Color filters can change how people shop by helping them spot the right product faster. They make your store look clean, organized, and easy to explore. If you’re setting up an online shop, you might already be thinking about how to add filter by color in WooCommerce?
Add a color filter in WooCommerce by creating a “Color” attribute, assigning it to products, and using the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters plugin. Enable the color filter in settings, customize its look, then display it with “plugincy_filters attribute=”color””. Remove the first and last inverted commas and place the code inside the square brackets [ ].
If this is something you’re working on, you’re in the right place. This article covers everything you need to know, from creating attributes to customizing filter styles. Keep reading to explore the full steps and helpful tips that make your color filters work perfectly.
How to Add Filter by Color in WooCommerce?
Color filtering makes product browsing easier and more visual for customers. WooCommerce doesn’t include this feature by default, but it can be added with a plugin. The process involves creating color attributes, assigning them to products, and configuring a filter plugin. This guide explains each step in detail so you can set it up confidently.
Step 1: Create the “Color” Attribute in WooCommerce
This step sets up the core attribute your filter will use.
- Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
- In the left sidebar, hover over Products and click Attributes.
- Under the Add new attribute section:
- In the Name field, type Color.
- (Optional) Set the Slug to color if you want a cleaner URL.
- Leave Enable Archives unchecked (unless you want a color archive page).
- Type can remain as default (this won’t affect filtering).
- Click the Add attribute button.
- Once created, it will appear in the table on the right.
- Now, click Configure terms next to the new “Color” attribute.
Add Color Terms:
- You’ll be taken to a new screen to add specific color options.
- For each color:
- Name: (e.g., Red)
- Slug: (e.g., red)
- Description: (optional)
- Click Add new Color after each one.
- Repeat for all colors you want (Blue, Green, Black, White, etc.).
Step 2: Assign Color Attributes to Your Products
Once your attributes and terms are ready, link them to your products.
- Go to Products → All Products.
- Click Edit on any product you want to assign a color to.
- Scroll to the Product Data section.
- Click on the Attributes tab.
- In the dropdown, select Color, then click Add.
- You’ll now see a box with all your created color terms.
- Check the box for the colors that apply to this product.
- Make sure to check Visible on the product page if you want it shown.
- Click Save attributes.
- Update the product to save your changes.
Repeat this for all other products, assigning their correct color(s).
Step 3: Install and Activate the Filter Plugin
To enable advanced product filtering like color swatches, real-time AJAX filtering, and more, you’ll need the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce plugin by Proword. Here’s how to install and set it up properly.
Step-by-Step Installation Process
- Log in to Your WordPress Dashboard.
- You need Administrator access to install plugins.
- Go to Plugins → Add New.
- This is found in the left-hand sidebar of your dashboard.
- In the Search Bar, type: Dynamic AJAX Product Filters for WooCommerce
- Locate the Plugin developed by Proword.
- The icon usually features filtering elements and a WooCommerce tag.
- Click Install Now, then wait for the installation process to complete.
- Once installed, click the Activate button.
- The plugin will now be live on your site.
- After activation, go to Plugins → Installed Plugins to confirm it’s active.
Basic Requirements to Use This Plugin
Before using it effectively, make sure your system meets the recommended requirements:
| Requirement | Minimum Version |
| WordPress | 5.0 or higher |
| WooCommerce | 3.6.0 or higher |
| PHP | 7.0 or higher |
Using lower versions may lead to performance issues or plugin errors.
Initial Plugin Setup: Configuring Product Filters
After activation, it’s time to configure what filters you want to offer in your WooCommerce store. Go to Admin Dashboard → Product Filters → Form Manage.
- Enable the Filtering Elements You Need:
- Show Categories
- Show Attributes
- Show Tags
- Show Price Range
- Show Rating
(Enable only what’s relevant to your store’s product types.)
- Choose Your Filtering Method Under “Use URL-Based Filter”:
- With Query String: Uses URLs like ?filters=color:red
- With Permalinks: More SEO-friendly, uses clean URLs like /color/red
- With AJAX: Best for user experience — filters results live without page reloads
- Click Save Changes after you select your preferences.
Even if you’re already using another WooCommerce AJAX product filter, this plugin lets you control layout and behavior more easily using built-in settings.
Step 5: Display the Filter on Your Shop Page
You can add the color filter using a shortcode or a widget.
Option A: Use Shortcode
- Go to Pages → All Pages and open your Shop page.
- Add this shortcode wherever you want the filter to appear. Make sure you paste this code inside the square brackets [ ]: plugincy_filters attribute=”color”
- You can place it above, below, or beside the product grid.
- Click Update to save changes.
Option B: Use Widgets
- Go to Appearance → Widgets.
- Drag the Dynamic AJAX Filter widget into a sidebar or widget area.
- Under the widget settings:
- Choose Color as the attribute.
- Label it (e.g., “Filter by Color”).
- Save the widget.
Step 6: Customize the Look of the Color Filter
Make your filters visually appealing and consistent with your store branding.
- Go to Product Filters → Form Style.
- Scroll to the section that lists attributes.
- Find the Color attribute.
- Choose your Display Type:
- Color Swatches (best for visual filtering)
- Checkboxes
- Dropdown
- Radio Buttons
- For Color Swatches:
- The plugin will usually auto-detect based on term slugs (e.g., red = red swatch).
- You may also customize each swatch using hex codes if your theme supports it.
- Adjust other settings:
- Spacing
- Border radius
- Swatch size
- Font or label settings
- Click Save Style Settings.
For advanced style matching, you can add custom CSS in Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS.
You’ve now added a dynamic, color-based product filter to your WooCommerce store. This improves your site’s usability and helps customers find what they want faster. Don’t forget to test it regularly and match its design with your theme for the best results. With this filter in place, your store becomes much easier to browse, and that means more satisfied shoppers and higher conversions.
How to Customize the Look of Your Color Filter?
Once your filter is functional, it’s important to match its look and feel with your site’s design. The plugin gives you multiple styling options so your filters can be clean, visual, and user-friendly. You can display colors as swatches, checkboxes, dropdowns, or radio buttons—whichever fits your brand better.
Step 1: Open the Form Style Panel
- In your WordPress dashboard, go to: Product Filters → Form Style
- This section controls how each attribute-based filter looks on the frontend.
Step 2: Locate the Color Filter Block
- Scroll through the list of available filters.
- Find the block labeled Color — it should reflect the attribute you created earlier.
- Click on it to expand the customization options.
Step 3: Choose Your Display Style
You’ll see a dropdown or button selection for display types. Choose one of the following:
- Color Swatches – Displays each color visually, using circles or boxes filled with color. Best for stores where product color is a major decision factor.
- Checkboxes – Shows a list of color names with checkbox inputs. Simple, clean, and good for text-based themes.
- Dropdowns – Displays all colors in a collapsible menu. Best for mobile-friendliness and minimal layout.
- Radio Buttons – Shows all color names with round selection buttons. Great if you want users to select only one color at a time.
Step 4: Adjust Styling and Colors
- Most themes automatically apply the swatch color based on the term slug (e.g., “red” shows red).
- If needed, you can override these styles using:
- Custom HEX codes
- CSS styling
- Theme overrides (advanced users)
- You can also adjust:
- Swatch Size
- Border Radius
- Label font and spacing
- Spacing between items
- Click Save Changes once your customization is complete.
Bonus Tip:
If swatches don’t appear as expected:
- Make sure your attribute slugs match actual color names (e.g., red, blue).
- Clear your site cache and browser cache to see updates.
Customizing the look of your color filter helps it blend naturally with your store’s design. Whether you prefer swatches or simple checkboxes, the right style can make product filtering more intuitive. Don’t forget to preview changes before saving. A well-designed filter not only looks good but also improves the overall shopping experience.
How to Make Sure Your Color Filters Work on Mobile Devices?
Mobile shopping is super common now, and most people browse products from their phones. If your color filter doesn’t work well on mobile, it can really confuse or annoy users. So it’s worth making sure everything runs smoothly. Here are a few tips to do it.
- Test your color filter by visiting your site on different mobile devices and screen sizes to see how it looks and responds when used.
- Make sure the filter layout isn’t too wide for small screens and check that it doesn’t break or overlap other content while scrolling.
- Use color swatches that are big enough to tap with a finger, and leave some space around them to avoid accidental clicks.
- Try your filter with different mobile browsers like Chrome and Safari to see if anything looks off or doesn’t load properly.
- Enable AJAX filtering so the page doesn’t reload every time someone taps a color, which helps the filter feel faster and smoother.
- Avoid placing the filter too far down the page—try adding it near the top or inside a collapsible menu that opens easily.
- Don’t forget to test on both vertical and horizontal screen views to make sure the filter stays visible and works well in both positions.
Making your color filter mobile-friendly can really improve the shopping experience. A few simple checks and small changes can make a big difference on smaller screens.
Best Filter Combinations With Color Filter for a Smooth WooCommerce
Many shoppers look for more than just style—they want an easy way to sort through products. Using smart filter combinations with color can help them find what they love faster. Let’s explore how to make that happen!
Product Type
Customers often come in with a clear idea of what they need, whether it’s shirts, shoes, or bags. Adding a product type filter along with color gives them the power to mix both choices easily. This makes it quicker for them to get results that match exactly what they’re thinking of. For example, someone wanting red shoes won’t have to dig through every red item just to find them.
Size Options
Every shopper wants their pick to fit. That’s why pairing the color filter with a size filter works so well. When someone selects both, they avoid wasting time on products that aren’t available in their size. It keeps the shopping experience smooth and fast. No one wants to fall in love with something only to realize it’s not available in their size or color.
Price Range
Sometimes people shop based on budget before anything else. Allowing them to set a price range along with the color helps them stay on track. It also prevents showing items they can’t afford, making them feel more confident in their choices. Combining price and color filtering creates a clean and helpful shopping layout that keeps buyers happy and interested.
Ratings Filter
Let’s say someone finds a product in their favorite color, but now they want to make sure it’s actually good. This is where the idea to filter by rating in WooCommerce comes in handy. Along with color, adding this type of filter gives people a better chance to find well-liked items. It builds trust and helps highlight top-rated products without any guesswork involved.
Brand Preference
People often stick to brands they trust. Combining brand and color filters helps fans of specific labels quickly spot what they’re looking for. Whether it’s a popular sports brand or a local fashion name, this combo gives them exactly what they want without extra searching. It also gives your store a cleaner look and a better chance to highlight featured collections.
Smart filter combinations do more than just organize products; they make shopping feel easy and fun. When color is used alongside other filters, it creates a smoother path for buyers to follow. Customers get what they want faster, with less stress. Try adding these combos to your store for a better shopping experience.
Tips to Organize Products by Color Without Confusing Shoppers
When people browse online stores, they usually want to find what they like without feeling overwhelmed. Grouping products by color sounds easy, but if done poorly, it can create confusion. A neat and simple setup always works best. Let’s check out a few easy ways to keep things clear and smooth.
Use Clear Color Labels
Shoppers feel more comfortable when color options are easy to understand. Instead of using fancy names like “sunset orange” or “sky dusk,” stick to regular names like “red” or “blue.” Keep the color terms consistent across all your products so people don’t second-guess what they’re clicking. Also, place the color name near product titles or thumbnails to help users notice it quickly while browsing.
Avoid Too Many Options
Offering too many color choices can make the page look cluttered. It’s better to show only the most available or most popular colors first. If you have more than 5 or 6, try using a “more options” dropdown to keep the layout clean. When fewer choices appear at once, it helps shoppers focus better and reduces the chance of clicking the wrong thing.
Keep Filter Layout Simple
Some filters look great on desktop but are messy on phones. Keep your layout simple so the color filter doesn’t feel crowded on smaller screens. Use basic shapes or color swatches with enough spacing between each one. If you’re already using a category-based layout, you can lightly include a category filter in WooCommerce to make things even easier without changing your existing design too much.
Match Product Images
Each product should clearly show the color that matches its label. If someone clicks “Green,” they expect to see something that actually looks green. Don’t mix colors in one photo unless you explain that multiple options are available. Keep things clear by showing different product photos for each color so users can trust what they’re selecting.
Use Separate Sections
Sometimes it helps to group colors in their own rows or sections on the shop page. This can be done using your theme’s layout options or by creating blocks for each color group. For example, have one row for reds, one for blues, and so on. This makes browsing more organized and helps people compare similar shades without jumping all over the page.
Organizing by color can really improve how people shop, but only if it’s done in a simple way. When things look clean and easy to follow, shoppers stay longer and feel more confident. Even small layout changes can make a big difference. So keep testing and adjusting until everything feels just right.
FAQs About How to Add Filter by Color in WooCommerce?
Here’s a helpful FAQ section that covers extra questions people often have when setting up a color filter in WooCommerce. These answers go beyond the main steps and clear up confusion so you can build a smoother and smarter shopping experience.
How Can I Show Colors as Circles Instead of Text?
To show colors as small colored circles, use the swatch display option in your filter plugin settings. Most plugins, like Dynamic AJAX Product Filters, let you choose how color options appear. You can set it to show color circles by selecting “Color Swatches.” If it doesn’t look right, check your color term slugs and make sure they match real color names.
Why Is My Color Filter Not Showing on the Shop Page?
Sometimes the filter doesn’t appear because it hasn’t been added to the page yet. Make sure you use the right shortcode or place the filter widget in the sidebar. Also, check if your products have color attributes assigned. If they don’t, the filter won’t know what to show and will stay hidden.
Can I Let Customers Choose Multiple Colors at Once?
Yes, many filter plugins let users pick more than one color while shopping. This means a customer can search for both red and blue items at the same time. To do this, make sure your filter style is set to “checkbox” or another multi-select option. Test it to see if it works properly before going live.
How Do I Change the Order of Color Options?
If your color options look random, you can change their order. Go to the color attribute settings and drag the color terms into the order you want. Save the changes after sorting them. This way, you can show the most popular or most-used colors first.
Is It Possible to Show Color Filters Only on Certain Pages?
Yes, you can choose where to display the filters by using shortcodes or widget rules. For example, you may want to show the color filter only on your main Shop page, not on blog pages. If you’re using a page builder like Elementor, use widget visibility settings. This helps keep your layout clean and focused.
How Do I Add Color Filters to a Custom Product Page?
If you’ve built your own product page layout, you can still add filters. Just use the plugin’s shortcode and place it inside a text block or code section. Make sure the page is set to show products so the filter works properly. You may also need to adjust the design to fit your custom layout.
Can I Create a Color Filter for Variable Products?
Yes, color filters work well with variable products like t-shirts in different shades. Just be sure each variation includes the correct color attribute. Without this, the filter won’t catch those items. Once added, the plugin will include all matching product variations in the results.
What Happens If I Delete a Color Term?
Deleting a color term removes it from all connected products. This means those items won’t show up in color filter results anymore. Make sure to check which products use the color before removing it. If needed, you can replace it with a new term before deleting the old one.
How Can I Translate My Color Filter?
If your store supports different languages, you can translate color terms. Use a translation plugin like WPML or Loco Translate to set up language versions. Make sure the color names stay simple and clear in each language. This way, all shoppers can understand and use the filters.
Does My Theme Affect the Color Filter Design?
Yes, your theme can change how filters look and behave. Some themes have built-in styles that may override plugin settings. If your filter looks broken or strange, try changing its style in the plugin settings or use custom CSS. Testing with your theme’s preview mode can help you fix layout issues quickly.
End Note
Adding a color filter gives your store a more organized look and helps shoppers pick products faster. When everything is arranged clearly, people feel more confident in their choices. It’s a small feature that can make a big impact.
If you’re wondering how to add filter by color in WooCommerce?, the answer is simple: create a color attribute, assign it to products, and activate the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters plugin to display it using a shortcode or widget.
Before you finish, double-check mobile view, keep color names simple, and avoid adding too many filter options. A smooth shopping experience keeps visitors happy. Good luck with your store, hope your filters work perfectly and boost your sales!