---
title: "Facets"
slug: "facets"
abstract: "Overview of facets in Sitecore Search."
---
# Facets

In Sitecore Search, facets are categories based on attribute values that visitors can use to filter search results. They are dynamic, based on a visitor's query and currently displayed search results.

To use an attribute as a facet, you need [to enable it as a facet](https://doc.sitecore.com/search/en/users/search-user-guide/refine-search-results/use-an-attribute-as-a-facet.html "Use an attribute as a facet"). You can configure more options to control facet behavior, if required, on the **Feature Configuration** tab in the **Domain Settings** section.

> [!note]
> When used as facets, numeric attributes such as integers are grouped together in ranges to provide meaningful selection options for the site visitor. For example, for a product price attribute, instead of showing every individual price as a filter option, Sitecore Search groups the prices into meaningful ranges like:
>
> -   $0–$499
>
> -   $500–$999
>
> -   $1,000 and above.
>
>
> These ranges appear as facets in the search UI, allowing users to quickly narrow down their results by selecting a price range that fits their budget.

The following image shows the documentation search page of Sitecore.com. On the left you can see *Website* and *Role* facets and their values. The displayed results include the list of content available that contain *apps* in the `description` attribute.

![Sitecore.com documentation site showing a search results widget with list of facets in the left.](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/search/en/users/search-user-guide/images/facet_docs_0.png)

The following image shows the same page with the Developer role selected. You can see that the list of facet values under *Website* and the results have changed for content available that contain *apps* in the `description` attribute.

![Sitecore.com documentation site showing a search results widget with a facet value selected.](https://doc.sitecore.com/api/markdown-image/search/en/users/search-user-guide/images/facet_docs_1.png)

## Use cases

Here are some use cases that require the use of facets in your Sitecore Search implementation.

### Configuring the list of facets

In addition to configuring how many facets to return, you can configure how they are sorted before preparing the list. For a facet, you can also configure which facets to [boost in or exclude from](https://doc.sitecore.com/search/en/users/search-user-guide/refine-search-results/boost-or-exclude-facets.html "Boost or exclude facets") the list.

### Facets in long URLs

When a URL contains encoded facets, the URL might be long and harder for search engines to optimize during SEO.

To create more meaningful encodings, and as a result have shorter URLs and boost your SEO score, use the `facetValueText` field instead of the `facetId` field in the API response.

> [!important]
> In the response received from Search, your developer has access to the text value for every result listed.