A Close Look at the FacetWP Plugin
One rookie mistake I made when I started building content-rich WordPress sites was relying on the default WordPress search to help visitors find what they needed. It didn’t take long before I realized how quickly it fell short.
This led me to look for WordPress plugins that offered a more reliable and accurate search experience, and I found FacetWP.
FacetWP is a WordPress plugin that adds advanced faceted filtering to posts, products, and other custom post types. After testing it, I can confidently say it is one of the more capable WordPress filtering plugins. However, being capable doesn’t always mean it’s the right fit.
So in this article, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know before deciding to purchase it for your WordPress site.
FacetWP Quick Links
What is FacetWP?
FacetWP is a plugin that adds advanced faceted search to a WordPress website, improving and extending the default WordPress search functionality.
Instead of relying solely on basic keyword searches, FacetWP lets you create facets like sliders, checkboxes, dropdowns, and date ranges that visitors can use to find content on your site by multiple criteria in real-time.
I would describe it less as a search plugin and more as a content filtering solution. It indexes and allows filtering across most types of WordPress content, including custom fields, taxonomies, products, and other custom post types.
FacetWP is perfect for job board websites, real estate listing sites, WooCommerce stores, and other content-heavy sites where visitors need an easy way to quickly browse through large amounts of content.
Although the plugin is developer-friendly, its user interface is designed to be accessible to beginners, making it a good choice for both technical and non-technical users.
To test the FacetWP plugin, I set up a staging site that mimics a real e-commerce store with 130 products. I also added some posts to evaluate filtering beyond just the shop archive.
Next, I created multiple facets for both the store products and the posts. For the store, these included a checkbox, a color picker, and a price slider. The posts’ facets were a date range, a checkbox, and a dropdown.
As I built the facets and designed their listing templates, I observed how the plugin handled indexing and re-indexing, and I assessed the overall ease of setup. I also paid close attention to the frontend filtering speed to determine whether the experience was fast, stable, and intuitive.
All of this helped me get a clear sense of the plugin’s capabilities and its impact on WordPress search.
Key Features & Performance
Advanced Faceted Filtering System
FacetWP’s advanced faceted filtering system is the main feature that has earned it a reputation in the WordPress search ecosystem.
During setup, I created filters for content from various data sources, including WooCommerce, posts, taxonomies, and custom fields. Out of the box, the plugin supports a wide variety of facet types, any of which can be used to filter selected content without issues.
After creating the facets and the listing template for my staging site’s WooCommerce store, I tested filtering on the frontend and was impressed by how smoothly the filters stacked.
For example, when I adjusted the price slider to my preferred range and selected a product category, the results updated instantly and accurately without a page reload.
This search experience completely surpasses what is possible with WordPress’s default search. It’s exactly the kind of modern search visitors would expect on a site to help them convert.
AJAX-powered Filtering
Unlike most traditional search plugins, which often require an additional plugin to enable AJAX search, FacetWP integrates AJAX search directly into its core. This guarantees a smooth filtering experience from the start.
During my testing, filtering through the products and posts on my staging site felt almost instant. Even when I selected three facets at the same time, the plugin handled the request smoothly with no delays.
This feature is especially important for sites with a lot of content. If visitors can filter easily to find what they need, they will stay on the page longer and remain highly engaged. This, in turn, signals to search engines that your site offers value to visitors, boosting your ranking in SERPs (Search Engine Result Pages).
Template & Display Customization
FacetWP includes a listing template builder that controls how filtered results are displayed on the site’s frontend. Facets only work on pages that have a FacetWP-enabled listing template added.
The plugin works by having the listing template display a list of chosen content elements that can be filtered on a page. It then shows relevant results based on a user’s facet selections for a specific search.
To illustrate this, I created a blog post listing template on my staging site that displayed the titles and excerpts of all posts on the frontend.
I also set up my post facets, including a dropdown for sorting by blog categories, a date range selector for sorting by date, and a checkbox for selecting a blog author.
After configuring both the facets and the listing template, I added the shortcodes on a new page. I then tested filtering for the posts by stacking various facet combinations, and it worked smoothly and displayed results that matched the template I designed for my blog post listing.
That said, the listing template does need some CSS customization to improve its visual appeal, as it is only functional out of the box and appears quite plain. If you aren’t comfortable writing and adding custom code to WordPress, this is something to consider before buying the plugin.
Custom Post Type & Custom Field Support
Although FacetWP doesn’t index as many content types as some other WordPress search plugins, such as PDFs and media files, it can effectively index custom post types, custom fields, and other standard WordPress fields.
I was able to create facets based on product attributes, taxonomies, and other metadata without any complex setup.
The indexing was accurate, and when I tested filtering, the results were as expected.
If you’re building a WordPress site with many custom fields or post types, such as real estate listings, a job board, or an online store, you might find FacetWP to be a helpful option for your site’s search needs, thanks to the support it offers out of the box.
Performance & Indexing Engine
One reason FacetWP excels at delivering lightning-fast search results is that it creates and relies on its own index. After I installed the plugin on my staging site, an initial index of my site’s content was generated. Since I only had a few products and posts, the process finished within seconds.
Once indexing is complete, FacetWP pulls search results from its optimized index rather than running heavy live queries every time a user applies a filter to content.
Whenever I created a new facet or listing, I noticed that I was prompted to re-index after saving settings. However, if I made any changes to products or posts, re-indexing occurred automatically in the background.
For sites with thousands of products or posts, I’d say it’s important to monitor the plugin’s indexing behavior to make sure nothing gets missed. However, for most WordPress sites, the indexing engine should stay up to date without much effort.
Integration & Add-Ons
To extend its functionality, FacetWP provides a robust selection of add-ons and integrations with popular WordPress plugins and themes.
For its facet types, it offers five additional facets that can be installed as add-on plugins, allowing for even more filtering options for users. These include the range list, hierarchy select, time since, A-Z listing, and color facets.
FacetWP also supports integrations with plugins and themes such as Bricks, Elementor, Relevanssi, ElasticPress, Beaver Builder, Breakdance, and Multilingual, among others. Additionally, the plugin includes add-ons for caching, conditional logic, a mobile-friendly filter bar, custom hooks, and scheduling indexing, all of which enhance its overall functionality.
I appreciate the modular approach it takes to supporting extra features, as it helps keep the core plugin lightweight and ensures consistently fast response times.
Ease of Use
Installing and activating the FacetWP plugin and its add-ons was straightforward. After downloading the ZIP files, I followed the standard steps to install WordPress plugins, and everything was ready to use in minutes.
FacetWP’s interface is clean and well-organized, striking a good balance between accessibility and complexity. Although setting up facets and creating a listing template may seem simple, I found I needed to read the plugin’s documentation initially to understand how each part should be configured.
Once I understood how the facets and listing templates work together, everything made sense, and setup became easier.
Overall, I’d say WordPress developers will likely feel comfortable with FacetWP, as the workflow feels powerful and controlled. Beginners, however, might need to allocate extra time for setup.
FacetWP Pricing
FacetWP is a premium plugin offering two annual licensing plans to choose from. Here’s a breakdown:
| Plan Name | Site Licenses | Price |
| Basic | Up to 3 websites | $99 |
| Professional | Up to 20 websites | $249 |
Both plans include all official add-ons, as well as one year of support and updates. Renewals are also discounted by 20%, which somewhat helps reduce the ongoing cost for users.
There is also a free trial version with limited functionality, offered to help potential buyers evaluate the plugin’s capabilities before making a commitment.
From my perspective, FacetWP positions itself as a professional tool rather than an affordable search plugin.
For smaller sites or simple blogs, it may seem pricey, especially if filtering isn’t a main factor for conversions. However, for content-rich sites like online directories or WooCommerce stores, the pricing appears reasonable given the value the plugin provides.
FacetWP Pros & Cons
Pros
- It provides a strong selection of filtering options that are truly flexible and suitable for most projects.
- Filtering feels almost instant, even when multiple facets are active at the same time.
- It integrates with WooCommerce and many other popular WordPress plugins and themes.
- I appreciate that I can filter by custom fields or post types without complicated setups.
- It is scalable, especially for content-heavy sites where making filtering easy for visitors is key to the site’s success.
- It offers a free trial version to allow users evaluate its features before committing.
Cons
- It’s not a plug-and-play filtering plugin.
- A learning curve is required to fully understand how the plugin works and make the most of its features.
- Customizing the listing template requires coding knowledge.
- It is not a full-blown search engine on its own.
What Real Users Say About FacetWP
The sentiment around FacetWP is mainly positive. On G2, it has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars based on 6 reviews. This is a good indicator of how well the plugin performs in real-world WordPress projects.
One reviewer describes the plugin as “Insanely flexible, extensible, and developer-friendly.” Another mentions that “It is the only WordPress plugin that provides this faceted search option, which is one of the most requested features in all the page builders and themes. Without this, no e-commerce or listicle page is complete.”
On the downside, reviewers say that FacetWP can be “a little confusing at times”, “has a learning curve”, and “ is costly for a small website.”
The reviews echo the same feelings I had when using the plugin on my staging site. It is powerful, no doubt, but it can feel quite overwhelming at first.
Final Verdict: Is FacetWP Right for You?
My thorough testing of the FacetWP plugin has led me to a mostly positive verdict, with a small but important caveat.
If you are a developer, you will find FacetWP to be one of the best filtering plugins available in the WordPress ecosystem. It offers an extensive array of facet types, a fast indexing engine, and seamless integration with popular WordPress plugins and themes.
The caveat is for non-developers with no coding knowledge. Depending on the complexity of your faceted filtering setup, you may sometimes hit roadblocks that the documentation alone can’t fully resolve. If technical configuration isn’t your strong suit and you’re not working with a developer, you might want to consider a simpler plugin.
I generally recommend FacetWP without hesitation for anyone building a content-rich WordPress site where filtering is essential. Its features are well worth the investment.
However, smaller sites that only need basic search improvements or simple filtering might find the plugin to be overkill.
Common Questions About FacetWP
What does FacetWP do?
FacetWP is a faceted filtering plugin that adds advanced faceted search (filtering capabilities) to a WordPress website, making it easy for site visitors to filter through large amounts of content in seconds.
How much does FacetWP cost?
FacetWP costs $99 per year for the basic license, which can be used on up to three websites and includes all official add-ons, plus one year of support and updates. The Professional license costs $249 annually and supports use on up to 20 websites.
How to use FacetWP plugin?
Below are the steps to use the FacetWP plugin to set up a basic filter:
1. From your admin menu, navigate to Settings > FacetWP.
2. Click the Facets tab and then click Add New.
3. Name the facet, then choose a facet type and data source.
4. Click Save Changes, and your facet will be created.
What are the facet types in FacetWP?
The facet types in FacetWP include dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons, sliders, date ranges, number ranges, ratings, hierarchies, pagers, maps, and even a color selector.
Further Reading
