diff --git a/‎scripts/role-word-baseline.json‎
Lines changed: 1 addition & 1 deletion b/‎scripts/role-word-baseline.json‎
Lines changed: 1 addition & 1 deletion
diff --git a/‎skills/objectstack-query/SKILL.md‎
Lines changed: 9 additions & 11 deletions b/‎skills/objectstack-query/SKILL.md‎
Lines changed: 9 additions & 11 deletions
diff --git a/‎skills/objectstack-query/rules/filters.md‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 51 deletions b/‎skills/objectstack-query/rules/filters.md‎
Lines changed: 14 additions & 51 deletions
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
   "skills/objectstack-data/references/data-hooks.md": 3,
   "skills/objectstack-data/rules/relationships.md": 1,
   "skills/objectstack-platform/SKILL.md": 2,
-  "skills/objectstack-query/rules/filters.md": 8,
+  "skills/objectstack-query/rules/filters.md": 7,
   "skills/objectstack-ui/rules/list-views.md": 1,
   "skills/objectstack-ui/rules/navigation.md": 1,
   "skills/objectstack-upgrade/references/examples-upgrade.md": 1
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ both are given. Writes take only the trailing argument.
 | Removed key | Live replacement |
 |:--|:--|
 | `query.cursor` | keyset paging — `where` on the sort key + `orderBy` + `limit` |
-| `query.joins` | `expand`, or a nested relation filter |
+| `query.joins` | `expand` (display), or filter the related object and `$in` its ids |
 | `query.distinct` | `groupBy` the fields — each unique combination is one row |
 | `query.windowFunctions` | report/dashboard metadata (**objectstack-ui**), or rank / accumulate in app code |
 | aggregation `distinct: true` | `count_distinct` |
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ procedure and the full tombstone register are **objectstack-upgrade**.
 
 ## Quick Reference — Detailed Rules
 
-- **[Filters](./rules/filters.md)** — all operators, logical combinations, nested relations, date macros and session tokens
+- **[Filters](./rules/filters.md)** — all operators, logical combinations, filtering by a related record, date macros and session tokens
 - **[Aggregation](./rules/aggregation.md)** — groupBy, date bucketing, functions, `having`, per-measure `filter`
 - **[Pagination](./rules/pagination.md)** — offset vs keyset, best practices, performance
 
@@ -184,14 +184,11 @@ Combine conditions with `$and`, `$or`, and `$not`:
 { where: { $not: { status: 'closed' } } }
 ```
 
-### Nested Relation Filters
+### Filtering by a related record
 
-Filter through relationships without an explicit join:
-
-```typescript
-// Accounts whose related contact has a verified profile
-{ object: 'account', where: { contact: { profile: { verified: true } } } }
-```
+`{ customer: { country: 'US' } }` beneath a lookup is refused, `INVALID_FILTER` /
+400: filter the related object first, then `$in` its ids —
+**[filter rules → Relation Filters](./rules/filters.md)**.
 
 ### Cross-field comparisons
 
@@ -331,7 +328,7 @@ that set, never widen it: over the REST/protocol ingress a name outside it is
 Mirror the related record's title into a **stored** field on the queried object
 and search that; the field, the write hooks and the lint wording are
 **objectstack-data → Search Fields (`searchableFields`)**. To *filter* by a
-related record's column use a nested relation filter; to *display* it, `expand`.
+related record's column, `$in` ids from its own query; to *display* it, `expand`.
 
 ## Common Patterns
 
@@ -340,7 +337,8 @@ related record's column use a nested relation filter; to *display* it, `expand`.
 | Scenario | Use |
 |:---------|:----|
 | Load lookup fields for display | `expand` |
-| Filter parent by child conditions | Nested relation filter |
+| Filter rows by their lookup target's column | Query the target object, then `{ lookup: { $in: ids } }` — `$contains` per id when `multiple` |
+| Filter parent by child conditions | Query the child with `fields: [lookup]`, then `{ id: { $in: those ids } }` on the parent |
 | **Keyword-search by a related record's title** | **Mirror the title into a stored field on this object and search that** — `search` never traverses |
 | Paginate/sort a parent's related records | Query the related object directly |
 | Analytical queries across objects | Report/dashboard metadata, or separate queries combined in app code |
 
@@ -37,18 +37,6 @@ allowlist that omits them and refuse — `Unsupported filter operator`,
 `INVALID_FILTER` / 400 — rather than approximating. A pattern ending in a lone
 unpaired backslash is refused by every face.
 
-## Implicit Equality (Shorthand)
-
-The most common filter — equality — has a shorthand:
-
-```typescript
-// ✅ Implicit equality (preferred for simple cases)
-where: { status: 'active' }
-
-// ✅ Explicit equality (same result)
-where: { status: { $eq: 'active' } }
-```
-
 ## Logical Operators
 
 ### AND (implicit)
@@ -90,28 +78,6 @@ where: {
 }
 ```
 
-### NOT
-
-```typescript
-// ✅ Exclude deleted records
-where: {
-  $not: { status: 'deleted' }
-}
-```
-
-### Combining Logical Operators
-
-```typescript
-// ✅ Active users who are admin OR have high score
-where: {
-  status: 'active',            // AND
-  $or: [
-    { role: 'admin' },
-    { score: { $gte: 90 } }
-  ]
-}
-```
-
 ## Field References
 
 > ✅ **Enforced.** `{ $field: '...' }` compares two columns of the same row.
@@ -129,28 +95,25 @@ Legal in a **comparison** position only. As an `$in` / `$nin` member or a
 `$between` endpoint it is refused at parse — no evaluation path resolves a
 reference there.
 
-## Nested Relation Filters
+## Relation Filters
 
-Filter by a related object's fields:
+A plain object with no `$` operator beneath a relation field (`lookup`,
+`master_detail`, `user`, `tree`) is refused, `INVALID_FILTER` / 400 on every
+driver: the column stores the related record's id, and no driver follows it into
+the related object. Filter the related object first, then `$in` its ids:
 
 ```typescript
-// ✅ Find orders where the customer is in the US
-where: {
-  customer: {
-    country: 'US'
-  }
-}
-
-// ✅ Deeper nesting
-where: {
-  customer: {
-    organization: {
-      industry: 'Technology'
-    }
-  }
-}
+// ❌ Refused: where: { customer: { country: 'US' } }
+// ✅ Orders whose customer is in the US
+const us = await engine.find('customer', { where: { country: 'US' }, fields: ['id'] });
+where: { customer: { $in: us.map((c) => c.id) } }
 ```
 
+On a `multiple: true` lookup match each id with `$contains` (an `$or` of those
+for several); the SQL driver refuses `$in` there. A parent by its children's
+fields is the same two steps reversed: query the child with the condition and
+`fields: [the lookup]`, then `{ id: { $in: … } }` on the parent.
+
 ## Common Mistakes
 
 ### ❌ Wrong: expecting sibling keys to be an OR