Ajax Smart Filter
Ajax Smart Filter is a powerful, professional, real-time AJAX filtering plugin for WordPress. It helps users instantly filter posts, portfolios, listings, and any custom post type — without reloading the page.
Use with caution
Ajax Smart Filter works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 44/100 on our health check.
- Small user base (10+ active installs)
- Very few reviews so far
- Only tested up to WordPress 6.8 (latest is 7.1)
How does it stack up?
Side-by-side on installs, updates, ratings & supportDaily downloads
Download spikes usually follow a new release — each site that auto-updates counts as a download.
Rankings
Where Ajax Smart Filter stands todayWordPress.org search rankings
Live position in the plugin search, top 100| Keyword | Position |
|---|---|
| ajax filter | #53 |
| custom template development | >100 |
| grid layout | >100 |
| post filter | >100 |
| search suggestion | >100 |
Version adoption
Share of active sites per release.
About Ajax Smart Filter
From the official readme · v1.5Description
Ajax Smart Filter is a powerful, professional, real-time AJAX filtering plugin for WordPress.
It helps users instantly filter posts, portfolios, listings, and any custom post type — without reloading the page.
Designed for speed, flexibility, and customizability, the plugin includes modern templates, search suggestions, taxonomy filters, sort options, and a complete template builder for custom layouts.
Perfect for:
– Blogs & news websites
– Portfolios
– Real estate listings
– Directories
– Job boards
– Any content-heavy website
Key Features
⚡ Fast AJAX Filtering
– Lightweight endpoint (bypasses plugin loading)
– No page reloads
– Smart optimized queries
🔍 Advanced Search
– Live search with autocomplete
– Search title, content, or custom fields
– Smart suggestions with images
📂 Taxonomy Filters
– Categories, tags, any custom taxonomy
– Dropdowns or tab-style filters
– AND/OR match logic
🎛️ Sorting Options
– Newest, Oldest
– A–Z, Z–A
– Popular posts
🎨 Modern Templates
– Modern Card
– Horizontal Card
– Masonry Grid
– Featured + Grid
🛠️ Custom Template Builder
– Custom HTML for filter bar
– Custom HTML for result items
– ACE code editor
Available Placeholders:
– [filter attribute="search"] – Search input with autocomplete
– [filter attribute="category"] – Category dropdown
– [filter attribute="category-tabs"] – Category tabs
– [filter attribute="tag"] – Tag dropdown
– [filter attribute="tag-tabs"] – Tag tabs
– [filter attribute="sort"] – Sort dropdown
– [filter attribute="apply-button"] – Apply button
Custom Result Item HTML
Design your own post cards:
Available Placeholders:
– {{post_id}} – Post ID number
– {{post_title}} – Post title
– {{post_link}} – Post permalink URL
– {{post_slug}} – Post slug
– {{post_excerpt}} – Post excerpt
– {{post_content}} – Full post content
– {{post_date}} – Formatted date
– {{post_author}} – Author name
– {{post_author_avatar}} – Author avatar image
– {{post_category}} – First category name
– {{post_categories}} – All categories (comma-separated)
– {{post_tag}} – First tag name
– {{post_tags}} – All tags (comma-separated)
– {{post_image}} – Featured image HTML
– {{post_image_url}} – Featured image URL
🌈 Styling Options
– 4 filter styles: default, minimalist, sidebar, compact
– Custom color themes
– Show/hide title, excerpt, date, author, image
– Excerpt length control
🔗 URL & State Management
– URL query string support
– Shareable filter URLs
– Custom parameter names
📄 Pagination
– Numeric, next/prev, or both
– Custom posts per page
Compatible with everything
– Any theme
– Gutenberg & Classic Editor
– Elementor, Divi, Beaver Builder
– Any post type or taxonomy
Installation
- Upload the plugin ZIP via Plugins → Add New → Upload Plugin
- Activate the plugin
- Go to Filter Sets → Add New
- Configure filters, template, and settings
- Copy the shortcode:
[asfp_post_filter id=”123″] - Paste it into any page or post
Frequently asked questions
Does this work with custom post types?
Yes. Ajax Smart Filter works with any public post type, including custom post types.
Can I use multiple filter sets on the same page?
Yes. You can add multiple shortcodes on the same page, each with different configurations.
Will this work with my theme?
Yes. The plugin outputs clean HTML and minimal CSS, making it compatible with any WordPress theme.
Can I customize the styling?
Yes. You can customize colors, use custom HTML templates, or add your own CSS.
Does it work with page builders?
Yes. It works with Elementor, Beaver Builder, Divi, and other page builders via shortcode.
How do I change the number of posts per page?
Go to your Filter Set settings → Pagination → Posts Per Page.
Can I search in custom fields?
Yes. Enable “Custom Fields (meta)” in the Search Scope settings.
How do I enable URL parameters?
Go to Filter Set → URL & State Management → Enable URL Query String.
Can I use custom taxonomy terms?
Yes. The plugin automatically detects and uses any taxonomy registered for your post type.
How do I hide empty categories or tags?
Enable “Hide Empty Terms” in the Filter Set settings.
Can I create my own template?
Yes. Use the Custom Result Item HTML editor with placeholders like {{post_title}}, {{post_image}}, etc.
How do I change filter colors?
Go to Filter Set → Color Theme and use the color pickers.
Can I add custom CSS?
Yes. Add custom CSS to your theme stylesheet or use any custom CSS plugin.
How do I customize labels?
Go to Filter Set → Filter Labels & Text to customize all labels.
Changelog
Major performance improvements and new templates in version 1.2. Update recommended.
1.2
- Added 4 professional templates
- Added custom color themes
- Added custom HTML template builder
- Added URL query string support
- Added excerpt length control
- Added analytics module
- Improved AJAX performance
- Fixed bugs and improved stability
1.1
- Initial release with basic filters, search, taxonomy, and pagination
For developers
Is this your plugin? Show off the numbers.
Add a live badge to your site, docs or GitHub README. It updates on its own — no account needed.
Best Ajax Smart Filter alternatives
All ajax filter plugins →FAQ
Ajax Smart Filter: quick answers
Straight answers, pulled from live WordPress.org data.
Live data from WordPress.org · checked Oct 2, 2026
Is Ajax Smart Filter free?
Yes. Ajax Smart Filter is free to download and use from the official WordPress.org plugin directory.
Is Ajax Smart Filter safe to use in 2026?
Ajax Smart Filter works, but test it on a staging site before relying on it in 2026. It runs on 10+ sites and was last updated 4 months ago, and scores 44/100 on our health check.
How many websites use Ajax Smart Filter?
Ajax Smart Filter is active on 10+ WordPress websites and has been downloaded 868 times since it launched in October 2025. It was downloaded 82 times in the last 30 days.
Does Ajax Smart Filter work with WordPress 7.1?
Ajax Smart Filter is officially tested up to WordPress 6.8.10, while the latest release is 7.1.2. It may still work, but try it on a staging site first.
What PHP version does Ajax Smart Filter need?
Ajax Smart Filter requires PHP 7.4 or higher. Most hosts run PHP 8.x today, so it works on any modern WordPress hosting.
When was Ajax Smart Filter last updated?
The latest version, 1.5, was released on June 15, 2026 (4 months ago).
Who makes Ajax Smart Filter?
Ajax Smart Filter is developed and maintained by ramcraft.
What are the best alternatives to Ajax Smart Filter?
The most popular alternatives to Ajax Smart Filter are HUSKY (80K+ installs), Category AJAX Filter (6K+ installs) and Better Post & Filter Widget… (4K+ installs).
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