Field Filter

This software offers a feature that we have called a 'Filter'. A filter is a tool that is used by the site visitor while they are browsing the front page and category pages of your site...essentially, wherever listing tables are displayed. When activated, the filter will remove (filter out) all listings that do not meet the visitor's filter criteria.

The use of a filter can best be explained by giving you an example of how a filter could be used on your site. Let's say that your site's main product offering is 'college text books' and your 'main categories' are set up to mimic the names of typical college 'courses'...Mathematics, Science, History, etc. You then have subcategories below those main categories which further define the 'subcourses' of each of each 'course'...for example, under Mathematics...Geometry, Algebra, Calculus, etc.

This may be a typical way of setting up a standard classifieds or auctions website category structure. It allows your visitors to easily browse through each category to find the exact book they are looking for each course. However, what this doesn't do for your visitor is define the location (or university) of the book which may be important to some users. This is where the 'filter' tool could come into play. You can offer your visitors the ability to set a 'filter' prior to browsing your site's categories. In other words, when the filter is selected, the site will only display the 'books' that meet the 'filter' criteria. The filter itself can offer one or more filter levels to your visitors. In our example, we will use two levels. Level 1 will be all of the States in the United States. Level 2 will be each college/university within each State entered in Level 1.

So, continuing with our example, let's create a filter that defines all of the States and Universities within the U.S. Now, this would obviously take some research and time to set up, but it is possible. Follow the steps below to set up this filter:

2. Click the "Add" link to enter your choices for Level 1. Enter "Alabama", "Alaska" etc. for your first State names. Continue this process until all States have been entered. For simplicity, we will enter only a few States. You will see your filter being built in the "Preview" section at the bottom of the page.

3. Add the following Filter Module tag to one or all of your templates wherever you want the Filter to be displayed:

NOTE: You can also use a second tag: (!FILTER_DISPLAY_2!) which uses the same filter information. However, it gives you the opportunity to change the display properties. The only time you would use both tags on the same site is if you placed each tag into different templates. Properties for these two tags can be edited here:

PAGE MODULES > MISC. > FILTER DROPDOWN DISPLAY 1 & 2

3. Now, back to the admin panel to enter Level 2 values. When you highlight one of your level 1 entries within the box, a Level 2 section will show up and note that states "No choices. Add one". Click the "Add one" link.

4. Enter "University of Alabama" for your first college/university name. Continue this process by clicking the "add" link for Level 2 until all Universities have been entered. For simplicity, we will enter only a few Universities.

You should now see the following Level 2 dropdown filter on your site just below the Level 1 dropdown, when a Level 1 value is selected:

5. Now that you have a couple of levels entered, you still need to attach your level values to questions that you would ask the seller while they are listing items on your site. Each filter's Level must be attached to a "Registration Optional Field" and an "Optional Site Wide Field". So, you will need to turn on the "use" of each field type under their respective admin panel menus.

Access REGISTRATION SETUP > GENERAL SETTINGS and check "use" for Registration Optional Fields 1 and 2 (unless you are already using these, then choose two other fields).

Access LISTING SETUP > FIELDS TO USE and select "use" for Optional Fields 1 and 2 (unless you are already using these, then choose two other fields).

Once again, access the Field Filter Menu. For Level One, select "Reg Optional Field 1" and "Optional Field 1" from the dropdowns. This means that during registration the user will see your "States Field Filter" as a choice that they must select. Then during the Listing Process, they will see your same "States Field Filter" while listing their item.

NOTE: Essentially what you are trying to do is get everyone who registers on your site to select the State Field Filter choice during registration and during the listing process. This allows "you" to implement their choice as a "Field Filter" on your site now or at at later time if you want.

Follow the same procedure and for level 2, select "Reg Optional Field 2" and "Optional Field 2" from the dropdowns.

By creating these associations, your sellers' listings will fall under the Field Filter criteria so that when a visitor comes to the site and implements a filter, the existing sellers' listings on your site will behave (filter) appropriately.

Your visitors should now be able to access your site and apply these filters. Doing so, will filter the listings of the entire site and display only listings that pertain to their filter selection. This selection will remain in affect during their session on your site.