diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 28fa945..8911db3 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ Package: looker3
 Type: Package
 Title: looker3 (http://github.com/abelcastilloavant/avant-looker3)
 Description: Pull data from Looker using the fancy new 3.0 API.
-Version: 0.1.2
+Version: 0.1.3
 Author: Abel Castillo <abel.castillo@avant.com>
 Maintainer: Abel Castillo <abel.castillo@avant.com>
 Authors@R: c(person("Abel", "Castillo",
diff --git a/R/looker3.R b/R/looker3.R
index 082c113..a47300a 100644
--- a/R/looker3.R
+++ b/R/looker3.R
@@ -43,6 +43,20 @@ looker3 <- function(model, view, fields,
   checkr::validate(model %is% simple_string, view %is% simple_string,
                    fields %is% character)
 
+
+  if (is.character(filters)) {
+    filters <- colon_split_to_list(filters) 
+  }
+
   run_inline_query(looker_setup$LOOKER_URL, looker_setup$LOOKER_ID, looker_setup$LOOKER_SECRET,
     model, view, fields, filters, limit)
 }
+
+
+colon_split_to_list <- function(string) {
+  colon_split <- strsplit(string, ": ")
+  field_names <- lapply(colon_split, `[[`, 1)
+  values <- lapply(colon_split, `[[`, 2)
+  names(values) <- field_names
+  values
+}
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 3117871..5aedbff 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -23,3 +23,8 @@ df <- looker3(model = "thelook",
 )
 ```
 
+Filters can be specified as above, or as a character string with colon separations, e.g. 
+
+```
+filters = c("orders.created_month: 90 days", "orders.status: complete")
+```
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-looker3.R b/tests/testthat/test-looker3.R
index 093c00b..8d3c020 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-looker3.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-looker3.R
@@ -53,7 +53,11 @@ withr::with_envvar(c(
   
       args <- list(model = "look", view = "items",
         fields = c("category.name", "products.count"),
-        filters = list(c("category.name", "socks")))
+        filters = list("category.name" = "socks"))
+
+      bw_compatible_args <- list(model = "look", view = "items",
+        fields = c("category.name", "products.count"),
+        filters = "category.name: socks")
   
       expect_equal(do.call(looker3, args),
        c(list(url = fake_env_vars$url, id = fake_env_vars$id, secret = fake_env_vars$secret), 
@@ -63,6 +67,11 @@ withr::with_envvar(c(
        c(list(url = fake_env_vars$url, id = fake_env_vars$id, secret = fake_env_vars$secret), 
          args,
          list(limit = 20)))
+
+      expect_equal(do.call(looker3, bw_compatible_args),
+       c(list(url = fake_env_vars$url, id = fake_env_vars$id, secret = fake_env_vars$secret), 
+         args,
+         list(limit = 10)))
       })
   })