[Feature] Faceted refinement workflow on top of existing search

[photoserver-pro]

I have searched the existing feature requests, both open and closed, to make sure this is not a duplicate request.

• Yes

The feature

Immich already provides powerful search and a basic set of filters.
This request is not about adding new metadata dimensions. It’s about evolving the existing search/filter UI into a more “faceted refinement” workflow: users can iteratively narrow down large result sets with persistent, easily adjustable filters (explore → refine → adjust), with minimal UI friction.

Motivation

For large libraries, timeline browsing and free-text search alone are often not enough for efficient discovery. Immich’s search is strong, but the current filtering workflow is still fairly basic and makes iterative refinement harder than it needs to be—especially when working with large result lists.
Users need a structured way to narrow down large result sets and explore the library efficiently.

Proposal (UX / workflow on top of existing search)

Build on Immich’s current search and filters and improve the interaction model to support faceted refinement:

MVP goals:

• Visible, persistent active filters (e.g., as chips/badges) that can be removed/adjusted with a single click/tap (no repeated modal navigation for simple changes). (Related: [Feature] Allow deselecting active search filters directly from the results view #24966)
• Show total result count for the current query/filter state (helps users understand impact and refine efficiently).
• Consistent refinement workflow across web and mobile, even if the UI layout differs.

Non-goals (out of scope for this request)

• Introducing new filter dimensions or new ML labeling features.
• Saved searches / smart albums (can be a follow-up).
• Complex boolean logic beyond what is already discussed elsewhere (e.g. AND/OR operators tracked separately). (Related: [Feature] NOT operator #10381)

Thanks for all the work on Immich — it is an impressive project.

Platform

• Server
• Web
• Mobile

[bo0tzz]

Immich already supports search like this. All the other bits duplicate existing feature requests.

[photoserver-pro]

Thanks for the quick feedback and for taking the time to review this.

I understand the concern about duplication, and I would like to clarify my
perspective and ask for guidance to better understand the current capabilities.

Context
I have been running large photo libraries for many years (≈8 years with Piwigo,
currently QNAP QuMagie) and my archive consists of 500k+ photos from many
different sources. At this scale, discoverability becomes the primary challenge.

I am currently in an active evaluation phase for a scalable, long-term solution
and have:

• thoroughly explored the Immich demo system,
• set up my own test environment,
• reviewed the documentation and existing discussions.

Clarification request
When the comment states that “Immich already supports search like this”, I may
be missing something, and I would genuinely like to understand which existing
features cover this use case.

Specifically, I was not able to identify a faceted filter navigation that
allows users to:

• incrementally narrow down a large result set using persistent filters
  (e.g. people + date + camera + keywords),
• see and adjust the active filter state,
• explore a very large library (>500k assets) without relying on free-text
  queries alone.

Search itself clearly exists and works well, but my question is about a
guided, filter-driven exploration workflow, rather than query-based search.

If there are existing features, views, or workflows that already address this
(usefully at large scale), I would really appreciate pointers to:

• the relevant UI areas,
• documentation,
• or existing feature requests that more precisely describe this gap.

My goal here is not to reopen a closed request, but to better understand Immich’s
current capabilities and roadmap, as this is a key criterion in my ongoing
evaluation.

Thanks again for the clarification and for the work you’re putting into Immich.

[timonrieger]

you mention a lot of things the current search is supporting. I agree however that the UX can be improved, like you mentioned in #24966 and AND/OR operators in #10381 (see this discord thread as well)

[photoserver-pro]

I agree that the scope and performance of Immich’s search is already one of the strongest parts of the project.

From a UX perspective, adding faceted filtering directly within the photo view would unlock a completely new use case: making very large archives genuinely explorable for everyday users.

This doesn’t need reinventing. Conceptually, most of the building blocks seem to already exist (fast search + metadata dimensions). It's mainly usability—very similar to what users expect from successful e-commerce experiences: start broad, then narrow down iteratively with clear facets and quick toggles.

[timonrieger]

can you go in more detail on the how?

currently i see you need to click on the "settings" icon in the search bar to modify the filters. for deselecting filters you already suggested #24966 (if that's what you mean)

selecting additional filters: please elaborate. for me it seams to work to stack filters and persist them

out.mp4

[photoserver-pro]

Hi @timonrieger,

thanks a lot for taking on this topic — much appreciated.

While I’m not a developer myself, I can contribute the user and UX perspective based on ~20 years of experience in e-commerce and working with large-scale search systems and search providers.

When we talk about filter navigation in Immich, I think it helps to clearly separate two aspects:
1. Data availability / filter dimensions
2. UX / interaction model

To avoid turning this into a generic wish list, I’d like to stay very concrete and focus only on what Immich already provides today in the web UI.

Current filter dimensions (data side)

Many important building blocks already exist:

• People: multiple selection possible (✅ done)
• Tags: easy to select (✅ done)
• Untagged: very useful option (✅)
• Media type: good option (✅)
• Display options: good option (✅)

However, several dimensions behave more like single-choice selectors than true filters:

• Place (Country): only one country selectable
  → no real filtering, missing multi-select

• Place (State): only one selectable, dependent on country
  → no real filtering, missing multi-select

• Place (City): only one selectable, dependent on state
  → no real filtering, missing multi-select

• Camera (Make): only one selectable
  → no real filtering, missing multi-select

• Camera (Model): only one selectable
  → no real filtering, missing multi-select

• Date: basic date range, but no clear filtering by years or months

• Star rating: no real filtering; especially missing operators (>, <, ≥, ≤)

From a filtering perspective, many of these dimensions would become significantly more powerful with multi-select and basic operators, without introducing new concepts.

UX / interaction issues

Equally important as the available filter dimensions is how users interact with them. This is where Immich currently deviates from established faceted-search UX patterns:

1. Activating and deactivating filters

One of the core rules of faceted navigation is the ability to toggle filters on and off with a single interaction.

In Immich:

• filters are selected via a separate dialog
• active filters are shown afterward
• but individual filters cannot be easily removed or adjusted inline

This makes iterative refinement unintuitive and breaks the “explore → adjust → refine” flow.

2. Missing result counts

There is currently no visible result count, neither:

• total number of results
• nor per filter option

Without this feedback, users cannot judge:

• the impact of a filter
• whether further refinement makes sense

In faceted systems, showing result counts is essential for orientation and control.

3. Result presentation vs. Photos view

Search currently always produces a flat result list.

As a consequence:

• timeline navigation
• day-based grouping
• the scrollable time indicator from the main Photos view

are not available in search results.

This makes search feel detached from the primary browsing experience, even though it often replaces it for large archives.

Summary

Immich already provides a very powerful and performant search with many relevant dimensions. What’s missing is a true filter / facet navigation layer that:

• allows easy, reversible refinement
• provides feedback via result counts
• integrates better with the existing Photos browsing UX

In other words: most of the hard parts seem to be in place already. The remaining gap is primarily usability and interaction design, not raw capability.

[timonrieger]

awesome answer, thank you! I now get what you mean. We can take this directly as a project plan 😄 🙏

[photoserver-pro]

Thanks a lot for your feedback and for offering your support @timonrieger - I really appreciate it.

I’m very much looking forward to collaborating and I’m happy to contribute in any way I can from a non-developer perspective: user experience input, real-world use cases, testing, feedback from large archives, or helping to shape feature requests and discussions.

Excited to work together and see where this goes 🙂

[photoserver-pro]

From a UX perspective, filtering and faceted navigation are not “nice to have” features, but established interaction patterns that users expect from any modern content discovery interface. We all use these patterns daily, often without consciously noticing them.

Well-known examples illustrate this clearly:

• Zappos (product catalogs): search + faceted filters with counts and instant feedback
  https://www.zappos.com/men-shoes/

• QNAP QuMagie (photo management): layered filters directly applied to the main photo stream
  https://www.qnap.com/en-us/software/qumagie

• Piwigo (open-source photo platform): explicit filter dialogs with operators and combinations
  https://demo1.piwigo.com/index?/search/psk-20260108-ZFS1CgWi0s

And of course, many of us are very familiar with the comprehensive metadata filtering in Lightroom.

These systems all share common principles:

• Filters are directly visible and reversible
• Users can combine multiple facets
• Result counts give immediate feedback
• Filtering feels like navigating, not running a separate search

That’s where Immich could really stand out:
Applying faceted filtering directly to the photo stream (instead of showing only a flat search result list) would unlock entirely new use cases for large archives.

[photoserver-pro]

I recently started experimenting with the Immich iOS app on iPad, and I was pleasantly surprised that the filter selection UX feels a bit more user-friendly there. It already looks like an early step toward a simpler “filter / facet” style workflow.

However, two very important filters are currently missing on mobile: Tags and Star Rating.

In general, I think a consistent UX across web and mobile is in everyone’s interest. The way the apps separate search and filtering might also be a useful direction for future improvements on the web side, especially as Immich increasingly serves larger libraries.

For context:
[Feature] More support for tags #15313
[Feature] Search Star rating with operator #17616

@timonrieger — would love your thoughts on whether aligning web/mobile filtering UX is something the project would consider as part of this broader effort.

[photoserver-pro]

Hi @bo0tzz,

thanks again for taking the time to review and moderate feature requests — I really appreciate the work you put into keeping Immich focused.
About this feature request: would you consider reopening the discussion?

Since the initial post, the topic has been discussed in much more depth and has produced a fairly concrete, UX-focused breakdown (what works today, where the gaps are, and how this could evolve without reinventing search). In my view, that conversation is now a valuable input for Immich’s roadmap rather than just a broad request.

Additionally, a recurring theme is the importance of consistent usability between the web UI and the mobile apps. Aligning the interaction model for filtering/refinement across platforms seems like a key quality aspect as Immich continues to mature.

If reopening is acceptable, I’m happy to keep it as a consolidated “umbrella” discussion that links out to the more specific existing feature requests, so it doesn’t duplicate or fragment the issue tracker.

Thanks for considering, and for all your work on Immich.

[sbiden]

I think most users are afraid of a lot of letters and meanings.
And the essence is simple- to make the filter system convenient and deep in order to find photos in detail.

I would like to raise this topic in relevant

[autourdupc]

I think something like this would be very usefull and easier to use than existing method that needs to clic 3 dots and select filter...

This is only another way to show existing filters that can cumulate eatch other