In the ever-evolving landscape of eCommerce, product discovery is no longer just about rigid hierarchies and buried menu trees. Today’s consumers are increasingly inspired, visual, and impatient. So, in 2025, it’s time for a strategic relook into how we balance categories vs filters—and why a flat taxonomy approach may now be the smarter UX decision for modern digital storefronts.
🔁 Categories vs Filters: Definitions That Matter
- Categories are fixed, hierarchical groupings representing different product types or intents. Example:
Men > Clothing > Jackets. - Filters are flexible, attribute-based refiners. Example: Color, Size, Brand, Material, Price.
While both help users navigate product catalogs, their functions—and when to use each—should be intentional.
✅ Subcategories: Best Practice Guidelines
Use subcategories to:
- Represent different product types or use cases
- Group items based on buyer intent (e.g., Running Shoes vs. Dress Shoes)
- Provide SEO landing opportunities
- Support fast task-based shopping
Avoid using subcategories for:
- Minor product variations like color, size, material
- Attributes better handled as filters
Rule of thumb: If it changes the fundamental kind of product or shopping intent—use a subcategory.
🧩 Filters: Flexible and Empowering
Filters are best used for:
- Shared attributes across product types
- Multi-select and combination-based exploration
- Enabling users to custom-build their view
Good filters:
- Are multi-selectable
- Display product counts
- Are progressive and non-blocking (don’t reload the whole page)
- Persist visually, especially on mobile
🧠 Flat Taxonomy: What It Is and Why It Works in 2025
A flat taxonomy reduces deep, rigid category trees and leans on filters to handle product distinctions.
Benefits:
- Fewer clicks to product lists
- Encourages outfit-building and discovery
- Simpler maintenance for merchandisers
- Mobile-optimized UX with sticky filters and search
- Supports brand storytelling and campaign-based merchandising
Tradeoffs:
- SEO limitations unless mitigated with filter-driven landing pages
- Cognitive overload if users face too broad a product listing
- Loses structure for high-intent, purpose-driven shoppers
⚖️ Should Product Types Be Filters Instead of Subcategories?
The argument in favor:
- Users get a full picture of what’s available
- Encourages comparison and mix & match
- Avoids overcategorization and siloing of similar products
- Supports inspirational browsing common in fashion, lifestyle, and home goods
However, users with strong goal-oriented intent (e.g., looking for a blazer) may find it frustrating if forced to start with a broad category and refine via filters.
The Hybrid Sweet Spot:
- Use broad subcategories like “Clothing” or “Footwear”
- Delegate specifics like T-shirts, Hoodies, Crew Necks to filters
- Curate landing pages for high-intent queries and SEO targets
🧠 UX Design Tips for 2025
- Keep subcategory trees 2-3 levels deep max
- On mobile, use slide-in filter drawers
- Always show selected filters clearly
- Enable easy filter removal
- Show product count as users refine
- Combine filters to create dynamic personalized experiences
📈 Examples & Use Cases
| Use Case | Subcategory? | Filter? |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s Tops vs Dresses | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Black, Blue, Red colors | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Nike vs Adidas | ❌ Usually | ✅ Yes |
| Workwear Looks | ✅ Sometimes | ✅ Combined |
| Sale Items | ✅ for campaign | ✅ also as filter |
🔄 Final Thoughts
In 2025, UX and merchandising should prioritize flexibility, inspiration, and speed. A flat taxonomy empowers users to shop how they want—without sacrificing discoverability or performance. But it must be balanced with:
- Strong filter UX
- SEO strategies
- Curated collections
Don’t just choose between categories and filters—blend them smartly.
Would your catalog benefit from a taxonomy refresh? If so, start by asking: Is this structure serving the user—or just the system?
