diff --git a/examples/filtertable-existing-input.html b/examples/filtertable-existing-input.html
index 7c5d1ee..782f248 100644
--- a/examples/filtertable-existing-input.html
+++ b/examples/filtertable-existing-input.html
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
     <h1>jQuery.FilterTable Sample With an Existing Input</h1>
     <div class="input-filter-container"><label for="input-filter">Filter the table:</label> <input type="search" id="input-filter" size="15" placeholder="search"></div>
     <p>This is a sample of the <a href="http://sunnywalker.github.com/jQuery.FilterTable">jQuery.FilterTable plugin</a> which uses an existing element to filter the table instead of creating its own.</p>
+    <p>You can filter table values on page load adding a <code>filter=...</code> URL parameter.</p>
     <h2>Presidents of the United States of America</h2>
     <table>
         <thead>
@@ -83,7 +84,23 @@ <h2>Presidents of the United States of America</h2>
     <script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.11.0/jquery.min.js"></script>
     <script src="../jquery.filtertable.min.js"></script>
     <script>
+    function GetURLParameter(sParam) {
+        var sPageURL = window.location.search.substring(1);
+        var sURLVariables = sPageURL.split('&');
+        for (var i = 0; i < sURLVariables.length; i++) {
+            var sParameterName = sURLVariables[i].split('=');
+            if (sParameterName[0] == sParam) {
+                return sParameterName[1];
+            }
+        }
+    }
     $(document).ready(function() {
+        // this is not required to use the plugin
+        var _arg = GetURLParameter('filter');
+        if (_arg!==undefined) { // set a value onload if `search=...` URL parameter
+            $('#input-filter').val(_arg);
+        }
+        // --------------------------------------
         $('table').filterTable({ // apply filterTable to all tables on this page
             filterSelector: '#input-filter' // use the existing input instead of creating a new one
         });
diff --git a/jquery.filtertable.js b/jquery.filtertable.js
index 8c43476..62641c5 100644
--- a/jquery.filtertable.js
+++ b/jquery.filtertable.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *
  * Utilizes bindWithDelay() if available. https://github.com/bgrins/bindWithDelay
  *
- * @version v1.5.2
+ * @version v1.5.2 (modified)
  * @author Sunny Walker, swalker@hawaii.edu
  */
 (function($) {
@@ -126,6 +126,9 @@
                 if (created_filter) { // add the filter field and quick list container to just before the table if it was created by the plugin
                     t.before(container);
                 }
+                if (filter.val()!=='') { // if value on load
+                    doFiltering(t, filter.val());
+                }
             } // if the functionality should be added
         }); // return this.each
     }; // $.fn.filterTable
diff --git a/jquery.filtertable.min.js b/jquery.filtertable.min.js
index 459ec3d..b6d3c71 100644
--- a/jquery.filtertable.min.js
+++ b/jquery.filtertable.min.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *
  * Utilizes bindWithDelay() if available. https://github.com/bgrins/bindWithDelay
  *
- * @version v1.5.2
+ * @version v1.5.2 (modified)
  * @author Sunny Walker, swalker@hawaii.edu
  */
-!function(e){var t=e.fn.jquery.split("."),i=parseFloat(t[0]),a=parseFloat(t[1]);e.expr[":"].filterTableFind=2>i&&8>a?function(t,i,a){return e(t).text().toUpperCase().indexOf(a[3].toUpperCase())>=0}:jQuery.expr.createPseudo(function(t){return function(i){return e(i).text().toUpperCase().indexOf(t.toUpperCase())>=0}}),e.fn.filterTable=function(t){var i={autofocus:!1,callback:null,containerClass:"filter-table",containerTag:"p",hideTFootOnFilter:!1,highlightClass:"alt",inputSelector:null,inputName:"",inputType:"search",label:"Filter:",minRows:8,placeholder:"search this table",quickList:[],quickListClass:"quick",quickListGroupTag:"",quickListTag:"a",visibleClass:"visible"},a=function(e){return e.replace(/&/g,"&amp;").replace(/"/g,"&quot;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;")},l=e.extend({},i,t),n=function(e,t){var i=e.find("tbody");""===t?(i.find("tr").show().addClass(l.visibleClass),i.find("td").removeClass(l.highlightClass),l.hideTFootOnFilter&&e.find("tfoot").show()):(i.find("tr").hide().removeClass(l.visibleClass),l.hideTFootOnFilter&&e.find("tfoot").hide(),i.find("td").removeClass(l.highlightClass).filter(':filterTableFind("'+t.replace(/(['"])/g,"\\$1")+'")').addClass(l.highlightClass).closest("tr").show().addClass(l.visibleClass)),l.callback&&l.callback(t,e)};return this.each(function(){var t=e(this),i=t.find("tbody"),s=null,r=null,o=null,c=!0;"TABLE"===t[0].nodeName&&i.length>0&&(0===l.minRows||l.minRows>0&&i.find("tr").length>l.minRows)&&!t.prev().hasClass(l.containerClass)&&(l.filterSelector&&1===e(l.filterSelector).length?(o=e(l.filterSelector),s=o.parent(),c=!1):(s=e("<"+l.containerTag+" />"),""!==l.containerClass&&s.addClass(l.containerClass),s.prepend(l.label+" "),o=e('<input type="'+l.inputType+'" placeholder="'+l.placeholder+'" name="'+l.inputName+'" />')),l.autofocus&&o.attr("autofocus",!0),e.fn.bindWithDelay?o.bindWithDelay("keyup",function(){n(t,e(this).val())},200):o.bind("keyup",function(){n(t,e(this).val())}),o.bind("click search",function(){n(t,e(this).val())}),c&&s.append(o),l.quickList.length>0&&(r=l.quickListGroupTag?e("<"+l.quickListGroupTag+" />"):s,e.each(l.quickList,function(t,i){var n=e("<"+l.quickListTag+' class="'+l.quickListClass+'" />');n.text(a(i)),"A"===n[0].nodeName&&n.attr("href","#"),n.bind("click",function(e){e.preventDefault(),o.val(i).focus().trigger("click")}),r.append(n)}),r!==s&&s.append(r)),c&&t.before(s))})}}(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file
+(function(e){var t=e.fn.jquery.split("."),n=parseFloat(t[0]),r=parseFloat(t[1]);if(n<2&&r<8){e.expr[":"].filterTableFind=function(t,n,r){return e(t).text().toUpperCase().indexOf(r[3].toUpperCase())>=0}}else{e.expr[":"].filterTableFind=jQuery.expr.createPseudo(function(t){return function(n){return e(n).text().toUpperCase().indexOf(t.toUpperCase())>=0}})}e.fn.filterTable=function(t){var n={autofocus:false,callback:null,containerClass:"filter-table",containerTag:"p",hideTFootOnFilter:false,highlightClass:"alt",inputSelector:null,inputName:"",inputType:"search",label:"Filter:",minRows:8,placeholder:"search this table",quickList:[],quickListClass:"quick",quickListGroupTag:"",quickListTag:"a",visibleClass:"visible"},r=function(e){return e.replace(/&/g,"&").replace(/"/g,"&quot;").replace(/</g,"&lt;").replace(/>/g,"&gt;")},i=e.extend({},n,t);var s=function(e,t){var n=e.find("tbody");if(t===""){n.find("tr").show().addClass(i.visibleClass);n.find("td").removeClass(i.highlightClass);if(i.hideTFootOnFilter){e.find("tfoot").show()}}else{n.find("tr").hide().removeClass(i.visibleClass);if(i.hideTFootOnFilter){e.find("tfoot").hide()}n.find("td").removeClass(i.highlightClass).filter(':filterTableFind("'+t.replace(/(['"])/g,"\\$1")+'")').addClass(i.highlightClass).closest("tr").show().addClass(i.visibleClass)}if(i.callback){i.callback(t,e)}};return this.each(function(){var t=e(this),n=t.find("tbody"),o=null,u=null,a=null,f=true;if(t[0].nodeName==="TABLE"&&n.length>0&&(i.minRows===0||i.minRows>0&&n.find("tr").length>i.minRows)&&!t.prev().hasClass(i.containerClass)){if(i.filterSelector&&e(i.filterSelector).length===1){a=e(i.filterSelector);o=a.parent();f=false}else{o=e("<"+i.containerTag+" />");if(i.containerClass!==""){o.addClass(i.containerClass)}o.prepend(i.label+" ");a=e('<input type="'+i.inputType+'" placeholder="'+i.placeholder+'" name="'+i.inputName+'" />')}if(i.autofocus){a.attr("autofocus",true)}if(e.fn.bindWithDelay){a.bindWithDelay("keyup",function(){s(t,e(this).val())},200)}else{a.bind("keyup",function(){s(t,e(this).val())})}a.bind("click search",function(){s(t,e(this).val())});if(f){o.append(a)}if(i.quickList.length>0){u=i.quickListGroupTag?e("<"+i.quickListGroupTag+" />"):o;e.each(i.quickList,function(t,n){var s=e("<"+i.quickListTag+' class="'+i.quickListClass+'" />');s.text(r(n));if(s[0].nodeName==="A"){s.attr("href","#")}s.bind("click",function(e){e.preventDefault();a.val(n).focus().trigger("click")});u.append(s)});if(u!==o){o.append(u)}}if(f){t.before(o)}if(a.val()!==""){s(t,a.val())}}})}})(jQuery);
\ No newline at end of file