Smart Search Recommendation: Configuring Default Filters

The Filters section in the Smart Search Recommendation app allows merchants to create and manage filters that help shoppers narrow down search results on the storefront. By configuring filters effectively, customers can find their desired products faster, improving product discoverability and overall shopping experience.

This article explains how to configure the settings in Default filter, which define the standard filtering conditions applied across all collection pages and the search results page.

Supported Filter Conditions

Default filters support a variety of filter conditions that determine how customers can refine product search results. The following table lists all available filter types and conditions:

How to Configure a Filter Condition

To add and configure a new filter condition:

1. Go to Smart Search Recommendation > Filters > Default filter.

2. Click Add filter condition or Add a filter item.

   

3. In the Filter options card, select a Filter type from the dropdown list. You can search or scroll through available filter types (e.g., Price, Color, Product Type).
4. Enter a custom name in the Filter type name field — this is the label displayed on the storefront.

5. Manage Filter values based on the selected filter condition. For more details, refer to the "Managing Filter Values" section. 

   

   Note: Some filter conditions have predefined values and cannot be manually configured.

6. Click Add to apply.

Managing Filter Values

The Filter value section controls how values under a filter condition appear to customers. Depending on the filter type, you can show values, search values, hide or display values, change value order, group values, or import and export values.

Filter Value Tools by Filter Type

Use the following table to understand which tools are available for each supported filter type:

Grouping Filter Values

For Variant List and Metafields filters, you can group multiple related values together to create broader, more meaningful filter options. This helps shoppers find products that share similar attributes. For example:

• Color: Group "Navy," "Royal," and "Sky Blue" under Blue.
• Size: Group "XS," "S," and "Small Petite" under Small.

To group values:

1. Select two or more similar filter values from the list, then click Create filter group.

   

2. Enter a group name (e.g., Blue), then click Create to save your changes.

   

Tip: After creating a group, you can use Add to filter group to include additional values in the existing group, or Ungroup filter group to separate the grouped values.

Other Management Tools

Within the same Filter value section, you can use additional tools to control how values are displayed and managed:

Leveraging Metafields for Personalized Filtering

To provide a more precise and flexible product filtering experience, you can use metafields to create custom filter options. The system supports multiple metafield types — including single-line text, boolean, whole number, and decimal — allowing customers to filter products using more intuitive attribute combinations.

Step 1. Create a Metafield Definition

1. Go to your SHOPLINE admin panel > Settings > Customize data.
2. Under the Metafield list, select Product.
3. Click Add fields. 
4. On the Add product metafield definitions page, fill in the following details:
   • Field Name: Enter a clear name for easy management, such as "Product Filter."
   • Namespace: Enter a unique namespace.
   • Key: Enter a unique key.
   • Description (Optional): Provide additional context for internal reference if needed.
   • Data Type: Select a supported type based on your filtering needs, such as:
     • Single-line text (Single-value / Multi-value)
     • Boolean
     • Whole number (Single-value / Multi-value)
     • Decimal (Single-value / Multi-value)
   • Assignment Type: Select Single value or Multiple values according to your setup needs.

   • Access options: If Multiple values is selected, you must check Supports custom product filters so the metafield can be used in Smart Search Recommendation.

     Note: If the Supports custom product filters checkbox is not checked during setup, the metafield will not appear in the Smart Search Recommendation app, even if it has been correctly configured on the product pages. If you later wish to enable this metafield as a filter condition, you must not only check Supports custom product filters, but also reconfigure the metafield on all associated products for proper detection and use in the app.

5. Click Add to save the metafield.

Step 2. Assign Metafield Values to Products

Once the metafield is created, you need to apply it to your products.

1. Go to Products, select a desired product, and open its product detail page.
2. Scroll down to the Product metafields section and find the metafield you just created (e.g., Product Filter).
3. Add one or more values for the product — for example:
   • Best Seller
   • New Product
   • On Sale

4. Click Update to apply the changes.
5. Repeat the above steps for all desired products.

Step 3. Add the Metafield as a Filter in Smart Search Recommendation

After setting up metafields in Admin, you can now use them to build filters in the Smart Search Recommendation app.

1. Go to Smart Search Recommendation > Filter > Default filter.
2. Click Add filter condition.

3. In the Filter type dropdown, scroll to the Metafields section — newly created metafields will appear here automatically. Select the desired metafield as your filter type.

   

4. Give it a clear name such as Product Highlight. This name will be visible to your customers. 
5. Configure filter values and group them if needed. For detailed instructions, refer to the "Managing Filter Values" section of this article. 
6. Click Add to save your settings.

Managing Filter Conditions

Once your filters are created, you can manage and maintain them easily. The table below lists the available features you can use to manage existing filter conditions: