What are these tabs for?

[CJHenderson]

Starting to reconnect the cables to the heat and fresh air controls and am wondering what these tabs are for.

[clunker]

these hold the cabin air filter - the long (blue) filter has a wire loop inset, and where the loop meets the edge of the filter, it clips into these tabs

[CJHenderson]

Thank you, when I removed the filter, it was just sitting on top and not clipped in.