Consider deprecating old utils API

**Description**
Currently handlers lacks proper filtering support.

**Proposed solution**
Add configurable filtering with sensible defaults.

**Priority**: Low/Medium

The issue names handlers and an old utils API but no files, tests, or entry points. Start by locating the handler implementation and current utils API usage, then determine how filtering configuration and sensible defaults should work. Done means handlers filter correctly with defaults and configurable options, with the old API deprecation addressed.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.