> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.swiftlywp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Category Filters

> Add category filter tabs to the product picker for easy browsing.

<Info>
  Category filters are a **Pro feature**. [Upgrade to BoxBuilder Pro →](https://swiftlywp.com/plugin/boxbuilder-for-woocommerce/)
</Info>

Category filter tabs appear above the product grid, letting customers quickly filter products by category. For example: **All | Chocolates | Sweets | Nuts | Dried Fruits**.

## How It Works

When your box product uses **By Category** as the product source, BoxBuilder Pro automatically generates filter tabs for each selected category. An "All" tab is included to show all products.

Clicking a tab filters the product grid instantly via AJAX — no page reload.

## Filter Display Styles

Configure the filter style in **BoxBuilder → Settings → Display** under **Search & Filter**:

| Style               | Description                                                       |
| ------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Horizontal Tabs** | Clickable tabs above the grid (default) — best for 2–5 categories |
| **Dropdown Select** | A select dropdown — more compact for 6+ categories                |

You can also enable/disable category filters globally in **BoxBuilder → Settings → Display** under **Search & Filter**.

## Setup

<Steps>
  <Step title="Edit your box product">
    Go to **Products** and edit your box product.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set product source to By Category">
    In the **BoxBuilder** tab, set **Product Source** to **By Category** and select your categories.
  </Step>

  <Step title="That's it">
    Category filters appear automatically on the frontend when there are multiple categories selected.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Category filters only appear when the product source is set to **By Category** with 2 or more categories selected. If you use "All Products" or "Specific Products", there are no categories to filter by.
</Note>

## Behavior

* Selecting a category tab filters the product grid to show only products in that category
* The product count and pagination update accordingly
* The "All" tab shows products from all selected categories
* Filter state is preserved if the customer paginates within a category