How to Add Custom Product Filtering in Shopify

Custom product filtering is essential for improving user experience and boosting sales on your Shopify store. By offering tailored filters, you help customers find exactly what they need quickly, which leads to higher conversion rates.

Why Add Custom Filters?

When your store has a wide range of products, it's vital to give customers the tools to narrow down their choices. Custom filters allow them to browse by size, color, price, brand, or any other attributes, enhancing the shopping experience.

Adding custom product filtering during Shopify store development can be simple with the right steps and tools.

Step-by-Step Guide to Adding Custom Product Filters

1. Use Shopify's Built-in Filtering Feature  Shopify offers a built-in filtering option for stores on the Online Store 2.0 themes. You can enable it directly from the admin panel under “Online Store > Navigation.” These filters allow customers to sort by availability, product type, and price.
   

2. Create Custom Filters Using Tags  For more advanced filtering, you can use product tags. Here’s how:

   • Assign Tags: Go to your product pages in the admin panel and assign tags like "Color: Red" or "Size: Large."

   • Create Smart Collections: Set up smart collections based on the tags you’ve added. For example, create a collection that displays all products tagged with “Color: Red.”

   • Customize Filters in Your Theme: Many themes allow you to display these tags as filters on the storefront. Navigate to “Online Store > Themes” and use the “Customize” option to add tag-based filters to your collection pages.
     

3. Use Shopify Apps for Advanced Filtering  If the built-in features or tag-based filters don’t offer enough customization, there are several Shopify apps that provide advanced filtering options:

   • Product Filter & Search: This app allows you to add filters like price sliders, color swatches, and even product ratings.

   • Power Tools Filter Menu: Another great app for adding multi-level filters, ideal for stores with large inventories.

   • Boost Product Filter & Search: A powerful solution for adding both basic and complex filtering, including live search suggestions.

During Shopify store development, integrating one of these apps can greatly enhance your store’s search and filtering capabilities, leading to a better shopping experience.

Best Practices for Custom Filters

• Keep It Simple: Overcomplicating filters can overwhelm customers. Stick to the essentials like size, color, and price.

• Test User Experience: Ensure that your filters are easy to find and use. Test different filters to see which ones provide the best user experience.

• Mobile Optimization: Make sure that your custom filters work smoothly on mobile devices, as a large percentage of shoppers browse through their phones.
  

Why Custom Filters Matter in Shopify Store Development

Incorporating custom product filtering during Shopify store development can be a game-changer for your store. It not only streamlines the user experience but also reduces the time customers spend searching for products. The result? Happier customers and more sales!