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Stale or wrong results

Symptom​

Filters appear to work—the loop refreshes via AJAX—but results include wrong items, exclude expected matches, or look like cached/old content.

Likely causes and fixes​

Object or page cache​

Filter responses may be cached without varying by query parameters.

  1. Exclude AJAX filter REST responses from object cache plugins.
  2. Disable full-page cache for pages with active filter query strings.
  3. Purge CDN cache after changing products or posts.

See Caching and performance.

Base loop query too broad or too narrow​

The Archive Loop base query defines which content is searchable. Filters only refine that set.

  1. Review Archive Loop post type, taxonomy restrictions, and meta base query.
  2. Confirm filtered-out content is not excluded by the base query before filters apply.

AND vs OR logic​

Multiple filters may use AND (match all) or OR (match any) logic depending on filter item settings. Unexpected empty or overly broad results often trace to logic settings.

Test one filter at a time, then combine.

WooCommerce price and sale edge cases​

  • Sale prices vs regular prices
  • Variable product price ranges
  • Tax display settings (inclusive vs exclusive)

Test with known products at fixed prices on staging.

Custom meta type mismatch​

Meta stored as serialized arrays, JSON, or non-scalar values may not filter as expected with simple meta controls. Verify storage format in the database or use Pro ACF integration for complex fields.

Conditional filters (Pro)​

Conditional filters hide or show filter items based on other selections. A hidden filter may still affect queries if values persist—use Reset and retest. See Conditional filters (Pro).

Debugging steps​

  1. Note expected post/product IDs for a filter combination.
  2. Apply filters and compare results to a manual admin search with the same criteria.
  3. Disable caching plugins temporarily and retest.
  4. Check for duplicate Archive Loop blocks on the page querying different content.

What's next​