diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/Application.java b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/Application.java
index 349eea205e0..61bbfb37d33 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/Application.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/Application.java
@@ -86,6 +86,16 @@ public String toString() {
         return path.replace('/', '.').toUpperCase();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns whether this application matches the test application set.
+     *
+     * @param test a application or application set to test against
+     * @return true if it fits within the application set
+     */
+    public boolean matches(Application test) {
+        return path.startsWith(test.path);
+    }
+
     /** {@inheritDoc} */
     @Override
     public boolean equals(Object o) {
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/BaseModelLoader.java b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/BaseModelLoader.java
index 0d1506871c0..e350e8d11fa 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/BaseModelLoader.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/BaseModelLoader.java
@@ -198,6 +198,12 @@ public String toString() {
 
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private <I, O> TranslatorFactory<I, O> getTranslatorFactory(Criteria<I, O> criteria) {
+        if (criteria.getInputClass() == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("The criteria must set an input class");
+        }
+        if (criteria.getOutputClass() == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("The criteria must set an output class");
+        }
         return (TranslatorFactory<I, O>)
                 factories.get(new Pair<>(criteria.getInputClass(), criteria.getOutputClass()));
     }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/Criteria.java b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/Criteria.java
index 0c2c94b5501..0667d672a95 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/Criteria.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/Criteria.java
@@ -481,10 +481,6 @@ public Builder<I, O> optProgress(Progress progress) {
          * @return the {@link Criteria} instance
          */
         public Criteria<I, O> build() {
-            if (inputClass == null || outputClass == null) {
-                throw new IllegalArgumentException(
-                        "Input and output type are required for a Criteria.");
-            }
             return new Criteria<>(this);
         }
     }
diff --git a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/ModelZoo.java b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/ModelZoo.java
index a7afad67c8e..ab74afe80b7 100644
--- a/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/ModelZoo.java
+++ b/api/src/main/java/ai/djl/repository/zoo/ModelZoo.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ default ModelLoader getModelLoader(String name) {
     /**
      * Gets the {@link ModelLoader} based on the model name.
      *
-     * @param criteria the name of the model
+     * @param criteria the requirements for the model
      * @param <I> the input data type for preprocessing
      * @param <O> the output data type after postprocessing
      * @return the model that matches the criteria
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ static <I, O> ZooModel<I, O> loadModel(Criteria<I, O> criteria)
                 }
                 if (application != Application.UNDEFINED
                         && app != Application.UNDEFINED
-                        && !app.equals(application)) {
+                        && !app.matches(application)) {
                     // filter out ModelLoader by application
                     continue;
                 }
@@ -183,6 +183,25 @@ static <I, O> ZooModel<I, O> loadModel(Criteria<I, O> criteria)
      */
     static Map<Application, List<Artifact>> listModels()
             throws IOException, ModelNotFoundException {
+        return listModels(Criteria.builder().build());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the available {@link Application} and their model artifact metadata.
+     *
+     * @param criteria the requirements for the model
+     * @return the available {@link Application} and their model artifact metadata
+     * @throws IOException if failed to download to repository metadata
+     * @throws ModelNotFoundException if failed to parse repository metadata
+     */
+    static Map<Application, List<Artifact>> listModels(Criteria<?, ?> criteria)
+            throws IOException, ModelNotFoundException {
+        String artifactId = criteria.getArtifactId();
+        ModelZoo modelZoo = criteria.getModelZoo();
+        String groupId = criteria.getGroupId();
+        String engine = criteria.getEngine();
+        Application application = criteria.getApplication();
+
         @SuppressWarnings("PMD.UseConcurrentHashMap")
         Map<Application, List<Artifact>> models =
                 new TreeMap<>(Comparator.comparing(Application::getPath));
@@ -192,9 +211,29 @@ static Map<Application, List<Artifact>> listModels()
             if (zoo == null) {
                 continue;
             }
+            if (modelZoo != null) {
+                if (groupId != null && !modelZoo.getGroupId().equals(groupId)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                Set<String> supportedEngine = modelZoo.getSupportedEngines();
+                if (engine != null && !supportedEngine.contains(engine)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+            }
             List<ModelLoader> list = zoo.getModelLoaders();
             for (ModelLoader loader : list) {
                 Application app = loader.getApplication();
+                String loaderArtifactId = loader.getArtifactId();
+                if (artifactId != null && !artifactId.equals(loaderArtifactId)) {
+                    // filter out by model loader artifactId
+                    continue;
+                }
+                if (application != Application.UNDEFINED
+                        && app != Application.UNDEFINED
+                        && !app.matches(application)) {
+                    // filter out ModelLoader by application
+                    continue;
+                }
                 final List<Artifact> artifacts = loader.listModels();
                 models.compute(
                         app,
diff --git a/examples/src/test/java/ai/djl/examples/inference/ListModelsTest.java b/examples/src/test/java/ai/djl/examples/inference/ListModelsTest.java
index 55b2a43eac8..5f26852fe7a 100644
--- a/examples/src/test/java/ai/djl/examples/inference/ListModelsTest.java
+++ b/examples/src/test/java/ai/djl/examples/inference/ListModelsTest.java
@@ -13,8 +13,11 @@
 package ai.djl.examples.inference;
 
 import ai.djl.Application;
+import ai.djl.Application.CV;
+import ai.djl.Application.NLP;
 import ai.djl.ModelException;
 import ai.djl.repository.Artifact;
+import ai.djl.repository.zoo.Criteria;
 import ai.djl.repository.zoo.ModelZoo;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -41,4 +44,19 @@ public void testListModels() throws ModelException, IOException {
         List<Artifact> artifacts = models.get(Application.UNDEFINED);
         Assert.assertFalse(artifacts.isEmpty());
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testListModelsWithApplication() throws ModelException, IOException {
+        Path path = Paths.get("../model-zoo/src/test/resources/mlrepo");
+        String repoUrl = path.toRealPath().toAbsolutePath().toUri().toURL().toExternalForm();
+        System.setProperty("ai.djl.repository.zoo.location", "src/test/resources," + repoUrl);
+        Criteria<?, ?> criteria = Criteria.builder().optApplication(NLP.ANY).build();
+        Map<Application, List<Artifact>> models = ModelZoo.listModels(criteria);
+
+        for (Application application : models.keySet()) {
+            Assert.assertTrue(
+                    application.matches(NLP.ANY) || application.matches(Application.UNDEFINED));
+            Assert.assertFalse(application.matches(CV.ANY));
+        }
+    }
 }