Filter settings

Helpful links

1. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes

2. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure

3. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/theme-settings

4. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/customizing-themes

5. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/features-list

6. https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/unlicensed-themes

Reference videos

1. Online store — The official Shopify guide

Overview

The Filter settings group provides centralized controls for how customers filter, sort, and refine product listings throughout your shop. Adjusting these settings shapes customer experience across all product collection and search pages, streamlining discovery and navigation. These preferences are set globally but can be selectively overridden in specific areas to suit unique merchandising needs.

⚠️ Important: The choices you make in Filter settings strongly influence how easily customers can browse, narrow, and sort products throughout your storefront.

Key components and functionality

Filter settings

Filter settings include several options for managing filter and sort controls that are shown to customers. These tools can make product discovery more efficient, support visible navigation, or contribute to a minimal storefront design—depending on how you configure them.

Display filters

This option controls whether filter tools—such as by price, collection, or tags—are shown to customers on collection and search result pages.

1. If enabled, customers can use filter menus to refine product lists.

2. If disabled, filter tools are hidden from all pages.

   1. The default setting is false.

Enabling filters can improve product visibility and help customers quickly locate what they need, especially in shops with expansive or diverse catalogs.

Display in stock

This option makes an "In stock" filter available, letting customers choose to see only products that are currently available.

1. If enabled, customers gain the option to display only in-stock products while browsing.

2. If disabled, all products are shown regardless of current inventory.

   1. The default setting is false.

This filter is especially valuable for fast-moving inventories or during promotions, helping shoppers focus on what they can actually buy.

Display sort

This option controls the appearance of sorting tools, allowing customers to change the order of products—for example, by price or newest arrivals.

1. If enabled, sort controls appear above the product grid.

2. If disabled, the default product order is always used.

   1. The default setting is true.

Giving users sort options enhances browsing efficiency and is particularly helpful when managing large product assortments.

Display open by default

This setting determines if the filter controls start expanded when a page loads, or begin collapsed and require customer interaction.

1. If enabled, the full filter panel appears open whenever a customer lands on a collection or search page.

2. If disabled, the panel is initially collapsed until opened by the user.

   1. The default setting is true.

Leaving filters open on load can increase their usage and make options more obvious—especially for desktop or tablet users.

📝 Note: You might consider leaving filters open by default for desktop layouts to improve visibility, while on mobile, collapsed filters free up valuable space until needed. Adapting these behaviors ensures a responsive, user-friendly experience on all devices.

Usage notes

Filter settings excel in stores with broad or complex product ranges by enhancing findability and giving customers more control. For smaller or select inventories, you might consider disabling certain controls for a more streamlined browsing experience.

It’s helpful to periodically review your filter and sort setup, particularly if your catalog size or product mix evolves over time. Carefully balance desktop and mobile experiences; many shops benefit from having different filter defaults between device types due to space constraints and browsing habits.

Offering an in-stock filter is especially valuable when product availability fluctuates. Ensuring that all filter and sort elements are accessible allows every visitor to easily interact with your shop’s browsing tools.

💡 Tip: You might consider adapting Filter settings in response to promotional events, changing seasons, or as your product offering expands. Always test changes on both desktop and mobile to maintain an optimal experience for all customers.