How do I build smart filters and product-page auto-filtering?

Use custom cascading filters for compatibility data, or match one shared table to the current Shopify product page.

Reviewed August 12, 2026. This guide describes the current Table Master smart filter and search settings.

What can Table Master smart filters do?

Table Master can build two types of Shopify table filters. Custom cascading filters help customers narrow structured compatibility data, such as Year, Make, Model, and Engine. Each later filter updates its choices from the other active filters. Product-page smart filters use the current product SKU, handle, ID, variant ID, product type, or vendor to show matching rows from one shared table. Table Master provides up to six filter slots, and an automatically generated custom filter can have up to 50 options. Smart search can match partial, multi-word text across columns. A merchant can also hide internal fields, such as alternate SKUs, and keep up to 10 hidden columns searchable. These controls filter rows inside the table. They do not change Shopify collection results, perform VIN or registration lookup, save a customer vehicle, or provide semantic AI search.

How do I build cascading compatibility filters?

Cascading filters update their available options from the other active filters. They are useful for structured selections such as Year, Make, Model, and Engine.

1. Create a table with one column for each filter level.
2. Create or edit the embedded table.
3. Open Smart filter.
4. Select Primary filter.
5. Set Filter type to Custom filter.
6. Select the matching table column.
7. Enter the customer-facing filter label.
8. Enable Auto-generate filter options.
9. Enable Cascading filter.
10. Repeat the setup for Custom filters 2 through 6 as required.
11. Save each filter and test the result in the preview.

For a clean finder, open Design, then Search & filter, and enable Hide table until all filters are selected. The table remains hidden until the customer selects each active filter.

Example: A motorcycle-parts table can use Year, Make, Model, and Engine filters. Each row must contain the exact data combination for a compatible part. Table Master filters the table rows. It does not provide VIN search, registration-number lookup, a saved vehicle garage, or Shopify collection navigation.

How do I show the correct rows on each product page?

Use a product-page smart filter when one shared table contains data for many products.

1. Add one table to the shared Shopify product template.
2. In Table Master, edit the embedded table.
3. Open Smart filter and select Primary filter.
4. Choose a product value: Product SKU, Product Handle, Product ID, Variant ID, Product Type, or Product Vendor.
5. Under Matches with column, select the table column that contains the same value.
6. Save and open two or more product pages to confirm that each page shows the correct rows.

This setup can replace many duplicate product-page tables. For example, one certification table can contain a Product handle column and certification rows for all products. The smart filter shows only the current product's rows.

How do I improve part-number and technical-data search?

Open Design, then Search & filter, and select Smart (partial + multi-word) as the search type. Smart search can match partial terms and words across columns. For example, app day can match apple a day.

To search data that customers must not see:

1. Open Order & visibility.
2. Under Hidden columns, select an internal field such as Alternate SKU.
3. Under Searchable hidden columns, select the hidden field.
4. Save and test a known hidden value in the storefront search.

This is useful for old part numbers, supplier codes, alternate names, and common spelling variants.

What limits apply to smart filters and search?

• You can configure up to six smart filter slots.
• Auto-generated custom filters can have up to 50 options.
• Cascading filters update from other active filters, but each row still needs accurate compatibility data.
• Up to 10 hidden columns can remain searchable.
• Product-page auto-filtering filters table rows. It does not change Shopify collection results.
• Smart search improves partial and multi-word matching, but it is not semantic or AI search.