How to Choose a Search App for Your Shopify Store
AppIn 5 min read
Shopify's own search has become much smarter. It reads meaning and forgives typos (Search behavior), and the free Search & Discovery app adds synonyms, filters and boosts on top. So a Shopify search app has to earn its place on your bill.
This guide gives you the questions that separate a real upgrade from one more subscription, and a 20-minute test you can run with your own shoppers' searches.
First: do you need a search app at all?
Start with your data, not with a vendor's demo. Open the Search & Discovery app, go to its analytics and read the "Searches with no results" report for the last 30 days. If you have not set up synonyms and filters yet, do that first — our guide to Search & Discovery walks through it.
Then look at what is still on the list. A search app is worth a test when you keep seeing:
- budgets or conditions in the query, like "under 100" or "in stock";
- names of products you no longer stock;
- searches in languages your catalog is not written in;
- long descriptions of a need, like "something warm for a winter hike".
If the list is short and full of odd one-off words, you probably do not need an app. Save the money.
Nine questions to ask before you install
1. Does it understand typos and descriptions? Ask for a live demo on a catalog, not a video. Type a misspelled product name and a description of a need. Shopify's built-in search already handles simple typos, so the app has to do better than that.
2. Does it understand a budget or a condition in the query? "Tents under 200" should show tents under 200. "Jacket in stock" should leave out what you cannot ship.
3. What happens with a product you no longer stock? A shopper who types its exact name should find it and see that it is sold out.
4. Does it work in every language and market you sell in? If you sell in several countries, check two things: does a shopper on your French storefront get French titles and links, and does each market see its own price, currency and stock?
5. What does it replace, and what stays with Shopify? Most apps take over the search window, the results page, or both. Shopify says custom filters and boosts only work with Shopify's native search (Managing searchability). Ask what happens to your Search & Discovery filters, boosts and recommendations.
6. Do you need to edit your theme? A good app works with the search field your theme already has. Theme edits cost time now and break on the next theme update.
7. How fast do product changes reach search? A new price, a product that sells out, a new product. Ask how long each one takes to show up in search results.
8. How is usage counted? Per search, per keystroke while the shopper types, or per product in your catalog? The same monthly price can mean very different costs for your store.
9. Where does your data go? Ask where the service is hosted, what it does with your shoppers' searches, and whether it signs a data processing agreement. If you sell in the EU, you need that answer before you install.
A checklist to keep next to the demo
| Question | A good answer sounds like |
|---|---|
| Typos and descriptions | It finds the right product on your own misspelled and descriptive searches |
| Budget or condition in the query | It applies the price or "in stock" as a filter |
| Product you no longer stock | It shows that product first, marked sold out |
| Languages and markets | Each storefront gets its own language, price, currency and stock |
| What it replaces | A clear list of what it takes over and what stays with Shopify |
| Theme edits | None needed |
| Product updates | Changes reach search within minutes |
| Usage | A plain answer to "what counts as one search?", and a free plan to test |
| Data | Hosting location, what is processed, and a data processing agreement |
The 20-minute test
- Pick ten searches from your no-results report. Add two of your best sellers with one letter wrong.
- Type each one into the app's demo store or your trial.
- For each search, look only at the first three results. Would a shopper buy one of them?
- Type the same searches into your store as it is today, and compare.
If the app does not clearly win on your own searches, do not pay for it. A demo on someone else's catalog proves very little about yours.
How AppIn Search answers these questions
We build AppIn Search for Shopify, so here are our own answers:
- It reads typos, descriptions, a budget or "in stock" in the query, and other languages.
- An exact product name puts that product first, even when it is sold out.
- It searches every language your store publishes, from the translations stored in Shopify, and shows each market's price, currency and stock.
- It takes over the search window that opens from your theme's search field. Your
/searchresults page, Search & Discovery filters, product recommendations, theme and checkout stay Shopify's. No theme edits. - Product edits usually reach search in about 20 seconds, and a full sync runs every night.
- The free plan includes 200 searches a month. Pro is $54 a month, billed through Shopify, with a 60-day free trial.
- Your catalog and search index are hosted in Germany and Finland. The details are in our data processing agreement.
Run the 20-minute test on our demo store first — the link and its password are on the Shopify page. If we do not win on your searches, keep what you have.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a search app on Shopify?
Not always. Shopify's built-in search handles typos and reads meaning. A search app is worth it when your no-results report keeps showing searches it cannot fix: budgets in the query, products you no longer stock, or searches in other languages.
How do I test a Shopify search app before paying?
Take ten searches from your "Searches with no results" report in the Search & Discovery app. Type them into the app's demo store or your trial, and compare the first results with what your store shows today. If the app does not clearly win on your own searches, do not pay for it.
Will a search app replace my Search & Discovery filters?
It depends on the app. Shopify says custom filters and boosts only work with Shopify's native search, so ask each vendor which parts of your store it replaces and which parts stay with Shopify.
How are Shopify search apps billed?
Apps from the Shopify App Store usually bill through your Shopify invoice. Check how the app counts usage: per search, per keystroke, or per product. The same price can mean very different costs.