diff --git a/src/explorer/App.js b/src/explorer/App.js
index 703d874..c3191e8 100644
--- a/src/explorer/App.js
+++ b/src/explorer/App.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   initialState,
 } from "./state";
 import {StaticExplorerAdapterSet} from "./adapters/explorerAdapterSet";
+import {userNodeType} from "../plugins/github/declaration";
 
 const credOverviewUrl =
   "https://discuss.sourcecred.io/t/a-gentle-introduction-to-cred/20";
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ export function createApp(
         const pnd = appState.pagerankNodeDecomposition;
         pagerankTable = (
           <PagerankTable
-            defaultNodeFilter={GithubPrefix.user}
+            defaultNodeType={userNodeType}
             adapters={adapters}
             weightedTypes={this.state.weightedTypes}
             onWeightedTypesChange={(weightedTypes) =>
diff --git a/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.js b/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.js
index d11cc2f..57be461 100644
--- a/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.js
+++ b/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.js
@@ -4,15 +4,16 @@ import React from "react";
 import sortBy from "lodash.sortby";
 import * as NullUtil from "../../util/null";
 
-import {type NodeAddressT, NodeAddress} from "../../core/graph";
+import {NodeAddress} from "../../core/graph";
 import type {PagerankNodeDecomposition} from "../../analysis/pagerankNodeDecomposition";
 import {DynamicExplorerAdapterSet} from "../adapters/explorerAdapterSet";
 import type {DynamicExplorerAdapter} from "../adapters/explorerAdapter";
 import {FALLBACK_NAME} from "../../analysis/fallbackDeclaration";
 import type {WeightedTypes} from "../../analysis/weights";
 import {WeightConfig} from "../weights/WeightConfig";
-
 import {NodeRowList} from "./Node";
+import {type NodeType} from "../../analysis/types";
+import {fallbackNodeType} from "../../analysis/fallbackDeclaration";
 
 type PagerankTableProps = {|
   +pnd: PagerankNodeDecomposition,
@@ -20,10 +21,10 @@ type PagerankTableProps = {|
   +weightedTypes: WeightedTypes,
   +onWeightedTypesChange: (WeightedTypes) => void,
   +maxEntriesPerList: number,
-  +defaultNodeFilter: ?NodeAddressT,
+  +defaultNodeType: ?NodeType,
 |};
 type PagerankTableState = {|
-  topLevelFilter: NodeAddressT,
+  selectedNodeType: NodeType,
   showWeightConfig: boolean,
 |};
 export class PagerankTable extends React.PureComponent<
@@ -32,20 +33,11 @@ export class PagerankTable extends React.PureComponent<
 > {
   constructor(props: PagerankTableProps): void {
     super();
-    const {defaultNodeFilter, adapters} = props;
-    if (defaultNodeFilter != null) {
-      const nodeTypes = adapters.static().nodeTypes();
-      if (!nodeTypes.some((x) => x.prefix === defaultNodeFilter)) {
-        throw new Error(
-          `invalid defaultNodeFilter ${defaultNodeFilter}: doesn't match any type`
-        );
-      }
-    }
-    const topLevelFilter = NullUtil.orElse(
-      props.defaultNodeFilter,
-      NodeAddress.empty
+    const selectedNodeType = NullUtil.orElse(
+      props.defaultNodeType,
+      fallbackNodeType
     );
-    this.state = {topLevelFilter, showWeightConfig: false};
+    this.state = {selectedNodeType, showWeightConfig: false};
   }
 
   renderConfigurationRow() {
@@ -116,9 +108,11 @@ export class PagerankTable extends React.PureComponent<
       <label>
         <span>Filter by node type: </span>
         <select
-          value={this.state.topLevelFilter}
+          value={this.state.selectedNodeType.prefix}
           onChange={(e) => {
-            this.setState({topLevelFilter: e.target.value});
+            const nodePrefix = e.target.value;
+            const nodeType = adapters.static().typeMatchingNode(nodePrefix);
+            this.setState({selectedNodeType: nodeType});
           }}
         >
           <option value={NodeAddress.empty}>Show all</option>
@@ -138,7 +132,7 @@ export class PagerankTable extends React.PureComponent<
     if (pnd == null || adapters == null || maxEntriesPerList == null) {
       throw new Error("Impossible.");
     }
-    const topLevelFilter = this.state.topLevelFilter;
+    const selectedNodeTypePrefix = this.state.selectedNodeType.prefix;
     const sharedProps = {pnd, adapters, maxEntriesPerList};
     return (
       <table
@@ -161,7 +155,7 @@ export class PagerankTable extends React.PureComponent<
           <NodeRowList
             sharedProps={sharedProps}
             nodes={Array.from(pnd.keys()).filter((node) =>
-              NodeAddress.hasPrefix(node, topLevelFilter)
+              NodeAddress.hasPrefix(node, selectedNodeTypePrefix)
             )}
           />
         </tbody>
diff --git a/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.test.js b/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.test.js
index 1f21335..2e55749 100644
--- a/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.test.js
+++ b/src/explorer/pagerankTable/Table.test.js
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 import React from "react";
 import {shallow} from "enzyme";
 
-import {NodeAddress, type NodeAddressT} from "../../core/graph";
+import {NodeAddress} from "../../core/graph";
 
 import {PagerankTable} from "./Table";
 import {example, COLUMNS} from "./sharedTestUtils";
@@ -11,17 +11,19 @@ import {NodeRowList} from "./Node";
 import {WeightConfig} from "../weights/WeightConfig";
 import {defaultWeightsForAdapter} from "../weights/weights";
 import {FactorioStaticAdapter} from "../../plugins/demo/explorerAdapter";
+import {type NodeType} from "../../analysis/types";
+import {fallbackNodeType} from "../../analysis/fallbackDeclaration";
 
 require("../../webutil/testUtil").configureEnzyme();
 describe("explorer/pagerankTable/Table", () => {
   describe("PagerankTable", () => {
-    async function setup(defaultNodeFilter?: NodeAddressT) {
+    async function setup(defaultNodeType?: NodeType) {
       const {pnd, adapters, weightedTypes} = await example();
       const onWeightedTypesChange = jest.fn();
       const maxEntriesPerList = 321;
       const element = shallow(
         <PagerankTable
-          defaultNodeFilter={defaultNodeFilter}
+          defaultNodeType={defaultNodeType}
           weightedTypes={weightedTypes}
           onWeightedTypesChange={onWeightedTypesChange}
           pnd={pnd}
@@ -124,20 +126,20 @@ describe("explorer/pagerankTable/Table", () => {
         );
         expect(actualNodes).not.toHaveLength(0);
       });
-      it("filter defaults to show all if defaultNodeFilter not passed", async () => {
+      it("filter defaults to show all if defaultNodeType not passed", async () => {
         const {element} = await setup();
-        expect(element.state().topLevelFilter).toEqual(NodeAddress.empty);
+        expect(element.state().selectedNodeType).toEqual(fallbackNodeType);
       });
-      it("filter defaults to defaultNodeFilter if available", async () => {
-        const filter = NodeAddress.fromParts(["factorio", "inserter"]);
-        const {element} = await setup(filter);
-        expect(element.state().topLevelFilter).toEqual(filter);
-      });
-      it("raises an error if defaultNodeFilter doesn't match any node type", async () => {
-        const badFilter = NodeAddress.fromParts(["doesn't", "exist"]);
-        await expect(setup(badFilter)).rejects.toThrow(
-          "invalid defaultNodeFilter"
-        );
+      it("selectedNodeType defaults to defaultNodeType if available", async () => {
+        const nodeType: NodeType = {
+          name: "testNodeType",
+          pluralName: "testNodeTypes",
+          prefix: NodeAddress.empty,
+          defaultWeight: 1,
+          description: "test type",
+        };
+        const {element} = await setup(nodeType);
+        expect(element.state().selectedNodeType).toEqual(nodeType);
       });
     });
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/github/declaration.js b/src/plugins/github/declaration.js
index 33a1ae8..77f247d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/github/declaration.js
+++ b/src/plugins/github/declaration.js
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ const commentNodeType = Object.freeze({
   description: "NodeType for a GitHub comment",
 });
 
-const userNodeType = Object.freeze({
+export const userNodeType = Object.freeze({
   name: "User",
   pluralName: "Users",
   prefix: N.Prefix.user,