When you have an excellent-looking Shopify store, your products are live, and traffic comes to your store, it can be a deal breaker for converting your customers if your Shopify search is not functioning properly, as expected by the customer. When customers search for something in your store’s search bar but cannot find what they want quickly, they will leave your site instead of continuing to shop (bounce).

This post will discuss the reasons why the search on Shopify typically fails, how that failure impacts sales and how many merchants have overcome that issue by using a more intelligent, customizable search solution from Expertrec.

What Does “Shopify Search Not Working” Really Mean?

When someone says that Shopify search is broken, they aren’t saying that the entire search function is broken and therefore doesn’t work.

What most people actually mean when they say

• Search results are not relevant to what the customer is looking for.
• Exact products do not show up in search results without precise spelling of the product name.
• No match exists in search results when customers search using synonyms
• Filtering does not work in search results.
• Searches are slow on mobile devices.
• There are a lot of high-intent users leaving without completing the purchase.

Overall, Shopify search functions correctly, but customers do not complete the purchase due to poor search results.

Why Shopify’s Default Search Falls Short

Shopify’s Built-in Search System Isn’t Good Enough for Small Brands Like Yours

Shopify’s simple, lightweight built-in search is ideal for small stores (with small product catalogs). However as your store grows, you may notice certain issues with the built-in functionality.

Common Issues with Shopify’s Built-in Search Functionality:

• Basic Keyword Matching
  No understanding of buyer intent.
  Often forgets plurals, misspells words, and uses multiple variations of the same product.
• No Smart Rank Control
  Non-existent ability to prioritize specific products (e.g., bestsellers, high-margin items, or products in stock).
• Weak Filters
  Limited faceted filtering capability.
  Slower as the product catalog grows larger.
• Minimal Analytics
  No idea what your customers searched for
  Zero visibility into variables or items displayed with zero search results

Inferior Experience when Converting Customers from Your Website

Search should be a sales tool, not simply an information tool for customers to use.

These common shortcomings create lost income for your growing business.

Why Search Matters More Than Navigation

Here’s the fact:

Compared to casual browsers, those who use search convert 2-3x more often.

When users conduct a search, they’re looking for something specific.

If you fail them on the search once, there’s a lost opportunity for a potential customer.

This is why a growing number of Shopify stores are taking the leap into custom, AI-based search to deliver better results.

How Expertrec Fixes Shopify Search Issues

Here is an example of how Expertrec has resolved the issues related to the Shopify Search

Expertrec fits into this situation by not replacing Shopify and not requiring a lot of development.

Expertrec is built specifically to enhance Shopify Search by not only “improving” it but also transforming it into a tool to help convert customers.

Expertrec’s Main Differentiators

• Search Results are Smarter than Before
  It can process misspelled words, synonym replacements, and partial queries.
  It understands the intent behind the search, rather than just the keywords in the search.
• Complete Control Over Product Ranking
  You will be able to promote your best-selling products.
  Pushing high-margin & seasonally relevant products.
  Demoting products that are out of stock.
• Fast Advanced Filters
  Your customers will have a fast experience with the facet navigation.
  Your catalog will scale to support your growth.
• Powerful Search Analytics
  You’ll know the words or terms that your customers used to search.
  You’ll be able to see zero-results terms, which will help you optimize your inventory and content.
• Fully Integrated with Shopify
  You have a user-friendly platform with no complexity.
  Your platform can utilize your existing theme.
  Your online shopping platform can be customized to match your brand.

Instead of redirecting customers to your store, Expertrec will redirect your search to your customers.

Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Shopify Search

If you can relate to any of these symptoms, it’s time to take action:

• Customers are complaining that they can’t find your products.
• You have a high bounce rate from your search page.
• You have a large catalogue of products, and finding products leads to unsuccessful searches.
• You have no visibility into the terms your customers are using to search.
• Your search functionality is considered an afterthought rather than a feature.

At this point, sticking with the default Shopify search may be costing more than it would to upgrade your search functionality.

Final Thoughts: Search is a tool to generate sales, not just a feature.

Not having a working search function in your Shopify store is not just a technical problem. It’s a barrier to growth. Search is the means for high-intent purchases to identify what they’re looking for from their perspective. When your store responds smartly to a customer’s search request, it often leads to a purchase.

Expertrec can help you turn the search function in your Shopify store from something that just meets the minimum requirements to something that provides an engaged and personalized data-based solution for your customers that will drive them to complete their purchase.

Ultimately, easy-to-find products are no longer a luxury; they are a baseline indicator in digital sales today.