Change the Default Filter Operator

Updated on Jun 9, 2025

Environment

Product	Progress® Kendo UI® Grid for jQuery
Product Version	Created with the 2017.3.1026 version

Description

How can I change the default filter operator of the Grid?

Solution

Within filterMenuInit, change the value of the DropDownList by using the value method and trigger the change event to reflect this internally.

    <div id="example">
      <div id="grid"></div>
      <script>
        $(document).ready(function() {
          $("#grid").kendoGrid({
            dataSource: {
              type: "odata-v4",
              transport: {
                read: "https://demos.telerik.com/service/v2/odata/Orders"
              },
              schema: {
                model: {
                  fields: {
                    OrderID: { type: "number" },
                    Freight: { type: "number" },
                    ShipName: { type: "string" },
                    OrderDate: { type: "date" },
                    ShipCity: { type: "string" }
                  }
                }
              },
              pageSize: 20,
              serverPaging: true,
              serverFiltering: true,
              serverSorting: true
            },
            height: 550,
            filterable: true,
            sortable: true,
            pageable: true,
            columns: [{
              field:"OrderID",
              filterable: false
            },
                      "Freight",
                      {
                        field: "OrderDate",
                        title: "Order Date",
                        format: "{0:MM/dd/yyyy}"
                      }, {
                        field: "ShipName",
                        title: "Ship Name"
                      }, {
                        field: "ShipCity",
                        title: "Ship City"
                      }
                     ],
            filterMenuInit:onFilterMenuInit
          });
        });

        function onFilterMenuInit(e) {
          var firstValueDropDown = e.container.find('[data-bind="value: filters[0].operator"]').data('kendoDropDownList');
          firstValueDropDown.value("neq");
          firstValueDropDown.trigger("change");
          
          var secondValueDropDown = e.container.find('[data-bind="value: filters[1].operator"]').data('kendoDropDownList');
          secondValueDropDown.value("neq");
          secondValueDropDown.trigger("change");
        }

      </script>
    </div>