A free filter for Joomla content by custom fields: text, lists, radio buttons, checkboxes and dates. Works in article categories, contacts and tags, with AJAX filtering and per-filter SEO settings.
JL Content Fields Filter adds filtering by Joomla custom fields to a site. Fields are created in the Joomla backend, and visitors pick values in the filter module to see only the matching articles in a category. It suits small product catalogues built on Joomla articles, catalogues with many parameters, and stores that combine Joomla articles with a shopping cart.
Example: articles in a "Houses" category have a "Wall material" field with the values "Timber", "Brick" and "Aerated concrete". The filter module is shown in that category, a visitor selects "Brick" and sees only houses with that value. Conditions are combined with AND logic, so each extra condition narrows the result.
Features
- Filtering of articles (com_content), contacts (com_contact) and articles in a tag list (com_tags).
- Field types: text (partial match), radio, list, checkboxes, calendar (from–to date range).
- From–to ranges for numeric values such as price or size.
- AJAX filtering without a page reload, and automatic filtering when a value changes.
- A direct link to a filtered list (the filter accepts parameters from a GET request).
- Sorting of results by parameters.
- A choice of visual representation in the field settings, and custom filter field templates.
- Individual categories can be excluded in the field settings; the module can be shown in categories only.
- Several filter modules on one page.
- SEO: a separate meta title, description and keywords for each filter combination, which can be published or unpublished.
Installation and setup
- Install the
pkg_jlcontentfieldsfilterpackage (themod_jlcontentfieldsfiltermodule and theplg_system_jlcontentfieldsfiltersystem plugin) and, from a separate archive, thecom_jlcontentfieldsfiltercomponent, which is used for SEO settings. - Enable the system plugin. The filter does not work without it.
- Publish the module, select the fields to filter by, and assign a position and pages.
FAQ
The module is published but does not appear on the site
The module is only displayed when fields for filtering are selected in its settings.
AJAX filtering does not update the article list
Most likely the class or ID of the content block is set incorrectly in the module settings. Correct it or turn AJAX filtering off.
After opening an article and pressing Back, the browser shows ERR_CACHE_MISS
This is standard browser behaviour when a form is submitted with POST. Use AJAX filtering to avoid it.
Can I filter by tags?
The filter works in the article list of a tag linked to a menu item, just as it does inside a category. Choosing tags as a filter condition is not supported.
Is there a paid version?
No. The filter is free and has no commercial edition.
Compatibility and requirements
- Joomla 4, 5 and 6.
- PHP 8.1 or later.
- MySQL 5.7+ or MariaDB 10.3+.
