---
title: Use the ItemPathInboundFilter processor
slug: '2632'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/2632/
collection: coveo-for-sitecore-v5
source_format: adoc
---
# Use the ItemPathInboundFilter processor
You can restrict indexing to items located under specific paths in the Sitecore content tree.
To do so, you need to add a processor of type `ItemPathInboundFilter` in the `coveoInboundFilterPipeline` node.
This processor accepts the `ContentStartPaths` node into which you enter the paths that are subject to indexing.

> **Leading practice**
>
> When using this method, the content outside of the specified path is still processed before being filtered out.
> The better practice would be to change the crawling root so these items aren't analyzed at all (see [Change the crawling root of an index](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2159/)).

To add the ItemPathInboundFilter processor

. Open the `SearchProvider.Custom.config` in a text editor (see [About the Coveo Search Provider configuration file](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2562/)).
. In the `<coveoInboundFilterPipeline>` node, add a `<processor>` node with a `Coveo.SearchProvider.CoveoInboundFilters.ItemPathInboundFilter, Coveo.SearchProviderBase` type.
. In the `<processor>` node, add a `<ContentStartPaths>` node.
. In the `<ContentStartPaths>` node, add the paths you want to include in the index, each separated by a semi-colon.
. Save and close the file.
. Rebuild your indexes (see [Coveo for Sitecore indexing guide](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2216/)).

**Example**

In the following example, we want to include all items under the `/sitecore/content/Home/` and `/sitecore/content/Developing-in-Sitecore/` paths (and therefore exclude everything else):

```xml
<coveoInboundFilterPipeline>
  <processor type="Coveo.SearchProvider.CoveoInboundFilters.ItemPathInboundFilter, Coveo.SearchProviderBase">
    <ContentStartPaths>/sitecore/content/Home/;/sitecore/content/Developing-in-Sitecore/</ContentStartPaths>
  </processor>
</coveoInboundFilterPipeline>
```

> **Important**
>
> The final slashes in the paths are important.
> For example, if you omit the final slash in the first path of the `<contentStartPaths>` element above (that is, you indicate `/sitecore/content/Home` as the path), an item such as `/sitecore/content/Home Page` would match the path and be indexed, when your intention was probably only to index items _within_ the `Home` item in the content tree.