Table of Contents
Introduction
When running an online store in Magento 2, searching for products is an important functionality that you’ll need to configure. The need to find products quickly and easily is essential for providing a quality user experience, and for the overall success of your online business. In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of configuring product search in Magento 2.
Step 1: Enable Search Bar in Storefront
By default, the search bar may not be enabled in your Magento 2 store. To enable it, you can navigate to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Storefront Search.
Here, you can select ‘Yes’ next to the ‘Enable Search in Storefront’ field, and configure other search bar settings such as adding a placeholder text, and the number of suggestions to show in the dropdown menu. Once you’ve made the desired changes, click on Save Config.
Step 2: Choose Search Engine
Magento 2 supports two types of search engines, Elasticsearch and MySQL. Elasticsearch is known for being faster, providing more relevant search results, and is recommended for larger stores. However, its installation and configuration process can be more complicated than MySQL.
On the other hand, MySQL is the default search engine used in Magento 2, and is a good option for smaller stores. However, it may not provide the same quality of search results compared to Elasticsearch.
To choose your search engine, navigate to Stores > Configuration > Catalog > Catalog > Catalog Search. Here, you can select your preferred search engine, and configure other settings such as search weight by importance and result limit.
Step 3: Configure Search Terms
Search terms are the keywords that customers use to look for products in your Magento 2 store. It’s important to configure these search terms to optimize the search results and make it easier for customers to find the products they are looking for.
Navigate to Marketing > SEO & Search > Search Terms, and here you can add, edit, or delete search terms. You can also set the priority for each search term, and configure whether or not it should be included in search results.
It’s important to note that search terms should be added based on customer behavior, and regularly reviewed and updated to ensure their relevance.
Step 4: Use Synonyms and Stop Words
In Magento 2, you can use synonyms and stop words to enhance the search functionality and improve the relevance of search results. Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meaning, and stop words are words that are commonly used in search queries but add no value to the search results.
To configure synonyms and stop words, navigate to Marketing > SEO & Search > Synonyms and Stop Words. Here, you can add or remove synonyms and stop words, and configure whether or not they should be included in search results.
Conclusion
The process of configuring product search in Magento 2 is an essential task that every store owner should prioritize. By enabling the search bar, choosing the right search engine, configuring search terms, and using synonyms and stop words, you can enhance the search functionality and provide a better user experience for your customers.