Faceted Search overview

Faceted Search helps visitors reduce a large collection by choosing meaningful attributes such as category, format, price, date, rating, keyword, or distance.

What the feature manages

POM separates the search into four responsibilities:

• A context identifies the WordPress query being filtered.
• A facet defines one filter, its source, and its interface.
• The index prepares searchable values and the content required by result cards.
• A Listings (Feed) element renders the matches while companion controls handle counts, selections, sorting, page size, pagination, reset, and manual submission.

This separation lets the same result context appear in different layouts without redefining its filters.

Supported contexts

The context list can contain:

• taxonomy archives;
• post type archives;
• date archives;
• author archives;
• WooCommerce views;
• native search results;
• the blog home;
• custom queries created in the theme.

Only contexts that are enabled and contain at least one enabled facet are available on the front end.

When to use it

Choose Faceted Search when the visitor should refine one substantial result set in place. Typical examples include a property directory, product catalog, event archive, or knowledge library.

Use Search Gateway instead when a compact form on one page should send visitors to a separate results URL. Use native WordPress search when a simple keyword form and ordinary search template are sufficient.

What happens after publication

Selecting a facet refreshes the result set automatically unless Facet submit mode is Manual. The selected values, sort, page size, and paging state use pf_ URL parameters, so browser navigation and copied filtered URLs retain the search state.

Changes to context fields or facet definitions require a reindex. Normal edits to indexed posts are updated by the theme, but bulk imports should be followed by a deliberate reindex and front-end check.

Customize the presentation

Administrators can replace the complete Faceted Search stylesheet under Settings → POM Theme → Advanced → Custom CSS → Independent CSS assets → Faceted Search. The editor compares the current theme source with an editable copy and publishes an optimized per-site stylesheet after saving. Reverting restores the latest stylesheet supplied by the theme.

This customization changes presentation only. It does not enable Faceted Search, add filters to a page, or load assets on requests that did not already need the feature. Existing context, shortcode, widget, discovery, and script conditions continue to decide where Faceted Search runs.

Next step

Read Faceted Search concepts, then create a safe test with Build your first faceted search.