Is the issue of collection items appearing and disappearing during filtering with finsweets CMS Load a bug or a misconfiguration in Webflow?

When collection items appear and disappear unexpectedly during filtering with Finsweet's CMS Load, the issue is typically a result of a misconfiguration—not a Webflow bug.

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1. Understand the Role of CMS Load and Filtering  

• Finsweet's CMS Load (also known as Attribute Library) uses load-more, filter, and sort JavaScript functionality to manipulate Webflow CMS Collection Lists on the frontend.
• If not set up properly, items may disappear or overlap during filtering due to how items are paginated and rendered.

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2. Common Misconfiguration Causes  

• Mismatch Between CMS Load and Filter Targets:
• Ensure the CMS Load wrapper (fs-cmsload-element="list") includes all collection items being filtered.
• The filter script must target the same elements that CMS Load controls.

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• Missing or Incorrect Attributes:
• Double-check all required Finsweet attributes:
  • fs-cmsfilter-field must match the actual CMS field name or a mapped filter option.
  • fs-cmsload-page and fs-cmsload-mode="pagination" must be properly configured for pagination or load-more functionality.

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• Improperly Initialized Scripts:
• If you apply both filter and load-more, the initialization order matters. Finsweet recommends using the combined CMS Filter + Load solution and initializing CMS Load first.

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• Items Not Fully Loaded Before Filtering:
• If your filtered items are loaded beyond the visible list (e.g., items hidden in load-more), the filter won't detect them unless they’re loaded into the DOM.
• Solution: Enable “load all” or pre-load all pages using fs-cmsload-mode="all" if filtering across the full dataset is necessary.

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3. Troubleshooting Tips  

• Turn on Finsweet Debug Mode: Add the script parameter ?fs-debug=true to your project URL to inspect attribute setups in the console.
• Clear and Rebuild Attributes: Sometimes attribute typos or misapplied wrappers can break functionality.
• Test Without Pagination: Temporarily remove load-more features to confirm that filtering works correctly on a static list.

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4. When It’s Actually a Bug  

• While rare, occasional element conflicts with other custom scripts, or using outdated versions of Finsweet's library, can cause erratic behavior.
• If you suspect a bug, test in a simplified environment and compare with a fresh Finsweet template setup.

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Summary  

Unexpected appearance or disappearance of collection items during filtering with Finsweet’s CMS Load in Webflow is almost always a misconfiguration—not a Webflow bug. Carefully check attribute setup, initialization order, and whether all items are loaded before applying filters.