{"id":986,"date":"2020-06-30T09:08:59","date_gmt":"2020-06-30T09:08:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/?p=986"},"modified":"2026-01-16T09:47:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:47:39","slug":"faceted-filtering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/faceted-filtering\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Faceted Filtering in eCommerce?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section alignfull post-header has-inner-blocks-gap-small getwid-section-content-custom-width\" style=\"margin-top:;margin-bottom:50px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-left-medium getwid-padding-right-medium\" style=\"padding-top:30px;padding-bottom:20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\" style=\"max-width:1140px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\" style=\"opacity:0;mix-blend-mode:normal\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<h1 class=\"has-text-align-center\" id=\"gb6986394fcef\"><strong>What Is Faceted Filtering in eCommerce<\/strong>?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns has-2-columns are-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-top is-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<p class=\"intro-paragraph\">Faceted filtering is a search method that lets online shoppers narrow down product listings by selecting multiple product attributes (e.g., brand, price, color) simultaneously, making product discovery faster and more relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When this is true:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You have a large product catalog with many attributes.<\/li><li>Shoppers need efficient ways to drill down to specific items.<\/li><li>You want users to refine results without endless scrolling.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When it\u2019s not necessary:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Your store only has a few products.<\/li><li>Simple category filters suffice.<\/li><li>Advanced search won\u2019t significantly improve findability.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"intro-paragraph\">Let\u2019s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"500\" height=\"376\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Featured_image-Faceted_Search-500px-LE.png\" alt=\"Faceted Filtering Guide for eCommerce Sites\" class=\"wp-image-1977\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Featured_image-Faceted_Search-500px-LE.png 500w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Featured_image-Faceted_Search-500px-LE-300x226.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-table-of-contents is-style-default\"><ul class=\"wp-block-getwid-table-of-contents__list\"><li><a href=\"#g10660cb68661\">Introduction<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#g370840f411f1\">What is Faceted Search and how it works?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#g27524f94e88c\">What Are Best Practices for Faceted Filtering?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#g568f17b5ccdb\">How Can Faceted Filtering Impact SEO?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#gfedb2c8e12b7\">What Are Common Faceted Filtering Examples?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#gba0838e8cce1\">How to Decide If You Need Faceted Filtering?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"g10660cb68661\">Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>If your customer can\u2019t find exactly what they\u2019re searching for<\/strong>, they can quickly become frustrated. Even if you have exactly what they want, if they can\u2019t easily find it (usually due to a complicated interface) <strong>they\u2019re simply going to buy it from a competitor that has a better-built site<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-container-2 wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<div class=\"wp-container-1 wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container\">\n<p>Even if you don\u2019t have what they\u2019re looking for, it\u2019s better they find this out as quickly as possible, so they won\u2019t associate the feeling of wasted time with your store. (If you don\u2019t have what they\u2019re looking for, you can always recommend similar products on the 0-results page.)<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"paragraph-highlight has-background\" style=\"background-color:#eaf2ff\"><strong>Shoppers are never going to make perfect searches<\/strong>: their queries will be more like educated guesses as most times they aren\u2019t sure exactly what they\u2019re looking for. Oftentimes, they will only know a few parameters and execute a query in order to get a list of products to look through. <strong>Your search and ranking algorithm must be good enough to help them<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/ecommerce-search-filters\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2347\">search filters<\/a> is the most basic, and efficient, way to do this. A more advanced method encompasses using faceted navigation and faceted search (more on the distinction shortly) together with a user-friendly, not overly complicated interface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-anchor\" id=\"chapter-1\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"chapter-heading\" id=\"g370840f411f1\"><strong>What is Faceted Search and how it works?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section icon-highlight-box\" style=\"margin-top:30px;margin-bottom:30px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns icon-highlight-box\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:10%\">\n<div style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-right:-20px\" class=\"wp-block-getwid-icon alignright is-aligned-right\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-icon__wrapper has-text-color has-dark-blue-color\" style=\"font-size:60px\"><i class=\"fas fa-question-circle\"><\/i><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column\" style=\"flex-basis:90%\">\n<p class=\"icon-highlight-text has-text-color\" style=\"color:#444444\"><strong>Faceted search definition:<\/strong> Faceted search, or guided navigation as it\u2019s sometimes referred to, is a search method that utilizes the metadata attributed to a product in a store, providing visitors an opportunity to filter and refine their search queries when looking for specific products.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Faceted search or navigation is related to filters, but the phrases are not interchangeable as the former is a more flexible and efficient solution. Faceting means creating a complex structure in which shoppers are presented with a smart, logical interface that makes it easier for them to get to the desired products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Making search easier and faster, multi-faceted search also helps enforce purchase decisions and lower site abandonment rates, leading to <a class=\"rank-math-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/search-features-for-ecommerce\/\">higher conversion rates<\/a> and overall profit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/en-us\/solutions\/ecommercesearchengine\">Learn more about the most important semantic search engine features to increase conversion rates by 15% &amp; boost online revenue by 45%.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g140eccff36ec\"><strong>How does faceted search works?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A faceted search software offers a chance to use filters in a smart way. Traditionally, simple filters are used for site-wide searches: to narrow down results to a certain category, brand etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>With faceted search, you can<\/strong> actually recommend even more relevant filters to users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have thousands of products in your store, you most likely have tens of thousands of individual attributes associated with them. It would be counterproductive (and impossible) to provide them all as filter options. But based on queries and results, you can help shoppers narrow down their scope by providing relevant filters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if a shopper runs a site-wide search and 8 out of the 10 most relevant results are in the same category, you can provide a filter that focuses on that category and add additional ones for the most common attributes (acting here as product-specific filters) in that category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"562\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-faceted_filters-narrow_down_search-850px.jpg\" alt=\"if a shopper runs a site-wide search, you can provide a filter that focuses on that category and add additional ones for the most common attributes\" class=\"wp-image-1464\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-faceted_filters-narrow_down_search-850px.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-faceted_filters-narrow_down_search-850px-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-faceted_filters-narrow_down_search-850px-768x508.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>This can significantly improve user experience as it gets as close to actually reading their thoughts as search technology can get today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can\u2019t really say that it saves time or clicks for the user because it\u2019s fundamentally different from the most simple search methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The point is to provide a better shopping experience<\/strong>. One where the user actually knows they\u2019re getting closer to the product they\u2019re looking for because, with each step, the results and filters become more relevant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It also provides the user with a sense of control without making the shopping experience too difficult. <strong>Shoppers can narrow down search results based on their needs<\/strong>, while not being faced with too many choices (and thus becoming overwhelmed because of the \u2018paradox of choice\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Step-by-Step:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#eaf2ff\"><li>User enters a search or selects a category.<\/li><li>System displays initial results plus relevant facets.<\/li><li>User selects one or multiple filters (e.g., \u201cMen,\u201d \u201cRunning Shoes,\u201d \u201cSize 10\u201d).<\/li><li>Results update immediately to match filters.<\/li><li>Additional facets refine based on filtered results.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"gf626c8312715\"><strong>What\u2019s the Difference Between Filters, Facets, and Faceted Search?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Filters are individual product attributes (e.g., \u201cblue,\u201d \u201c32GB\u201d). Facets are categories of filters (e.g., \u201ccolor,\u201d \u201cmemory size\u201d). Faceted search ties it together, letting users apply multiple attribute filters simultaneously and intelligently refine results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s good to think of the three methods as adding layers of complexity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"622\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-filter_differences-850px.jpg\" alt=\"Faceted Filters, Faceted Navigation and Faceted Search Comparison\" class=\"wp-image-1448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-filter_differences-850px.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-filter_differences-850px-300x220.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-filter_differences-850px-768x562.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g4f6168565733\"><strong>Why Use Faceted Filtering on Your Store?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Faceted filtering enhances <strong>findability and user experience<\/strong>, lowers frustration, reduces search abandonment, and supports purchase decisions. It keeps shoppers engaged by letting them quickly narrow options to what matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Benefits:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#eaf2ff\"><li>Faster product discovery for users.<\/li><li>Improved user experience with logical navigation.<\/li><li>Higher conversion rates as relevant items surface faster.<\/li><li>Better control for customers over results matching their inte<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-anchor\" id=\"chapter-2\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"chapter-heading\" id=\"g27524f94e88c\"><strong>What Are Best Practices for Faceted Filtering?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Good faceted filtering balances relevance, simplicity, and user expectations. Here\u2019s what works:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g1e843f481f5b\"><strong>Essential Faceted Filtering Best Practices<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Offer common universal facets:<\/strong> like brand, price, size.<\/li><li><strong>Use category-specific filters:<\/strong> tailor filters to product type.<\/li><li><strong>Allow multi-selection:<\/strong> let users apply several filters at once.<\/li><li><strong>Use clear, customer-centric wording:<\/strong> match the language shoppers use.<\/li><li><strong>Don\u2019t show filters that return zero results:<\/strong> keeps the interface functional.<\/li><li><strong>Avoid too many facets:<\/strong> only prioritize relevant options.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g1c8039db69c9\"><strong>Common Faceted Filtering Mistakes to Avoid<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Complex, obscure facets shoppers don\u2019t understand.<\/li><li>Static filters that don\u2019t update based on results.<\/li><li>Too broad or too many filter options.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-anchor\" id=\"chapter-3\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"chapter-heading\" id=\"g568f17b5ccdb\"><strong>How Can Faceted Filtering Impact SEO?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Faceted filtering can <strong>positively or negatively<\/strong> affect SEO if not implemented carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"gb6ffdff5d635\"><strong>When Faceted Filtering Helps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Filtered URLs target long-tail keywords.<\/li><li>Internal linking and engagement improve crawl value.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g4f775cc905be\"><strong>Potential SEO Issues with Facets<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Duplicate content \/ index bloat:<\/strong> many filter combinations create similar pages.<\/li><li><strong>Wasted crawl budget:<\/strong> search engines crawling unnecessary URLs.<\/li><li><strong>Diluted link equity:<\/strong> ranking authority spreads thin across many pages.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g8ffec2803f5f\"><strong>Faceted Search SEO Best Practices:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Use <strong>noindex\/nofollow<\/strong> for filter URLs that shouldn\u2019t rank.<\/li><li>Implement <strong>canonical tags<\/strong> to signal preferred pages.<\/li><li>Limit faceted URLs indexed by robots.txt or JavaScript updates.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-anchor\" id=\"chapter-4\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"chapter-heading\" id=\"gfedb2c8e12b7\"><strong>What Are Common Faceted Filtering Examples?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Top ecommerce sites use faceted filtering to tailor listings based on attributes relevant to categories or searches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"gbef2d2a4372b\">Amazon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Amazon leverages all the best UX practices for filtering and displays facets right away after you select a category or run a search.&nbsp;<strong>All facet options, from the first step, are relevant to the products you\u2019re browsing<\/strong>. For example, if you select the Electronics\/Headphones category, these are some of the facet options you get:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"637\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_filters-headphones_category-850px.jpg\" alt=\"Amazon's faceted filter options are relevant to the products\" class=\"wp-image-1497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_filters-headphones_category-850px.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_filters-headphones_category-850px-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_filters-headphones_category-850px-768x576.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The same applies if you execute a search query. For example, if you search for science-fiction author, Isaac Asimov, the system will understand that your query matches the name of an author in a certain genre and will offer further facet options accordingly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"490\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-search_query-filtering.jpg\" alt=\"Amazon's faceted filter options after you execute a search query\" class=\"wp-image-1496\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-search_query-filtering.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-search_query-filtering-300x173.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-search_query-filtering-768x443.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also see that they allow the shopper to select multiple facets (e.g. multiple brands) at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would be even more useful if they displayed the number of products under each attribute; this is what most online retailers do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"335\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_multiple_filters.jpg\" alt=\"faceted filter with multiple brands\" class=\"wp-image-1499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_multiple_filters.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_multiple_filters-300x118.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-amazon_multiple_filters-768x303.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"g3349c47f0d97\">Zappos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator-sub-chapter-h3\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Zappos is a great example of how faceted search should work. Relevant filters appear after you select one of the categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"571\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters.jpg\" alt=\"relevant filters with faceted search after category selection\" class=\"wp-image-1501\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters-768x516.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Or after searching for something via the search box:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"560\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters_for_search_query.jpg\" alt=\"relevant filters with faceted search after search query\" class=\"wp-image-1503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters_for_search_query.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters_for_search_query-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_faceted_filters_for_search_query-768x506.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>As you can see, there are multiple options that help shoppers narrow their search. As a best practice, all of the filters also inform shoppers about how many products have the specific attributes, providing a scope the number of options there are to choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you narrow your search and apply more filters, additional filter suggestions appear horizontally on the top of the results page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_narrowing_choices.jpg\" alt=\" faceted search with additional filter suggestions horizontally on product serp page\" class=\"wp-image-1506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_narrowing_choices.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_narrowing_choices-300x152.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_narrowing_choices-768x389.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>These are based on the previously applied filters and are updated with the most relevant products every step of the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are multiple options here to find the product in question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>You can start with a simple search query<\/li><li>You can select the category you want to start with<\/li><li>You can filter results with the vertical faceted search options<\/li><li>You can also sort by a number of criteria, including New Arrivals, Customer Rating and Best Sellers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Note that, in addition to selecting criteria from the offered facets, there is also an option in the vertical search box to enter additional criteria in text format. Shoppers can use this to search for specific brands, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>This is a good solution if your store has thousands of products and<\/strong>&nbsp;consequently&nbsp;<strong>hundreds or thousands of different attributes<\/strong>: the faceted search engine may offer the most relevant ones, but if the user is searching for something that is not there they don\u2019t have to abandon the store, they can just quickly add their own preferred attribute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_typing_brands-850px.jpg\" alt=\"faceted filter where customers can just quickly add their own preferred attribute\" class=\"wp-image-1511\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_typing_brands-850px.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_typing_brands-850px-300x99.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_typing_brands-850px-768x254.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>improve navigation by including a breadcrumb menu on your site<\/strong>. After a shopper selects a certain product, they will be able to see exactly which category they\u2019re in, which gives them a chance to browse similar products by simply going to a different \u2018level\u2019, instead of running another search.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"850\" height=\"343\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_breadcrumbs-850px.jpg\" alt=\"breadcrumb menu on product pages\" class=\"wp-image-1510\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_breadcrumbs-850px.jpg 850w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_breadcrumbs-850px-300x121.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/FS-zappos_breadcrumbs-850px-768x310.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 850px) 100vw, 850px\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-anchor\" id=\"chapter-5\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"chapter-heading\" id=\"gba0838e8cce1\"><strong>How to Decide If You Need Faceted Filtering?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section getwid-margin-top-none\" style=\"margin-bottom:-20px\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__wrapper getwid-padding-top-none getwid-padding-bottom-none getwid-padding-left-none getwid-padding-right-none getwid-margin-left-none getwid-margin-right-none\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background-holder\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__background\"><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__foreground\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__content\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-section__inner-content\">\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator blog-content-separator\"\/>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>You should add faceted filtering when your product catalog is large, and users struggle to find specific items via basic search or simple navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Use Facets If:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#b5ffd4\"><li>You have <strong>hundreds or thousands of products<\/strong> with many attributes.<\/li><li>Shoppers need to filter by complex combinations.<\/li><li>You want <strong>better conversion and retention<\/strong> from search users.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Skip Faceted Filters If:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#eeb3a6\"><li>Your store has a <strong>small catalog (e.g., &lt;200 products)<\/strong>.<\/li><li>Basic category filters solve most findability needs.<\/li><li>The implementation cost outweighs value for your UX.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><em>If you have any questions regarding faceted search, feel free to ask us any time \u2013 we\u2019ve already built a number of search engines for our clients and are always happy to share our knowledge!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-advanced-spacer\" style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-person author-profile-picture\"><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-person__image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" src=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Paige_Tyrrell-150x150.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-1830\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Paige_Tyrrell-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Paige_Tyrrell.jpg 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/div><div class=\"wp-block-getwid-person__content-wrapper\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-person__title\">Paige Tyrrell<\/span><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-person__subtitle\">Head of Marketing &#8211; Prefixbox<\/span><p class=\"wp-block-getwid-person__content\">Paige is the Head of Marketing at Prefixbox, a leading eCommerce site search solution. She\u2019s an American who\u2019s been living in Budapest since 2017 and loves giving #alwayslearning sessions to help people optimize their online stores.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links has-default-spacing\" style=\"font-size:29px\"><ul class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__list getwid-justify-content-center\"><li class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__item\"><a class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/paigetyrrell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__wrapper\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links has-large-spacing has-icons-framed\" style=\"font-size:20px\"><ul class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__list getwid-justify-content-center\"><li class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__item\"><a class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/prefixbox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__wrapper\"><i class=\"fab fa-facebook-f\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__item\"><a class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/prefixbox\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"wp-block-getwid-social-links__wrapper\"><i class=\"fab fa-linkedin-in\"><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Help shoppers find the products they want to buy by leveraging Faceted Search. Learn more about what it is and how to use it here!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":5002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=986"}],"version-history":[{"count":453,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7647,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/986\/revisions\/7647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=986"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=986"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.prefixbox.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=986"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}