MDTF - Wordpress Meta Data & Taxonomies Filter — is the ultimate solution for creating advanced, user-friendly filters for any post type on your WordPress website. Whether you run an e-commerce store, a real estate portal, a car dealership site, or a simple blog, MDTF empowers your visitors to sift through content with precision and ease. The plugin provides a rich set of tools to build filter forms using any existing taxonomies and meta data fields, such as product attributes, post categories, or custom-defined fields.
The plugin is designed for flexibility and performance. It allows you to construct filter sections and add various filter items like dropdowns, checkboxes, range sliders, and text inputs through an intuitive constructor. Once created, these filters can be easily deployed anywhere on your site using shortcodes or widgets. With built-in AJAX functionality, search results are updated instantly without requiring a page reload, providing a seamless and modern user experience that keeps visitors engaged and helps them find what they're looking for faster.
Why This is Important
In today's fast-paced digital world, users expect to find information instantly. If your website has a large amount of content but lacks effective filtering tools, you risk frustrating and losing potential customers. According to Forrester Research, 79% of users will leave a site for a competitor's if they can't find what they are looking for. This is especially critical for e-commerce, where a poor search experience can directly lead to abandoned carts and lost sales. For directory or listing sites, it means users give up on finding the right listing and never return.
MDTF directly addresses this pain point. By implementing advanced, granular filtering, you transform your website from a static content repository into a dynamic, interactive platform. This not only improves the user experience but also has a tangible impact on your key metrics: websites with well-implemented filtering can see a conversion rate lift of up to 25%. You empower users, reduce bounce rates, increase session duration, and ultimately drive more conversions, whether that means sales, leads, or content consumption.
Features
- Flexible Filter Constructor: Build custom filter forms with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface.
- AJAX-Powered Filtering: Allow users to filter content instantly without any page reloads for a smooth experience.
- Multiple Filter Elements: Use a variety of elements like checkboxes, dropdowns, range sliders, text search, and color pickers.
- Any Post Type Support: Filter posts, pages, WooCommerce products, or any custom post type you have on your site.
- Meta Field and Taxonomy Filtering: Create filters based on categories, tags, product attributes, and any custom meta fields.
- Shortcode & Widget Integration: Easily place your filter forms anywhere on your site, including sidebars, pages, and theme templates.
- WooCommerce Compatibility: Enhance your online store with advanced product filters for price, attributes, stock status, and more.
- Search Results Templating: Customize the look and feel of your search results page to match your theme.
- SEO Friendly URLs: The plugin generates clean, readable URLs for filtered results, which is beneficial for search engine indexing.
- Dynamic Recount of Items: Automatically updates the count of items in filter terms as the user applies different filters.
Free vs. Premium: Feature Comparison
| Feature | Free Version (This one) | Premium Version |
|---|---|---|
| Core Filtering Engine | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AJAX Filtering | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Standard Filter Elements | ✅ (Checkbox, Dropdown, Slider) | ✅ (All standard elements) |
| Advanced Filter Elements | ❌ No | ✅ (Color, Image, Map, Calendar) |
| Number of Filters | ✅ Unlimited | ✅ Unlimited |
| WooCommerce Integration | ✅ Basic | ✅ Advanced (Variable products, etc.) |
| Priority Support | ❌ No | ✅ 6 Months Included |
| Automatic Updates | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
How to install the plugin?
- Download the plugin archive using the button above.
- Navigate to Plugins > Add New in your WordPress dashboard.
- Click "Upload Plugin" at the top and select the downloaded ZIP file.
- Install, activate the plugin, and follow the quick setup wizard instructions.
FAQ
Can I use MDTF to filter custom post types?
Yes, absolutely. MDTF is designed to work with any post type registered in WordPress. This includes standard posts, pages, WooCommerce products, and any custom post types you may have created for things like real estate listings, portfolio items, or events. You can filter them by their specific taxonomies and custom meta fields.
Is this plugin compatible with my theme?
MDTF is built to be as theme-agnostic as possible and follows WordPress coding standards. It should work with any well-coded theme. The filter's appearance is styled to be clean and can be customized with CSS to match your theme's design. The AJAX functionality works by targeting your theme's content container, which can be configured in the plugin settings for maximum compatibility.
How does the AJAX filtering work?
AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) allows the filter results to be updated on the page without a full page refresh. When a user interacts with a filter (e.g., checks a box), the plugin sends a request to the server in the background, retrieves the new set of posts, and then dynamically replaces the old content with the new results. This creates a much faster and smoother user experience.
Can I create a price range slider for WooCommerce products?
Yes, creating a price range slider is one of the key features of MDTF, especially for WooCommerce. You can create a filter item based on the `_price` meta field and select the "Range Slider" display type. The plugin will automatically generate a slider that allows customers to filter products within a specific price range, significantly improving the shopping experience.
