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How to Set up BigCommerce Product Filtering?

Last updated: December 01, 2023
This article has been written and researched by our expert Avada through a precise methodology. Learn more about our methodology

Roger

Author

Daniel

Researcher

Today people can purchase innumerable products on e-commerce platforms. As online business owners, you need to understand that shoppers like to find products quickly, and offering a better product discovery experience is critical. One of the most fundamental methods you could apply is to use Product Filtering, which enables shoppers to search and find targeted products in an easier and faster manner.

Understanding that need, we are here to provide you with a comprehensive tutorial about how to set up this fantastic feature on one of the most prevalent e-commerce platforms nowadays called BigCommerce.

Let’s dive in and research about how to set up BigCommerce Product Filtering.

What is Product Filtering?

What is Product Filtering?
What is Product Filtering?

BigCommerce Product Filtering (also known as faceted search) is a storefront feature that allows customers to “filter” items that appear on category, brand, and search pages. This feature is only available on the Pro and Enterprise plans.

Filters (also known as facets) may be based on product characteristics such as price range, color, brand, rating, and size.

Advantages of setting up BigCommerce Product Filtering

The feature of Product Filtering brings about plenty of benefits that essentially contributes to your online business success. Below are some of the significant advantages of BigCommerce Product Filtering:

  • Help shoppers to navigate products more quickly
  • Increase ease of use for shoppers
  • Better shopping experience
  • Boost conversion rates

How to set up BigCommerce Product Filtering?

This part will give you a step-by-step guide on how to set up BigCommerce Product Filtering.

Make sure to log into your BigCommerce store and be on the main dashboard. After that, let’s follow our main 6 steps below.

Step 1: Enable “Product Filtering”

The first step is to enable “Product Filtering”. To do that, go to Products (on the left hand side of the dashboard), and then Product Filtering.

Go to Product
Go to Product

Step 2: Display up to 12 filters

Now you can start choosing what filters are going to be displayed on the storefront. With BigCommerce, your online store can display up to 12 filters, which can be any combination of the following: Category, Price, Rating, Brand, Free Shipping, Featured Products, Products in Stock, and Product Options.

Step 2: Display up to 12 filters
Step 2: Display up to 12 filters

Step 3: Select between managing filters for Storefront or individual categories

This step allows you to apply the Product Filtering feature for all categories (by default) or just some specific categories.

To do that, use the dropdown list at the top of the page.

Step 3: Select between managing filters for Storefront or some specific categories
Step 3: Select between managing filters for Storefront or some specific categories

Step 4: Enable/ disable a filter from showing on the storefront

In order to enable a filter to appear on your storefront, you just need to click the checkbox under “Visible”.

Similarly, if you don’t want to show that filter to shoppers, leave that checkbox unchecked.

Step 4: Enable/ disable a filter from showing on the storefront
Step 4: Enable/ disable a filter from showing on the storefront

Step 5: Edit the settings for each filter

This step helps you to set particular settings for each filter. All you need to do is click the ⋯ settings menu to the right. After changing the settings based on your preferences, click “Save”.

By doing this, your filters will display on your storefront the exact way they are organized in this setting order.

Edit the settings for filter Color
Edit the settings for filter Color

Step 6: Click “Save”

After finishing all of these changes, remember to click “Save” on the right corner of the Product Filtering page.

Step 6: Click Save
Step 6: Click Save

Tips for better Product Filtering setup

This part will give you some bonus tips to take full advantage of the Product Filtering feature.

1. Use “Contextual Filters”

In case you just want filters to appear on specific categories rather than on all categories, this tip may come in handy for you.

If you notice, filters will be applied for all categories automatically, which appears on top of the page as “Storefront”. To activate contextual filters, you should go to the dropdown list under “Storefront” and change it to the category you wish to customize.

Also, remember to uncheck the box “Use Storefront Default” as the below picture shows.

Contextual Filters
Contextual Filters

2. Use custom fields as filters

“Custom fields” allow you to add additional details to product pages, such as a book’s ISBN, a DVD’s release date, or a product’s material.

When combined with product filtering, this information can help shoppers search products more quickly and easily.

Therefore, keep in mind this special feature and apply it to your store. Learn more about Custom Fields here .

Custom Fields
Custom Fields

3. Hide out of stock options from product filtering search results

This tip is handy for you when your store runs out of a type of product, and you do not want your customers to see that product on your storefront.

In order to do that, go to “Advanced Settings” which is on the left-hand side of your BigCommerce control panel. Then go to “Inventory”. Take a look at “When an option is out of stock”, select “Mark the option as out of stock”. This will automatically open up an additional option, “Also hide in product filtering results”. Please make sure to check that box!

Finally, click “Save” to fully activate this setting.

Now you can be sure that only your in-stock products can be shown to customers in the filtering search results, which brings greater relevance to customers when searching.

Advanced Settings in the control panel
Advanced Settings in the control panel
Inventory in the control panel
Inventory in the control panel
make it big, ecommerce conference

Conclusion

You have come to the end of this comprehensive tutorial. Congratulations!

Hopefully, now you are confident enough to perform the BigCommerce Product Filtering setup and receive good feedback from your customers thanks to this wonderful feature.

If you have any questions about BigCommerce Product Filtering setup, feel free to ask them in the comments section below. Thank you for reading and see you in the next article!


Roger has over 4 years of experience in SEO. While in college, he started learning about SEO and showed a passion for the field. Right after graduation, he embarked on SEO projects and achieved great success. After years of working, he has learned deeply about SEO. Currently, he is the SEO team leader at avada.io

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