diff --git a/engine/apps/api/serializers/channel_filter.py b/engine/apps/api/serializers/channel_filter.py
index 8987374f..335a816b 100644
--- a/engine/apps/api/serializers/channel_filter.py
+++ b/engine/apps/api/serializers/channel_filter.py
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ class ChannelFilterSerializer(OrderedModelSerializerMixin, EagerLoadingMixin, se
     )
     order = serializers.IntegerField(required=False)
     filtering_term_as_jinja2 = serializers.SerializerMethodField()
+    filtering_term = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_null=True, allow_blank=True)
 
     SELECT_RELATED = ["escalation_chain", "alert_receive_channel"]
 
@@ -49,7 +50,6 @@ class ChannelFilterSerializer(OrderedModelSerializerMixin, EagerLoadingMixin, se
             "filtering_term_as_jinja2",
         ]
         read_only_fields = ["created_at", "is_default"]
-        extra_kwargs = {"filtering_term": {"required": True, "allow_null": False}}
 
     def validate(self, data):
         filtering_term = data.get("filtering_term")
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ class ChannelFilterSerializer(OrderedModelSerializerMixin, EagerLoadingMixin, se
 class ChannelFilterCreateSerializer(ChannelFilterSerializer):
     alert_receive_channel = OrganizationFilteredPrimaryKeyRelatedField(queryset=AlertReceiveChannel.objects)
     slack_channel = serializers.CharField(allow_null=True, required=False, source="slack_channel_id")
+    filtering_term = serializers.CharField(required=False, allow_null=True, allow_blank=True)
 
     class Meta:
         model = ChannelFilter
@@ -142,7 +143,6 @@ class ChannelFilterCreateSerializer(ChannelFilterSerializer):
             "notification_backends",
         ]
         read_only_fields = ["created_at", "is_default"]
-        extra_kwargs = {"filtering_term": {"required": True, "allow_null": False}}
 
     def to_representation(self, obj):
         """add correct slack channel data to result after instance creation/update"""
diff --git a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
index 2a712ec1..5ed66ecc 100644
--- a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
+++ b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay/CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
@@ -67,11 +67,21 @@ const CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<CollapsedIntegrationRouteDispla
                   tooltipContent={undefined}
                 />
                 {routeWording === 'Default' && <Text type="secondary">Unmatched alerts routed to default route</Text>}
-                {routeWording !== 'Default' && channelFilter.filtering_term && (
-                  <Text type="primary" className={cx('heading-container__text')}>
-                    {channelFilter.filtering_term}
-                  </Text>
-                )}
+                {routeWording !== 'Default' &&
+                  (channelFilter.filtering_term ? (
+                    <Text type="primary" className={cx('heading-container__text')}>
+                      {channelFilter.filtering_term}
+                    </Text>
+                  ) : (
+                    <>
+                      <div className={cx('icon-exclamation')}>
+                        <Icon name="exclamation-triangle" />
+                      </div>
+                      <Text type="primary" className={cx('heading-container__text')}>
+                        Routing template not set
+                      </Text>
+                    </>
+                  ))}
               </div>
 
               <div className={cx('heading-container__item')}>
@@ -100,8 +110,10 @@ const CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<CollapsedIntegrationRouteDispla
                   ))}
 
                 <HorizontalGroup>
-                  <Icon name="list-ui-alt" />
-                  <Text type="secondary">Trigger escalation chain:</Text>
+                  <HorizontalGroup spacing={'xs'}>
+                    <Icon name="list-ui-alt" />
+                    <Text type="secondary">Trigger escalation chain</Text>
+                  </HorizontalGroup>
 
                   {escalationChain?.name && (
                     <PluginLink
@@ -109,9 +121,7 @@ const CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<CollapsedIntegrationRouteDispla
                       target="_blank"
                       query={{ page: 'escalations', id: channelFilter.escalation_chain }}
                     >
-                      <Text type="primary" strong>
-                        {escalationChain?.name}
-                      </Text>
+                      <Text type="primary">{escalationChain?.name}</Text>
                     </PluginLink>
                   )}
 
@@ -120,7 +130,7 @@ const CollapsedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<CollapsedIntegrationRouteDispla
                       <div className={cx('icon-exclamation')}>
                         <Icon name="exclamation-triangle" />
                       </div>
-                      <Text type="primary">No Escalation chain selected</Text>
+                      <Text type="primary">Not selected</Text>
                     </HorizontalGroup>
                   )}
                 </HorizontalGroup>
diff --git a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
index 2569d2f0..e9d55726 100644
--- a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
+++ b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationContainers/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay/ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay.tsx
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ const ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplayP
 
     const channelFilterIds = alertReceiveChannelStore.channelFilterIds[alertReceiveChannelId];
     const isDefault = IntegrationHelper.getRouteConditionWording(channelFilterIds, routeIndex) === 'Default';
+    const channelFilterTemplate = channelFilter.filtering_term
+      ? IntegrationHelper.getFilteredTemplate(channelFilter.filtering_term, false)
+      : '{# Add Routing Template, e.g. {{ payload.severity == "critical" }} #}';
 
     if (isLoading) {
       return <LoadingPlaceholder text="Loading..." />;
@@ -153,7 +156,7 @@ const ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplay: React.FC<ExpandedIntegrationRouteDisplayP
                     <InlineLabel width={20}>Routing Template</InlineLabel>
                     <div className={cx('input', 'input--short')}>
                       <MonacoEditor
-                        value={IntegrationHelper.getFilteredTemplate(channelFilter.filtering_term, false)}
+                        value={channelFilterTemplate}
                         disabled={true}
                         height={MONACO_INPUT_HEIGHT_SMALL}
                         data={templates}
diff --git a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationTemplate/IntegrationTemplate.tsx b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationTemplate/IntegrationTemplate.tsx
index dbdd67d9..e2538aa9 100644
--- a/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationTemplate/IntegrationTemplate.tsx
+++ b/grafana-plugin/src/containers/IntegrationTemplate/IntegrationTemplate.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import { AlertReceiveChannel } from 'models/alert_receive_channel/alert_receive_
 import { AlertTemplatesDTO } from 'models/alert_templates';
 import { Alert } from 'models/alertgroup/alertgroup.types';
 import { ChannelFilter } from 'models/channel_filter/channel_filter.types';
-import { openErrorNotification } from 'utils';
 import { waitForElement } from 'utils/DOM';
 import LocationHelper from 'utils/LocationHelper';
 
@@ -119,12 +118,8 @@ const IntegrationTemplate = observer((props: IntegrationTemplateProps) => {
 
   const handleSubmit = useCallback(() => {
     if (template.isRoute) {
-      if (changedTemplateBody) {
-        onUpdateRoute({ [template.name]: changedTemplateBody }, channelFilterId);
-        onHide();
-      } else {
-        openErrorNotification('Route template body can not be empty');
-      }
+      onUpdateRoute({ [template.name]: changedTemplateBody }, channelFilterId);
+      onHide();
     } else {
       onUpdateTemplates({ [template.name]: changedTemplateBody });
       onHide();
@@ -136,7 +131,7 @@ const IntegrationTemplate = observer((props: IntegrationTemplateProps) => {
       case 'Grouping':
       case 'Autoresolve':
         return groupingTemplateCheatSheet;
-      case 'Web titile':
+      case 'Web title':
       case 'Web message':
       case 'Web image':
         return webTitleTemplateCheatSheet;
diff --git a/grafana-plugin/src/pages/integration_2/Integration2.tsx b/grafana-plugin/src/pages/integration_2/Integration2.tsx
index 66bff4a7..585126b9 100644
--- a/grafana-plugin/src/pages/integration_2/Integration2.tsx
+++ b/grafana-plugin/src/pages/integration_2/Integration2.tsx
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ interface Integration2State extends PageBaseState {
 
 const ACTIONS_LIST_WIDTH = 200;
 const ACTIONS_LIST_BORDER = 2;
-const NEW_ROUTE_DEFAULT = '{# (payload.severity == "foo" and "bar" in payload.region) or True #}';
+const NEW_ROUTE_DEFAULT = '';
 
 @observer
 class Integration2 extends React.Component<Integration2Props, Integration2State> {