Classic Panel vs CAF Builder
The Classic Panel is the original way filters were set up in Category AJAX Filter. CAF Builder came later and does everything the Classic Panel does, with far more control - including its own set of ready-made layouts you can import.
In short
CAF Builder is the current way to build a filter, and it is not the slower option: it ships with pre-built layouts you can import and use as they are. The Classic Panel remains available and supported, so pick it if one of its layouts is exactly the look you want. For anything else, use CAF Builder.
What changed
The Classic Panel is a settings screen. Its layouts are fixed: you choose one for the filter and one for the listing, adjust colours and sizes, and that is the extent of it. There is no preview, so you save and open the page to see the result.
CAF Builder replaced that with a full builder. You work through three steps - the query and filters, the listing item, then the layout - placing modules on a canvas and styling each one, watching the result as you go.
Tip
Do not assume the Builder means starting from a blank page. Its template library holds ready-made layouts you can import and use unchanged, so a filter can be up and running just as quickly.
Side by side
| Classic Panel | CAF Builder | |
|---|---|---|
| Layouts | A fixed set - choose one for the filter and one for the listing | Build your own, or import a ready-made one and edit it |
| Preview | None. Save, then open the page your filter is on | A live canvas that updates as you work |
| Design control | Basic - colours, sizes and the settings each feature offers | A full Design tab on every element, with Desktop, Tablet and Mobile values |
| Works with | WordPress posts and custom post types | WordPress posts, custom post types and WooCommerce products |
| Getting started | Pick a layout, fill in the settings | Import a layout to start quickly, or build from scratch |
When to choose the Classic Panel
There is one good reason: you have looked at its layouts and one of them is the design you want. In that case there is nothing to gain from rebuilding it elsewhere - set it up here and move on.
The Classic Panel is still supported, so filters built this way keep working and can still be edited. Nothing forces you to move them.
When to use CAF Builder
Everything else. If none of the Classic Panel layouts is quite right, the Builder will get you closer - and its template library gives you a starting point rather than an empty canvas.
- None of the Classic Panel layouts matches what you had in mind
- You want to decide which fields appear in the listing item, and in what order
- You want to see the result while you work rather than saving and checking
- You are filtering WooCommerce products
- You want control over styling on every element, on desktop, tablet and mobile
Note
Both are included, and the choice is made per filter rather than site-wide. You can have Classic Panel filters and CAF Builder filters running side by side.
Careful
Worth deciding before you start: there is no way to convert a filter from one to the other. A Classic Panel filter you later want in CAF Builder has to be built again from scratch.
Common Questions
Is the Classic Panel being removed?
No. It is the older way of setting up a filter, but it is still supported and filters built with it keep working.
Is CAF Builder slower to set up?
Not if you import a layout. The template library holds ready-made layouts you can use as they are, so the starting point is much the same - you simply have the option to change more afterwards.
Can I use both on the same site?
Yes. Each filter is built one way or the other, so the two can sit side by side.
Do visitors see any difference?
No. Both produce a filter and a listing on the front end.
Can I move an existing Classic Panel filter to CAF Builder?
Not directly - there is no conversion, so the filter has to be built again in the Builder. Your Classic Panel filter keeps working in the meantime, so you can build the new one first and only swap the shortcode on your page once you are happy with it.
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