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Shopify Site Search Optimization: Synonyms, Boosts, Reports

Updated , first published · 4 min read

To optimize Shopify site search, read the search reports every month, starting with Searches with no results, then fix what they show: add synonym groups in the Shopify Search & Discovery app so the words shoppers use find your products, correct product titles, types and tags where the words are missing, and boost a product only when it should come first for a specific search. Predictive search and typo tolerance are already on for every store with an online store.

Read your search reports

Shopify’s behavior reports page, read on October 23, 2026, lists four search reports under Analytics > Reports, for themes with a search bar, each with a delay of up to 72 hours:

  • Searches by search query: what visitors type, how often.
  • Searches with no clicks: searches that showed results nobody clicked.
  • Searches with no results: what visitors look for and do not find.
  • Search conversions over time: how often searches lead to orders.

The no-results report is the work list. Each row falls into one of four cases: a product you sell under another name (“sweater” for your “jumper”), a misspelling the typo tolerance did not catch, a product you do not sell, or a product that is out of stock or unpublished. The first two you fix in search and product data; the third is a product request worth noting; the fourth is a stock or publishing question.

Shopify’s storefront search page, read the same day, says core search, including predictive search and typo tolerance, is available by default to every store with an online store, and that the free Search & Discovery app adds settings for search results, product boosts, filters and recommendations.

Synonyms first, boosts second

  1. Install Search & Discovery if you have not, from Shopify in the App Store; Shopify notes that the app requires Shopify Network Intelligence to be turned on in your privacy settings.
  2. Add synonym groups for the words in your no-results report: “sofa, couch, settee”, “tee, t-shirt, tshirt”. Each group tells search to treat the words as the same, so one group can fix several no-result searches at once.
  3. Check the result by searching your store for each word in the group.
  4. Boost sparingly. A product boost makes chosen products come first for chosen search terms. Use it for a clear case, such as your own brand’s product for a generic term, and not as a fix for missing words, because a boost changes the order for one term while a synonym or a better title fixes the words for every search.
  5. Repeat monthly, with the new no-results list.

Fix the product data

Search finds what is in your product data. For each word that keeps returning nothing:

  • Title: include the word shoppers use, in plain form (“Linen duvet cover, queen”), not only a collection name.
  • Product type and tags: add the category word and common alternatives as tags.
  • Description: mention materials, uses and sizes in words, since a shopper may search “waterproof” or “for small dogs”.
  • Variants: name options in shoppers’ terms (“Queen”, not “Q-160”).

Across hundreds of products, a bulk editor or CSV import does this faster than editing products one by one. Cleaner titles and tags also help collection filters and recommendations; see product recommendations and, for filters, decision fatigue.

When native search is not enough

Consider a search app when the catalog has thousands of products with many attributes, when shoppers search by codes, part numbers or long descriptive phrases, when you need merchandising rules by segment, or when your no-results list stays long after a few months of synonyms and data fixes. Test an app on your own no-results list before paying, and check it works with your theme’s search and filters. Search results that send shoppers to dead ends are also covered in UX mistakes, and other store guides in the running a store hub.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add synonyms in Shopify search? Add synonym groups in the free Shopify Search & Discovery app, listing words that should return the same products, such as “sofa, couch”. Then search your store for each word to check the results.

What does a product boost do? A product boost in Search & Discovery makes chosen products appear first for chosen search terms. Use it for a few clear cases; synonyms and better product titles do more for search overall.

Do I need a search app? A catalog of a few hundred products with clean titles and tags usually needs only Shopify’s search plus Search & Discovery and synonyms. Add an app when the catalog is large and technical, or the no-results report stays long after you have fixed the data.