Description
Free by design. Powerful by default.
WPEnhanced Ajax Filter Blocks is an AJAX filter plugin for the WordPress block editor. Build filterable blogs, shops, directories, and listing pages where results update instantly – without a full page reload.
Most filter plugins lock the useful bits behind Pro. This one is built the other way around: the free version is intended to be the full product for most websites. Design controls, multiple filter types, AJAX results, custom fields, WooCommerce support, and custom post types are all included – no essential features paywalled.
Whether you run a WooCommerce store, a content-heavy blog, or a custom post type directory, you can create a modern faceted filtering experience using only blocks. No shortcode soup. No theme lock-in.
Why site owners love it
- Free by design – Built so most websites never need to upgrade
- Full design controls – Style filters and loops in the editor without paywalls
- Instant AJAX filtering – Results update without a full page reload
- Built for Gutenberg – Native blocks for filters and archive loops
- Works beyond blogs – Posts, WooCommerce products, and any public custom post type
- Flexible filter types – Checkboxes, dropdowns, radios, ranges, search, and more
- Custom field ready – Filter by custom field values using their meta key
- Shop-ready – Categories, tags, attributes, price-style ranges, and more
- Shareable filtered URLs – Visitors can bookmark or share filtered views
The three blocks
- Archive Loop – Display posts, products, or custom post types in a grid or masonry layout with standard pagination
- Filter Posts – The filter panel visitors interact with (sidebar or top-bar layout)
- Filter Posts Item – Each individual filter control inside Filter Posts (taxonomy, search, custom field, attribute, range, and similar)
Put them together and you get a complete filterable archive – built in the editor, running live on the front end.
Perfect for
- WooCommerce product catalogs and shop filters
- Blog archives filtered by category, tag, or keyword
- Directories and membership listing sites
- Portfolios filtered by project type or skill
- Real estate or inventory listings with custom fields and taxonomies
- Resource libraries and knowledge bases with faceted browsing
How filtering works
Filtering uses the WordPress REST API. When a visitor changes a filter, only the loop results refresh – keeping the rest of the page in place. Optional URL parameters keep filtered views shareable and bookmarkable.
Get started in minutes
- Install and activate the plugin
- Add an Archive Loop block to your page
- Add a Filter Posts block and place Filter Posts Item controls inside it
- Choose what to filter by (categories, tags, taxonomies, custom fields, product attributes, and more)
- Publish and test live AJAX filtering on the front end
Need help? Visit WP Enhanced for documentation and support.
Free vs Pro
This free plugin includes the features and design controls most websites need to build great AJAX filters:
- Archive Loop, Filter Posts, and Filter Posts Item blocks
- Instant AJAX filtering (WordPress query path) and shareable filtered URLs
- Design controls for standard filter and loop features
- Sidebar and top-bar filter layouts
- Checkboxes, dropdowns, radios, ranges, search, and multi-select
- Categories, tags, taxonomies, custom meta, and date filters
- WooCommerce attributes, price, weight, and stock filters
- Grid and masonry layouts with standard pagination
- Posts, WooCommerce products, and public custom post types
A separate Pro add-on unlocks specialist / advanced options on top of free:
- Catalog Index (built-in, Typesense, Cloud Index, Elasticsearch) and Auto Suggest phrase indexing
- Dedicated ACF Fields picker and ACF map / radius (location) filtering
- Post Types and Product Rating filters
- Conditional filter logic and filter synchronisation
- Toggle and Slide filter appearances, plus mobile filter toggle
- Load More and Infinite Scroll; list view and grid / list switch
- Advanced loop queries, related / linked loops, and other [PRO] block settings
None of these Pro options are required for normal filtering, and settings may mention some of them for discoverability. Filtering in this free plugin uses the standard WordPress query path.
Want the advanced Pro controls? See the full Free vs Pro comparison on the Ajax Filter Blocks Pro page.
External services
This plugin connects to the following third-party service.
- WP Enhanced InstantSearch
Used only in the admin settings screen to power in-plugin documentation search.
Data sent: the search query text typed by a site administrator in settings.
Terms: https://wpenhanced.com/terms-conditions/
Privacy policy: https://wpenhanced.com/privacy-policy/
Advanced catalog indexing (built-in index, Typesense, Cloud Index, Elasticsearch) and Auto Suggest phrase indexing are provided by a separate Pro add-on and are not included in this free plugin. Settings may mention those Pro features for discoverability only. Filtering in this free plugin uses the standard WordPress query path.
Screenshots
Blocks
This plugin provides 3 blocks.
- Archive Loop Archive Loop
- Filter Posts A block to filter posts using AJAX.
- Filter Posts Item Filter Posts Item
Installation
- Go to Plugins Add New and search for WPEnhanced Ajax Filter Blocks, or upload the plugin zip via Plugins Add New Upload Plugin.
- Activate the plugin.
- Open the block editor and add the Archive Loop block.
- Add the Filter Posts block, then add one or more Filter Posts Item blocks inside it.
- Configure each Filter Posts Item (taxonomy, search, custom field, product attribute, range, and so on).
- Save and view the page to confirm live AJAX filtering.
FAQ
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Can I filter WooCommerce products?
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Yes. Build a product filter using categories, tags, attributes, price-related controls, and other supported inputs. WooCommerce is optional – you can use the plugin without it.
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Can I filter custom post types?
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Yes. Any public custom post type that works with the block editor can be filtered.
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Does this work with the Gutenberg / block editor?
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Yes. The plugin is built specifically for the block editor and ships dedicated filter and loop blocks.
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Can I filter by custom fields?
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Yes. You can filter by custom field values using their meta key. A dedicated ACF field picker and ACF map / radius (location) search are part of the Pro add-on.
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Yes. Filter posts, products, and custom post types by categories, tags, and other taxonomy terms.
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Does filtering reload the whole page?
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No. Filtering uses AJAX through the WordPress REST API, so only the loop results update.
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Yes. Filter state can be reflected in the URL so filtered views are bookmarkable and shareable.
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Is this a facet / faceted search plugin?
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It supports faceted-style filtering with multiple controls at once – taxonomies, custom fields, ranges, search, and more.
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Do I need coding skills?
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No. You build everything with blocks in the editor. Advanced users can still style and extend layouts as needed.
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Is the free version limited?
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No – not for most websites. The free plugin includes the three blocks, design controls, AJAX filtering, core filter types, custom meta, WooCommerce filters (attributes, price, weight, stock), sidebar / top-bar layouts, and grid / masonry with standard pagination. Pro adds specialist extras like Catalog Index, Auto Suggest, the ACF Fields picker, mobile filter toggle, Load More / infinite scroll, list layouts, and other [PRO] settings.
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Is there a Pro version?
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Yes, as a separate add-on. You do not need Pro to build and style filterable archives with this free plugin. See the full Free vs Pro list on the Ajax Filter Blocks Pro page.
Reviews
There are no reviews for this plugin.
Contributors & Developers
“WPEnhanced Ajax Filter Blocks” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.
Contributors
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Interested in development?
Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.
Changelog
1.0.8 – 14/08/26
- FIX – Filter and Archive Loop blocks keep their layout and custom controls, but only use Divi-style buttons, dropdowns, and fields when Divi (or a Divi child theme) is active. Other themes keep their own form styling unless you change the block Design settings.
- FIX – Archive Loop Read More and Add to Cart icons stay a normal size on non-Divi themes, and Read More no longer shows an icon when Show Button Icon is turned off.
- FIX – Button border radius can be set above 10px.
- FIX – Archive Loop card border, padding, and shadow settings apply again on the blog layout.
- FIX – License Management is hidden unless Ajax Filter Blocks Pro is installed.
1.0.7 – 14/08/26
- MOD – Corrected Free vs Pro wording so the free plugin only claims what it includes (custom meta, sidebar / top-bar, grid / masonry with standard pagination). Pro extras such as the ACF Fields picker, map / radius search, mobile filter toggle, Toggle / Slide appearances, Product Rating, Load More / infinite scroll, and list layouts are documented to match the Pro product page.
1.0.6 – 13/08/26
- MOD – WordPress.org readme now links to Ajax Filter Blocks Pro for upgrades.
- MOD – Upgrade to PRO button in the block editor now opens the correct Pro product page.
- MOD – Admin submenu label now says Ajax Filter Blocks to match the plugin name.
- MOD – Help tooltips on the “?” icons in the block settings now open straight away instead of after a delay.
- MOD – Removed the Divi-only Custom Layout option from Archive Loop’s Loop Style setting.
- MOD – Minimal List now starts as a single-column layout, while Background Image starts without body content and exposes its content and excerpt controls.
1.0.8
- MOD – WordPress.org package now uses a unique internal code prefix (wpenajfi) while keeping the public plugin name and slug.
- FIX – Layout and SVG markup is always sanitized before output (no raw SVG bypass).
- FIX – Loop shortcode REST responses sanitize the shortcode name and escape returned HTML.
1.0.3
- MOD – Updated plugin naming to WPEnhanced Ajax Filter Blocks and aligned the WordPress.org slug to wpenhanced-ajax-filter-blocks.
- MOD – Linked the public source repository and build steps in the readme for WordPress.org guideline 4.
- MOD – Clarified webpack output paths for developers using the public source repository.
1.0.0
- NEW – Initial release.
- NEW – Archive Loop block: display posts, custom post types, or products in a grid or masonry layout with standard pagination.
- NEW – Filter Posts block: add filters by taxonomy, custom field meta keys, and WooCommerce attributes; supports checkboxes, dropdowns, and multi-select.
- NEW – Filter Posts Item block: individual filter controls inside Filter Posts (taxonomy, search, custom field, attributes, ranges, and more).
- NEW – AJAX filtering without page reload; URL parameters for shareable filtered links.
- NEW – Compatible with WooCommerce products and custom post types.