JetSmart Filters

Filtering is what turns a product catalog into a usable catalog – and WordPress’s built-in category widgets were never going to get you there. JetSmartFilters is the AJAX filtering layer for Elementor, Bricks, and Gutenberg: twelve filter types (checkboxes, radio, dropdowns, range sliders, date periods, search, alphabetical, location-and-distance, and more) that filter any listing – WooCommerce products, JetEngine custom content, or Elementor loop grids – without a page reload, with the URL staying shareable.

It’s part of the Crocoblock family, and the 3.8.x line has been in steady maintenance: 3.8.4 shipped August 5, 3.8.5 landed the big compatibility round on August 26, and 3.8.5.1 followed on September 16-17. Here’s the working review.

Competitive Features

• Twelve filter types over any listing. Checkboxes, radio buttons, select dropdowns, range sliders, date periods, search fields, color swatches, ratings, alphabetical indexes, location/distance – filters attach to posts, products, terms, users, and custom content tables.
• AJAX filtering with URL persistence. Filter selections persist in the URL – filtered views are shareable and bookmarkable, which is the SEO-friendly behavior plain AJAX filters lose.
• Builder coverage. Elementor, Bricks, Gutenberg, and Divi 5 (integration in progress per the vendor’s own roadmap) – the same filter set across every major builder.
• Indexed attribute counts. Product attribute filtering with indexed counts supporting Unicode taxonomy names (3.8.5 fix) – multilingual catalogs count correctly.
• Location and distance filters. Geo filtering by radius – the directory-grade feature most filter plugins lack entirely.
• JetEngine integration. Filters work over custom post types, custom content tables (CCT), and term listings – the Crocoblock data layer filters natively.
• Signed AJAX requests. 3.8.5 secured AJAX filtering with signed requests – filter state can’t be spoofed through public query variables.
• Date period filtering. Filter by creation date, modification date, or meta-field dates with period pickers – event and listing catalogs get time-based navigation.

Key Features

• WooCommerce provider. Product, price, rating, attribute, stock-status, and category filters over shop archives – with the archive pagination updating correctly during AJAX filtering including JetEngine archive templates (3.8.5).
• Applied filters stack. Active filters display as removable tokens – users see and undo their filter state.
• Sorting and pagination integration. Sorting widgets and load-more/pagination cooperate with filter state – the composed-browsing experience that breaks in lesser filter plugins.
• Elementor Pro provider preservation. 3.8.5 keeps the Products provider wrappers intact when filtered requests return no results – no more layout collapse on empty results.
• Keyboard accessibility. Range filters apply keyboard step changes correctly – the small accessibility work most plugins skip.
• Ranking filter providers. Filters rank against multiple providers (JetEngine listings, Elementor loops, WooCommerce archives) with a unified interface.
• Referrer-aware AJAX. Self-referrer AJAX requests no longer collide with public provider query variables (3.8.5) – the deep fix that prevents filter state bleeding between sections.
• JetSmartFilters + FiboSearch cooperation. Search results respect filter state – typed queries and visual filtering finally compose instead of fighting.

Comparison with Competitors

JetSmartFilters vs FiboSearch (search-and-filter stack)

The two halves of catalog discovery: typed queries versus visual narrowing.

Aspect	JetSmartFilters	FiboSearch Pro
Interaction model	Click/filter widgets	Typeahead search
Content scope	Any listing type	Products primarily
Integration	Custom query support for FiboSearch	Native filter cooperation
Best for	Catalog browsing	Intent-driven lookup

A serious store runs both – the FiboSearch bar handles typed queries, JetSmartFilters handles faceted browsing, and the custom-query integration means the results respect filter state.

JetSmartFilters vs JetEngine (companion comparison)

Same vendor, strictly complementary: JetEngine builds the content architecture, JetSmartFilters filters whatever it renders.

Aspect	JetEngine	JetSmartFilters
Role	Data layer (CPTs, meta, CCT)	Query/filter layer
Renders content	Listings and templates	Filters any listing
Alone	Full dynamic platform	Needs listings to filter

They’re designed as a pair, and the CCT filtering in 3.8.5/3.8.5.1 shows the filter layer tracks the data layer’s evolution closely.

Recommended Stack: Filtering earns its keep when filtered results convert – pairing the filter layer with Xootix Side Cart means filtered browsing flows straight into a persistent cart – shoppers filter, add, and keep filtering without leaving the page.

Official Changelog

The registry tracks three versions for this plugin; the changelog covers them below.

Version 3.8.5.1

Release Date: September 16, 2026

• Added: default WooCommerce Archive provider
• Added: CCT checkboxes info
• Fixed: included the Jet_Smart_Filters_Provider_WooCommerce_Archive parent class
• Fixed: improved theme compatibility and not-found message
• Fixed: Location & Distance filter apply button state bug
• Fixed: CCT data error when JetEngine is disabled

Version 3.8.5

Release Date: August 26, 2026

• Elementor Pro Products provider wrappers preserved when filtered requests return no results
• Alphabet filtering works with JetEngine term listings and Elementor taxonomy Loop Grids
• WooCommerce archive pagination updates correctly during AJAX filtering, including JetEngine archive templates
• Filtered user meta queries no longer return duplicate users
• Product attribute filtering and indexed counts support Unicode taxonomy names
• Range filters apply keyboard step changes correctly
• Elementor Pro Loop Grid preserves posts-per-page for Current Query sources
• Signed AJAX requests work correctly with JetEngine Calendar filtering
• Self-referrer AJAX requests no longer collide with public provider query variables

Version 3.8.4

Release Date: August 5, 2026

• Maintenance release on the 3.8.x line

Frequently Asked Questions

Which page builders does it support?

Elementor, Bricks, Gutenberg, and Divi 5 – with filter widgets native to each builder and providers that connect to WooCommerce archives, Elementor loops, and JetEngine listings.

Is the GPL version the full Pro plugin?

Yes. The GPL build is the complete source under its original license with all twelve filter types and integrations enabled. The vendor’s license key for auto-updates is the only absence.

Can I use it on multiple sites?

The GPL license permits unlimited installations across personal and client sites without per-domain activation.

Does filtering work with custom content types?

Yes – that’s a core use case. JetEngine custom post types, custom content tables (CCT), and term listings all filter natively, and the 3.8.5/3.8.5.1 releases specifically extended alphabet filtering to term listings and fixed CCT behavior when JetEngine is disabled.

Are filtered URLs SEO-friendly?

Filter state persists in the URL, making filtered views shareable and indexable. The plugin is built with search visibility in mind – the same filter state a user bookmarks is the state a search engine crawler sees.

Does it filter users and non-product content?

Yes – beyond products, filters work over posts, terms, and user meta (with 3.8.5 fixing duplicate-user results in filtered meta queries). Directory sites with staff or location filtering are covered, including the location/distance filter type.