Product Filters

Product Filters

A dynamic menu system that allows customers to choose which products they would like to view based upon several product attributes such as price, category, brand and custom defined attributes. Product Filters cannot be created during import. They should be created before importing. Filter values can be assigned per product during the import process.

What Is a Product Filter?

Product Filters are a dynamic menu system that allows customers to choose which products they would like to view based upon several predefined product attributes such as price, category, brand, or any other custom defined attributes. Product Filters cannot be created during import. They should be created before importing. Filter Values, however, can be assigned per product during the import process.

Product Filters can be located under the Products tab.

What Is a Filter Value?

A Filter Value is any option by which a customer may narrow his/her viewing results. For instance, in the case of price, your Filter Values should consist only of prices that are consistent with the Products that exist for your online store.

What Is a Filter Group?

Filters can be assigned to Filter Groups in order to allow you to assign different groups of filters to Category Types, Categories, and Subcategories.

How to Set Up Product Filters

Product Filters are a dynamic menu system that allows customers to choose which products they would like to view based upon several predefined product attributes such as price, category, brand, or any other custom defined attributes. Product Filters cannot be created during import. They should be created before importing. Filter Values, however, can be assigned per product during the import process.

Product Filters can be located under the Products tab.

Example: Setting Up Filters by Manufacturer, Price and a Custom Value (Screen Size)

1. Go the SearchFit control panel, Filters screen (located within the Products tab).

2. Setup the Filter by Brand: Click the New Filter link. Choose Manufacturers (checkboxes) from the filter type select box. Enter a filter name (such as Brands). Click the Add button. For this to work, each product must be assigned a Manufacturer on the Products tab | Products screen | Manufacturer tab.

3. Setup Filter by Price: Click the New Filter link. Choose Price Ranges from the filter type select box. Enter a filter name (such as "Price"). Click the Add button.

4. Setup a (custom) Filter By Screen Size. Click the New Filter link. Choose Standard from the filter type select box. Enter a filter name, such as Screen Size. Click the Add button. Add Filter Values to the “By Screen Size” Filter: Click the Add Filter Value link. Enter a Filter Value and click the Add button. Enter the desired Filter Values (and note their ids). For example, you enter these Filter Values related to screen size:

• 1″-20″, 21″-29″, 30″-39″, etc

5. Assign Filter Values to Products via bulk import. Use the Products tab | Products screen | Import Records form | Product Filters section to assign the filters. A filter value id (by screen size) should be imported for each product. Alternately, you may assign filter values by clicking the Edit link corresponding to a product on the Products Screen and modifying the settings found on the Filters tab.

6. Create a Filter Group: While on the Product Filters screen, select Manage Group of Filters from the Choose Action select box. Click the New Filter Group select box. Enter A Group Name, then click the Continue button. Next, click the Add to Filter Group link. Choose the filter group you just created from the filter group name select box. Choose the Brand filter group you created in step 2. Next, do the same for the Price and By Screen Size filter Groups.

7. Go to the Products tab | Configure Products screen | Product Filters tab. Here you may adjust a variety of settings related to the Filter Results page. Specify the default product filter group (should be the filter group created in step 6).

8. Modify Your Template to show the filterable menu. Add the keyword DYNAMIC_INCLUDE(MENU_FILTERS) in the location where the filterable menu should appear. Generate to view changes.

Product Filters

• Manage Filters Table: Filter Names can be described as product attributes (for example, color). Filter Values can be described as product attribute values (for example, red).
  • ID: The internal database id of the given filter.
  • Foreign ID: This id can be assigned to the filter by the SearchFit user. This is necessary if filter values per product will be imported later.
  • Filter Type: Filter Types are described below and include: Standard, Price Ranges, Categories (checkboxes), Categories (dropdown), Manufacturers(checkboxes), Manufacturers(dropdown).
  • Filter Name: The Filter Name as it appears on the Dynamic Filterable Menu. The maximum characters allowed in this field is 50.
  • Filter Values: All possible values for a given filter. The maximum characters allowed in this field is 50.
  • Default Filter Value: This is the dropdown choice when no filter value for a particular filter is chosen. This allows the store owners to show choices like “All Colors” and “All Sizes” instead of the blank choice.
  • # Visible: The number of filter values displayed for the given filter on the Dynamic Filterable Menu. If number of filter values exceed the value entered for # Visible, then a “view all” link will appear beneath the list of filter menus.
  • Sort Number: Determines the order that the filter values per filter will appear on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
• New Filter
  • Filter Type: Choose The Type of Filter as described below.
    • Standard: The only type of filter that is not predefined. You may use this filter type to create filters with customizable values.
    • Price Ranges: Filter based on price ranges according to the prices you have already entered into the cart.
    • Categories(checkboxes): Adds a list of Categories with a checkbox for each to the Dynamic Filterable Menu. The Categories listed contain products that match the current selection on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
    • Categories(dropdown): Adds a Select Box containing a list of Categories to the Dynamic Filterable Menu. The Categories listed contain products that match the current selection on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
    • Manufacturers(checkboxes): Adds a list of Manufacturers with a checkbox for each to the Dynamic Filterable Menu. The Manufacturers listed contain products that match the current selection on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
    • Manufacturers(dropdown): Adds a Select Box containing a list of Manufacturers to the Dynamic Filterable Menu. The Manufactures listed contain products that match the current selection on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
• Add Filter Value: Adds a filter value to an existing Filter.

• Manage Group of Filters Table: Filters can be assigned to groups in order to allow you to assign different groups of filters to category types, categories and subcategories.
  • ID: The internal id of the Filter Group.
  • Filter Group Name: Name of the Filter Group as it will appear in the Filter Group Select Boxes in the Control Panel screens where it is possible to assign a filter group (Category Type, Category, Sub Category, Etc). Does not appear on the Dynamic Filterable Menu.
  • Filter Names: The Filter Names as they were created and appear in the Manage Filters Table.
  • Sort #: Controls the order in which the Filters will appear in the Given Filter Group.
  • New Filter Group: Create a new Group of Filters. Filters can be shared between Filter Groups. The purpose of having more than one filter group is to be able to assign different sets of filters per Category Type, Category or Sub Category.
  • Add Filter to Group: Allows you to add a filter to a filter group. The primary method for adding filters to a filter group.