A filter tree is the structured set of facets shoppers see on a collection page: Size, Color, Brand, Material, Price, etc. searchabee lets you define multiple trees and bind each to specific collection templates so different collection types can have different filter structures.
1. Open the editor
searchabee console → Filters → Trees.
2. Create a tree
Name it (e.g., “Apparel default”, “Electronics”, “Sale collections”) and click Create. You start with an empty tree.
3. Add filter sources
Filter sources are where the filter values come from. searchabee supports four types:
- Product option — Shopify product options like Size, Color, Material. Values come from the option’s variant set.
- Product field — Vendor, product type, tags. Simple.
- Variant field — Availability, price range. Computed per variant.
- Category metafield — A metafield on the product or a taxonomy; useful for attributes not modeled as options (gender, fit, season).
For each source, configure:
- Display name (what shoppers see)
- Display type (checkboxes, swatches, range slider for price)
- Sort order (alphabetical, count descending, manual)
- Visibility rules (hide if <2 values, show only on specific collections)
4. Bind to collection templates
In Filters → Template bindings, assign each tree to one or more collection templates. Most stores have 1–2 templates (default and landing); searchabee lets you target precisely.
Example binding: collection.apparel.json template → “Apparel default” tree. Any collection page using that template will show that tree.
5. Preview
Click Preview next to any tree to see it render against a sample collection. The preview uses your actual index, so filter counts are real.
Tips
- Start simple — three to five filters per tree. More becomes paralysis.
- Price range belongs on almost every tree.
- Availability (“In stock”) is low-friction and high-conversion — always include it.