Automatic bundle filtering is provided to selectively configure a circuit design having a plurality of component terminals for physical implementation. A placement of components is established for a layout of the circuit design, and a plurality of connections to be routed between predetermined terminals of the components are defined for the layout, with a certain plurality of them selectively grouped into at least one candidate bundle. At least one filter is applied to the connections of each candidate bundle for responsive segregation according to a preselected connection discriminant into one or more updated bundle candidates. Each updated bundle candidate is preferably evaluated in accordance with at least one preselected bundling criteria to identify acceptable bundle candidates therefrom. Bundles corresponding to the acceptable bundle candidates are then generated.