We examine the kinematic response of fixed‐head vertical floating piles embedded in continuously nonhomogeneous soils and subjected to upward propagating seismic waves. The problem is explored numerically by means of a rigorous finite element (FE) model of the soil‐pile system to quantify the kinematically induced reduction of the horizontal free‐field spectral acceleration. Soil stiffness varies continuously with depth according to a generalized power law function. We show that kinematic pile response in the harmonic regime is controlled by a unique dimensionless frequency parameter involving the active pile length in a generalized nonhomogeneous soil. A new, simplified expression for the horizontal kinematic interaction factor I _u is proposed for practical time‐domain applications while a novel physical interpretation of the filtering action of piles is reported by introducing the role of pile stiffness in averaging soil motion over an effective pile length. Following a parametric study under transient motion, we propose a set of novel, ready‐to‐use formulae for a rapid assessment of the pile‐induced filtering action. An application of the proposed formulae to clayey soils is finally presented, leading to useful indications for the selection of the pile diameter associated with the maximum filtering potential.