Do you have a Shopify account? If you do, odds are you are running your very own eCommerce site that offers a variety of products, services, or content. If this is the case, then you’re going to want to grab a notebook and pen to take down all the important information that’ll set up your Shopify for success in 2022. 

The Default Settings

As far as eCommerce search features go, the Shopify search engine has default settings that are not particularly helpful. This is an eCommerce secret you may not be aware of, however. By understanding the default settings within the Shopify search engine you can set the foundation for how you wish to run your platform. Default settings can be very limiting. It’s important to know what they consist of and how you wish to change it. Let’s look into the Shopify search settings and the various customizable options available to you.

Customizable Search Settings

There are a variety of search settings that are entirely customizable. Each one of these settings serve different functions and can promote your products on your site the way you wish to have them displayed. There are three main sections to examine as it pertains to your Shopify search results:

• Types: this setting separates the type of items that populate as a result of a searched keyword.
• Product availability: this feature mainly deals with what is available on your site and whether it will show as a search result based on that. 
• Partial word matches: this function helps populate search results based on singular words chosen and their various combination options.

Through these Shopify search settings, you can improve the search function for your customers.  

Types

One of the first categories that you may want to program within your Shopify search engine is the “types” section. Types pertains to three different categories:

• Page
• Product
• Article

Your search results can yield any three of these options. By accessing the “search.liquid” feature, you can program which of these three categories you’d like to be visible to your customers. Additionally, you have the capability of limiting the types to one, two, or all three of the categories by adding a comma in between words. For example:

• Page, product
• Product, article
• Article, page, product: the default Shopify setting

Omitting one section or including a combination of types allows you to choose what content is displayed to your customers when they use your Shopify search bar. 

Product Availability

Another function that is able to be customized is the product availability feature. This section mainly deals with the products that are available on your site based on what the customer searches. There are several different ways you can customize this section. Begin by using the “unavailable_products” option. After this, you can customize by using these features:

• Show: this setting sorts the search results based on relevance.
• Hide: with this setting, results are populated based on relevance, but the unavailable products will not appear at all.
• Last: search results are first listed by availability, and then by relevance. This setting is the default setting within Shopify search.

This specific function is important because you get to decide whether the unavailable products can still be viewed by customers or not.

Partial Word Matches

Lastly, let’s look at the partial word match feature. With this setting, you will be able to customize your search engine to match words based on a variety of components:

• Last: the partial word match matches to the last word typed in the search bar.
• None: the partial word match feature is not enabled at all. 

An example of this in action looks like the search “fuzzy blanket” yielding the results:

• Throw blanket
• Blanket scarf
• Fuzzy knit blanket

With the partial word match option, the search results can drastically increase to showcase even more of your available products to the searching customer. If the customer is exposed to more options, your likelihood of sold items also increases. 

Why it Matters

An efficient Shopify search engine optimizes your eCommerce site and your business as a whole. When you focus on the efficiency and functionality of the tool that serves your customers, the entire system potentially benefits. Another aspect to take into consideration is the analytics offered by using a search engine. With an accurate analysis you could learn some valuable information about your site and the business:

• Frequently searched items
• Target audience
• Trends in products purchased

Having this information could be pivotal for your Shopify site and its success. 

Optimize Your Shopify This Year

Don’t wait to optimize the Shopify search engine on your site today. You are open to an entirely new world of personalization and customization features.