large and diverse infrastructures.
Thank you for considering this feature!
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20 Aug, '25
Lars SörensenGiven that several users have already submitted similar proposals to improve the search and filter functionality, it would be prudent to consolidate these suggestions and seriously consider implementing comprehensive regex support for all text fields in general. Such an enhancement would enable administrators to perform significantly more flexible and precise searches, which is particularly beneficial in large and heterogeneous infrastructures.