Documentation Open app

Online Store App

The SearchIQ Shopify app embeds in Shopify Admin and powers storefront search via a theme app embed (with ScriptTag fallback). Your catalog is synced to a ParadeDB index for fast autocomplete, search results, filters, Featured Deals, and analytics.

Install the app

From the Shopify App Store

  1. Open the SearchIQ listing or search for SearchIQ in the Shopify App Store.
  2. Click Install and approve the requested OAuth scopes.
  3. Open the app from Apps in Shopify Admin to complete setup.

On first launch, SearchIQ starts a trial, connects your store, begins a full catalog index, and prepares the storefront loader. Indexing usually takes a few minutes depending on catalog size.

Tip: Keep the app open until the dashboard shows indexing complete. Enable the storefront widget once at least one search engine reports Active.

Enable the theme app embed

Online Store 2.0 themes use Shopify’s App embeds. This is the preferred way to load SearchIQ on your storefront:

  1. In the SearchIQ app, open Help (or use the theme editor link from Getting Started).
  2. Click Open theme editor → App embeds.
  3. Turn on the SearchIQ embed, then Save.

If prompted for API host / asset base, leave defaults unless SearchIQ support asks you to change them. Vintage themes without App embeds can use the ScriptTag fallback SearchIQ registers automatically.

Dashboard & indexing

The Dashboard tab shows your account status, trial days remaining, catalog counts (products, collections, pages), and index health. Use Reindex catalog after bulk catalog imports or if search results look stale.

  • Active — Index is ready; storefront search is available.
  • Indexing — A full or incremental sync is in progress.
  • Not indexed — Install or reindex to populate the search index.
  • Error — Check the status message; reopen the app in Shopify Admin if the offline access token needs refresh (Shopify may require you to re-open the app after token migration).

Product and collection create/update/delete events are picked up via Shopify webhooks. Routine edits do not require a full reindex. Pages refresh on full index.

Storefront widgets

Configure widgets from Search & Navigation in the app sidebar. Publish settings write per-store templates to the SearchIQ CDN so your theme loads them with the rest of the widget assets.

Search Popup (instant search)

The Search Popup replaces or enhances your theme search field with an autocomplete overlay. Configure the template, colors, result fields, Featured Deals, and add-to-cart behavior. When enabled, the sidebar shows a Live badge.

  1. Open Search Popup in the app.
  2. Choose a widget template and customize appearance.
  3. Click Apply / publish so storefront templates update.
  4. Confirm the theme app embed is enabled, then hard-refresh your storefront (Ctrl+F5).

Products with required options (size, color, etc.) show option swatches or View product instead of a one-click Add to Cart when options must be chosen on the product page.

Search Screen (results page)

The Search Screen controls the full search results layout: grid or list view, sort options, facet filters, and pagination. Pair it with the Search Popup so shoppers land on a rich results experience instead of the default theme /search page alone.

Merchandise products or collections in the Search Popup when shoppers open search (desktop focus / mobile open). Configure deals under Featured Deals, then ensure Show on desktop focus and Show on mobile open are enabled in settings.

Search tuning

Improve relevance without code changes from admin tabs under Search & Navigation:

Synonyms

Map alternate terms to the same intent — e.g. sneakers → trainers. Synonyms apply to autocomplete and full search results.

Suggestions dictionary

Curate autocomplete suggestions for branded terms, seasonal campaigns, or collection aliases. Suggestions appear before or alongside product matches in the Search Popup.

Preferences

The Preferences tab controls global search behavior: which product fields are searchable, default sort order, typo tolerance, and which content types (products, collections, pages) appear in results. Changes apply on the next query — no theme redeploy required.

Filters

Under Filters, enable facet filters shoppers see on the Search Screen — price, vendor, product type, tags, and option values. Reorder filters and set display labels to match your catalog.

Merchandising

Boost or bury specific products and collections for chosen search queries. Use merchandising rules for campaigns, clearance items, or high-margin products. Rules take effect immediately in autocomplete and results ranking.

Analytics

The Analytics section includes:

  • Overview — Search volume trends and conversion signals.
  • Search — Top queries, zero-result searches, and click-through patterns.
  • Featured Deals — Impressions and clicks for merchandised deals.
  • Settings — Configure tracking preferences (for example ignored IPs).

Use zero-result reports to find gaps in synonyms or catalog coverage — they are the fastest way to improve findability.

Privacy: If you serve shoppers in regions that require consent (for example GDPR), configure your store’s customer privacy / cookie banner so analytics tracking only runs when allowed. See Shopify’s Customer Privacy API.

Plans & billing

Open Plans & Billing to compare tiers by catalog size, start a Shopify Billing subscription from trial, and manage your plan. Search stays active during the trial. After trial expiry, upgrade to restore storefront search.

Need help choosing a plan? Contact support@searchiq.store.