Tanstack Table Core Column Faceting

This skill builds on core, table-features, and column-filtering. Faceting derives filter choices; it does not render controls.

Setup

import {
  columnFacetingFeature,
  columnFilteringFeature,
  createFacetedMinMaxValues,
  createFacetedRowModel,
  createFacetedUniqueValues,
  createFilteredRowModel,
  filterFn_includesString,
  filterFn_inNumberRange,
  tableFeatures,
} from '@tanstack/table-core'

export const features = tableFeatures({
  columnFilteringFeature,
  filteredRowModel: createFilteredRowModel(),
  filterFns: {
    includesString: filterFn_includesString,
    inNumberRange: filterFn_inNumberRange,
  },
  columnFacetingFeature,
  facetedRowModel: createFacetedRowModel(),
  facetedUniqueValues: createFacetedUniqueValues(),
  facetedMinMaxValues: createFacetedMinMaxValues(),
})

Core Patterns

const counts = table.getColumn('status')?.getFacetedUniqueValues() ?? new Map()
const range = table.getColumn('age')?.getFacetedMinMaxValues()

Use unique values for discrete controls and min/max only for numeric ranges. The filtered model makes facets respond to the table's other active filters. Register individually imported built-ins under their conventional keys so columns can reference them by string name; a column may instead receive a filter function directly without registering it. The full filterFns registry object still works but bundles every built-in.

Common Mistakes

[HIGH] Registering APIs without model slots

Wrong: tableFeatures({ columnFilteringFeature, columnFacetingFeature })

Correct: tableFeatures({ columnFilteringFeature, columnFacetingFeature, facetedRowModel: createFacetedRowModel(), facetedUniqueValues: createFacetedUniqueValues() })

Each faceting getter needs its matching factory slot.

Source: packages/table-core/src/features/column-faceting/columnFacetingFeature.ts

[MEDIUM] Expecting facet to apply itself

Wrong: column.getFacetedUniqueValues().get(activeValue) === 0

Correct: column.getFacetedUniqueValues().get(activeValue) ?? 0

A column facet intentionally excludes that column's own filter while applying other filters.

Source: docs/framework/react/guide/column-faceting.md

[HIGH] Treating page facets as global

Wrong: const globalCounts = column.getFacetedUniqueValues()

Correct: const globalCounts = await fetchFacetCounts(activeFilters)

With server pagination, client faceting sees only loaded data.

Source: docs/framework/react/guide/column-faceting.md#custom-server-side-faceting

API Discovery

Inspect node_modules/@tanstack/table-core/dist/features/column-faceting/ for exact getters and factory return types.