Filter Product by Category in WooCommerce

Setting up category filters in WooCommerce allows customers to easily browse products based on their interests. Here’s how to create categories, assign them to products, and enable filtering via the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters widget.

Step 1: Create a Category

  1. Navigate to Categories:
    • Go to Products > Categories in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Add a New Category:
    • Fill in the required fields:
      • Name: Enter the name of the category (e.g., Laptop).
      • Slug: Create a URL-friendly version of the category name (e.g., laptop).
      • Parent Category: Select a parent category if applicable (optional).
      • Description: Provide a description for the category (optional).
    • Click the Add New Category button.
    • You will see the new category appear in the list.
create new category

Step 2: Add the Category to a Product

  1. Go to All Products:
    • Navigate to Products > All Products.
  2. Edit or Add a New Product:
    • Click on an existing product to edit it or click Add New to create a new product.
  3. Assign the Category:
    • On the product edit page, locate the Categories section on the right panel.
    • Check the box next to the category you want to assign (or click Add New Category to create a new one).
    • After selecting the category, click Update or Publish to save your changes.
add category to product

Step 3: Remove or Add Categories in the Filter Widget Form

  1. Access Filter Settings:
    • Go to Product Filters > Form Manage in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Show Categories:
    • In the settings, find the Show Categories option.
    • Toggle this option on or off to control whether categories appear in the filter widget.
Screenshot 23

Step 4: Style/Design/Customize the Category Widget

  1. Access Form Style Settings:
    • Go to Product Filters > Form Style in your WordPress dashboard.
  2. Select Category from Dropdown:
    • From the Select Attribute dropdown menu, select the category you want to customize.
  3. Choose Category Style Options:
    • Select one of the style options:
      • Checkbox
      • Image
      • Select
    • Each option provides a different way for users to interact with the filter.
  4. Select Suboptions:
    • Based on the style option you choose (Checkbox, Image, or Select), select the appropriate suboptions to configure the appearance and behavior of the category widget.

Optional Settings

The Optional Settings section allows you to control the appearance, behavior, and ordering of individual filter widgets.

Enable Minimization Option

Controls whether the filter widget can be collapsed.

  • Disabled – Filter always stays expanded
  • Enabled with Arrow – Toggle using an arrow icon
  • Enabled without Arrow – Toggle without showing an icon
  • Initially Minimized – Filter loads in collapsed state

Enable Hierarchical

Defines how hierarchical terms (e.g., categories) are displayed.

  • Disabled – Flat list
  • Enabled – Parent–child hierarchy
  • Enabled & Separate – Parent and child shown separately
  • Enabled & Hide Child – Child terms hidden until parent is selected

Single Selection

Allows only one filter value to be selected at a time.

Show / Hide Number of Products

Displays the product count next to each filter term.

Max Height

Sets a maximum height for the filter list.

  • Enter 0 to disable height restriction
  • Useful for long lists with scrolling

Show / Hide Widget Title

Controls the visibility of the filter title on the frontend.

  • Show – Display title
  • Hide – Hide title

Widget Title

Set a custom title for the filter widget.

Order Values / Terms By

Controls how filter values are sorted.

  • Default
  • Alphabetically (A–Z)
  • Numeric
  • Product Count
  • Month & Year
  • Menu Order

Order Direction

Defines sorting order.

  • Ascending
  • Descending

Advanced Settings

The Advanced Settings section lets you fine-tune filter behavior, appearance, and user interaction, including term logic, search options, tooltips, and auto-suggestion.

CSS Class

Add a custom CSS class to the filter widget for custom styling or JavaScript targeting.

Operator (OR / AND)

Controls how multiple selected terms are applied:

  • OR – Products matching any selected term
  • AND – Products matching all selected terms

Include / Exclude Terms From Filters

Control which terms are displayed:

  • None – Show all terms
  • Include – Show only selected terms
  • Exclude – Hide selected terms

Terms Search

Helps users quickly find filter options, especially useful for long term lists.

  • Enable / Disable Terms Search – Show or hide the search field
  • Terms Search Title & Placeholder – Set label and placeholder text
  • Terms Search Position
    • In title bar
    • After title
    • After all terms
  • Layout
    • Vertical
    • Horizontal

Tooltip Settings

Provides additional information for filter terms.

  • Enable / Disable Tooltip
  • Tooltip Text – Set tooltip content

Show in Active / Chips Filter Widget

Displays selected filter terms in the Active Filters or Chips widget for easy visibility and removal.

Step 5: Save Changes

After customizing the category widget, make sure to click Save to apply your changes.

Step 6: Display the Product Filter on Your Webpage

  1. Insert Filter Shortcode:
    • Visit the page where you want to display the product filter.
    • Add the shortcode plugincy_filters to the desired location (e.g., in a page or widget).
  2. Optional Product Shortcode:
    • If you want to display products alongside the filters, you can also include the shortcode products.
category widget in filter form

Once set up, customers will be able to filter products by category on your webpage using the Dynamic AJAX Product Filters plugin. This enhances navigation and allows users to find products that meet their specific interests quickly and easily.