CS Forms: real faceted search

[llribas]

Hello,

I’m trying to do a faceted search with CS Forms, just 4 “select fields” from 4 different custom taxonomies to let the user narrow down a search on custom post type posts.

I need a “dependent filters” or “daisy-chained dropdows”, so when I select “option A” in one select field, the other select fields only show options with available results.

When I went for CS Forms I thought it can do this, because this is a real “faceted search” as you mention in the CS Forms produt landing page.

Is this possible with CS Forms?

Thank you

[ruenel]

Hey @llribas,

Thank you for your question about creating a faceted search with CS Forms!

The term “faceted search” can mean different things, and I want to clarify what CS Forms can and cannot do out of the box.

No , CS Forms does not natively support “dependent filters” or “daisy-chained dropdowns” where selecting an option in one field dynamically updates the available options in another field.

What CS Forms does provide is a powerful filtering system that allows users to select multiple criteria to narrow down a list of posts. However, each filter field operates independently. When a user selects an option, the page reloads (or updates via AJAX) and the results are filtered based on all selected criteria combined.

What CS Forms Can Do: Conditional Display

What you can achieve is conditional display of fields. This means you can show or hide entire fields (or even groups of fields like Accordion Items) based on a user’s selection in another field .

For example, you could:

1. Have a main “Category” dropdown.

2. If a user selects “Option A”, a second dropdown for “Sub-category A” becomes visible.

3. If they select “Option B”, a different dropdown for “Sub-category B” appears.

This is done using the Input Conditions on the field or the data-input-conditions custom attribute on a container element . However, the options within that second dropdown will still be static (all available sub-categories) and will not be dynamically filtered based on the first selection.

How to Implement True “Dependent” Dropdowns

For the true “daisy-chained” or “dependent” behavior you’re describing—where the options in a dropdown change based on a previous selection—you would need to implement custom JavaScript or use a specialized plugin designed for that purpose. CS Forms is not currently built to handle that level of dynamic option population on the fly.

What CS Forms Does Well: Faceted Filtering

When you build your form with your 4 select fields, each pulling from a custom taxonomy, the form will work as a standard faceted filter. The user selects values from each dropdown, and the resulting post list is filtered to show only posts that match all selected criteria (AND logic) . This is the core functionality of faceted search as commonly understood in e-commerce and directory sites.

Best Regards.