Understanding AJAX Filters and User Navigation: Should the Back Button Remember Filter States?

When developing dynamic WordPress websites, particularly those tailored for clients, attention to user experience is crucial. Recently, I encountered a common challenge while creating a custom site for a freelance designer: implementing AJAX category filters that seamlessly integrate with browser navigation.

In this project, I built AJAX-based filters from the ground up, as existing plugins did not meet the specific requirements. The filters function correctly—allowing users to filter content without page reloads—but I noticed a subtle issue: when a user clicks on a post, then navigates back using the browser’s back button, the filter selections reset instead of restoring to their previous state.

While my client hasn’t raised this concern directly, it prompted me to reflect on whether this behavior should be expected. Should AJAX filters automatically preserve their state across navigation, especially with the back button? Intuitively, many users anticipate their previous filter settings to remain intact when returning to a filtered page.

Addressing this functionality can be complex. Achieving persistent filter states often involves additional scripting, utilizing techniques like session storage, local storage, or URL manipulation to remember user choices. From my experience, implementing this reliably might take a couple of days of focused development, which I initially didn’t account for given the project’s scope and budget.

So, the question arises: Should I offer to implement persistent filters as an extra feature for additional compensation, or leave the current functionality as it is?

Ultimately, preserving user context enhances the browsing experience, especially on content-heavy sites. If the client values that, it might be worth discussing the additional effort and cost. However, if the current setup meets their core needs, providing a straightforward solution might suffice.

In web development, subtle usability details like this can significantly impact user satisfaction. Whether you choose to enhance your filters or not, understanding these nuances helps deliver a more refined product that aligns with user expectations and project scope.