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Custom Filter Plugins & the Products Loop

This topic has 4 replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 1 day, 11 hours ago ago by Andrew Mitchell

Enduratex

Participant

February 27, 2026 at 07:35

Hello,
In our site we’ve been given a requirement to add an extra, custom data field for every product variation.
The variations have highly custom swatch names.
But, we also need to append, an extra data field:
“Standard Color Name” to each variation.

A product may have 20 variations watches with names like:
“Amethyst Orchid” and “Antique Bronze”…

But, on the actual Shop page, people are actually going to want to filter by normal colors, like Red & Purple.
So… we had to find a way to add an extra “Color” data field to each variation:
Amethyst Orchid = Purple
Antique Bronze = Brown
etc. etc.

We used: “WooCommerce Custom Fields for Variations by Iconic” to add the extra data field to variations
Then we tried 3 different Filtering Plugins that are able to find, see and index by extra taxonomy like that.
All of them failed spectacularly.

Ultimately we realized that the Filter plugins were having a conflict with how “strongly” XStore & Elementor “take over” the get and filter all products loop.

i.e. when we try to filter by metadata on variations in a very basic WP + Woo site, it works as expected.
But when we add Facet WP or “Filter Anything” to our XStore site…
It seems like they have no effect on the XStore + Elementor products loop. The are, literally not “able to” wedge their logic into how XStore & Elementor are loading the shop page products.

Can you please advise?
How can we get filters that intend to change the products display to work better with XStore?
Our site has been moved to: https://enduratex.site/shop/

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3 Answers

Andrew Mitchell

Support staff

February 27, 2026 at 09:38

Hello, Enduratex,

The thing is that by default it allows you to use filters by custom attributes on the store page. These attributes are visible only on the Single product. Unfortunately, we cannot influence this and it is unlikely that the plugins you have installed will be able to influence this. Please check their functionality with the default theme.

Best Regards,
8Theme’s Team

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Enduratex

Participant

February 27, 2026 at 10:10

Perhaps it would be better to approach our question from a different angle.
We have had to add a custom metadata field to the variations in our products.
It is NOT an attribute, and it cannot be an attribute, because:
All Attributes for Variations in Woo Products are Additive.
i.e. Only when both Color + Size are chosen can you add to cart.

In our case this will not work.
We need to assign a “standard color name” to every Custom Swatch variation.
So that… on the shop page, people can search by Colors down to the variation level.

Please tell me if you have built into XSTore,
a way for us to Index & Search by Variation-Level Custom Metadata?

Here is are two example of stores that do exactly this kind of thing:

https://spradling.group/en-us/products?pc=BLUE
https://morbern.com/products/?fwp_variation_colors=blue

On this store page, every product has custom swatch variations.
BUT – in the back-end, they have also assigned a “standard color name” to each swatch.

When you search for BLUE – the entire shop page changes from Products, to Blue Variations only.
We are in the EXAT same industry – and our website is for sales on an international scope, like these 2.
We need to be able, in our shop, to filter products by Variation-Level color tags associated with each swatch.

Our Site has been “stuck” – unable to go live – for 3 months now,
as we try, and try, and try every imaginable solution and plugin for:
1. Add Extra Data Field to Variation Swatches
2. Filter by Extra Color Fields on the Variation Level
3. Update Shop Page to Show Variations upon Filter by Color

We have had week-long research discussions with Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude to try and resolve this.
Every… Single… One of them arrive at the EXACT same solution:

1. Use a plugin that allows you to add extra data fields per variation.
2. Then use a plugin that is able to find and index variation-level metadata fields.
3. Then use a plugin to add “Filter by Color” and “Show Variations as single products”

We’ve exhausted the marketplace in terms of plugins to buy and test.
IconicWP: Custom Fields for Variations
FaceWP: Cutom Filters by Variation
Filter Everything Pro – same thing
Show Variations as Single Products

ALL of these work, UNTIL we put them into an XStore Elementor page. Then they are no longer able to filter nor modify the shop loop correctly.

We are left with no other option to ask you…

How can we filter by Variation-Level Metadata and update the shop page to show single variations after a color filter is selected?

Thank You Very much in advance for your consideration of this topic.

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Andrew Mitchell

Support staff

February 27, 2026 at 11:23

Unfortunately, our theme does not support filtering or sorting by custom fields; it only allows filtering and sorting by attributes. If you wish, you may contact our customization center, and they will assist you with this request.

To ensure the task is completed properly and on time, please submit your request to our trusted partner, WP Kraken.

You will receive:
– A prompt quote and timeline
– Turnkey implementation by a vetted team
– A warranty on the delivered work

We are confident this will be helpful and hope you can take advantage of it soon.

Best regards,
The 8Theme Team

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support staff only.

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