How to Use Filters to Enhance Shopify Product Collections
Z
Zack Saadioui
1/14/2025
How to Use Filters to Enhance Shopify Product Collections
Creating a streamlined shopping experience is a game-changer for any business operating on Shopify. One of the nifty features that can significantly improve user experience is filters. This post dives deep into the how-to of using filters in your Shopify product collections, ultimately enhancing navigation & improving sales.
What Are Filters in Shopify?
Filters allow customers to refine products on your collection pages based on specific criteria. Imagine a watch store, for example, where users can filter by brand name, price, dial size, or water resistance. Not only make it easier for customers to find what they want, using filters can also help businesses improve their organic reach and boost customer satisfaction.
If you're not utilizing filters yet, you're missing out on optimizing your shop for better visibility & seamless navigation! You can start your journey by following these steps to set up filters effectively.
Requirements for Using Filters
To use filters in your Shopify store, there are a few requirements you need to meet:
If you're on custom storefronts, you can rely on either the Liquid filter API or the Storefront API.
Ensure that your collection doesn’t exceed 5,000 products as larger collections don't display filters.
🤔 TIP: If your collection is massive (over 5,000 products), consider dividing it into smaller collections based on categories like Tops, Jeans, Boots, etc.
Adding Filters to Your Shopify Collections
Utilizing the Search & Discovery app is your best option for setting up filters effortlessly. Here’s how you can do it:
Go to the Shopify Admin panel & install the Search & Discovery app from the Shopify App Store.
Access the app & navigate to the Filters section.
Click on Add filter & select the appropriate filter type you wish to add.
Modify the filter settings, such as renaming or changing its behavior. You can also group values together for a smoother experience!
Don’t forget to hit Save!
Types of Filters Available
You can implement various types of filters in your Shopify store:
Standard Filters
These are prebuilt filters you can use, including:
Availability
Category
Price
Product Type
Tags
Vendor
Custom Filters
Create tailored filters based on your product options, which could include:
Product options like Size (e.g., Small, Medium, Large).
Metafields, which can hold additional information about products.
Creating custom filters allows for a much more personalized experience, totally awesome right?
Considerations When Adding Filters
While it seems easy-peasy, there are some key considerations you should keep in mind:
You want to avoid overloading customers with too many filter options. Aim for a maximum of 25 filters to keep it easy to navigate.
Remember, you can only display 100 filter values at a time, so group similar items together for clarity.
For collections containing thousands of products, reduce clutter by combining values where possible.
Shop around for your theme, as some don’t support filtering! Check under Content > Menus to see if filters are available in the contents. If they fail, they won’t show up for your customers.
Grouping & Sorting Options for Filters
Sometimes it’s not enough just to throw filters on your collection. You gotta be strategic. For effective organization:
Grouping Filter Values
Create unified filter names to simplify choices. For instance, if you have different shades like Onyx, Ebony, and Midnight, you can group them together as Black. This reduces confusion, especially for visual filters involving colors.
Sorting Filters
You can have automatic or manual sorting for your store’s products. Sort order can be:
Alphabetical
Price from low to high
Best-selling
This can greatly affect browsing habits of your potential buyers, so make sure to use it to your advantage!
Create Visual Filters
Visual filters are particularly engaging! Instead of plain text, create visual elements for categories like color swatches. This significantly enhances user engagement—users are much more likely to click when something looks pretty! And for adding visual filters:
Go to the Search & Discovery app and choose Add filter.
Select Color as your filter type and click on Manage values to create custom visual elements.
Optimize Filter Behavior
Customizing filter behaviors can further drive purchases! For instance, by default, filters use an OR condition, meaning if someone clicks multiple values, they can see all products matching any of those values. However, you can set specific filter types to use an AND condition instead. This can refine search results, filtering only specific products the customer truly searches for.
Translations and Localization of Filters
If your shop targets international customers, you’ll want your filters to be user-friendly across different languages. With Search & Discovery, you can translate filter labels into supported languages for a wholesome customer experience.
The Importance of SEO on Shopify Collections
Now, aside from improving user navigation within the store, filters can have a significant effect on your SEO visibility. High-quality filtering creates a unique URL for every filtered view, making it easier for search engines to index your products efficiently. When you optimize your collection pages with filters, your chances of showing on SERPs increases.
In a Nutshell:
Use filters to enhance navigation for shoppers.
Stay mindful of how many filters you employ.
Sort your filters thoughtfully.
Implement visual elements wherever possible to boost engagement.
Don't forget about SEO and creating a better UX for global users.
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Conclusion
Integrating filters into your Shopify collection pages isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a crucial tactic for increasing user satisfaction and improving sales performance. Whether it’s visual filters or behavior customizations, using filters effectively can bring more visibility to your products & create a better shopping EXPERIENCE.
So go ahead, dive into it and let filters work their MAGIC!