Table of contents
A shopper who cannot find a product cannot buy it. On small stores navigation is enough, but as your catalogue grows, site search and collection filters decide whether visitors find what they want or leave. Here is how to get them right on Shopify.
Why search and filters matter
- Search users are high intent. They know what they want and tend to convert well, if search shows it to them.
- Filters narrow big collections to the few products that actually fit.
- Bad search loses sales quietly. "No results found" sends people straight to a competitor.
Shopify Search & Discovery
Shopify's free Search & Discovery app is the place to start. It lets you:
- Add filters to collections and search results.
- Create search synonyms so different words find the same products.
- Boost or bury products in search results.
- Set up product recommendations (related and complementary products).
Your theme needs to support storefront filtering, which most Online Store 2.0 themes do.
Set up useful filters
Filter on what customers actually care about:
- Price and availability (hide out-of-stock if you prefer).
- Product type and vendor or brand.
- Variant options like size and colour.
- Custom attributes from metafields, such as material, fit or compatibility. (See metaobjects and metafields.)
Filters only work if your product data is clean. Inconsistent tags or missing metafields create filters that miss products.
Make search smarter
- Add synonyms for how customers describe products ("sofa" and "couch", "trainers" and "sneakers").
- Check your search terms. Look at what people search for in your analytics, especially searches with no results, and fix those gaps.
- Boost bestsellers and key products so they appear first.
- Write clear product titles and descriptions, since search relies on them.
Do not forget collections
Search and filters work best on top of well-organised collections. (See collections and merchandising.) Good collections help people browse; good search and filters help them narrow down.
When to use a third-party search app
For very large catalogues, or if you need features like typo tolerance, merchandising rules and detailed search analytics, a dedicated search app can go further than Search & Discovery. Check performance before installing, since search apps add scripts. (See choosing apps.)
The takeaway
Good search and filters turn browsing into buying. Start with Shopify's free Search & Discovery app, set up filters on the attributes customers care about, keep product data clean, add synonyms, and fix searches that return nothing.
Want search and filters set up on your store? Get in touch.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I add filters to my Shopify store?
Install Shopify's free Search & Discovery app and set up filters for collections and search results, such as price, availability, product type, vendor, and options like size and colour. Your theme needs to support storefront filtering, which most Online Store 2.0 themes do.
Can I improve Shopify's search results?
Yes. With Search & Discovery you can add search synonyms (so 'sofa' also finds 'couch'), boost or bury products in results, and set up product recommendations. For large catalogues, a third-party search app can add more advanced features.
Why does site search matter so much?
Shoppers who use search already know what they want, so they tend to convert at a higher rate. A search that returns nothing or the wrong products loses those high-intent sales.
Can I filter by custom attributes like material?
Yes. You can create filters from product metafields, such as material, fit or compatibility, as long as that data is filled in consistently on your products.