What this article covers
This article explains how to configure on-site search and merchandising in the Experience area of your dashboard. You will learn how to set up search ranking, use merchandising controls to pin or boost specific products, configure dynamic product blocks, and track search performance.
On-site search capability
Your storefront includes a search function powered by commerce-aware query parsing and a five-signal ranking model. This means the search engine understands product attributes, inventory status, and customer behaviour to return relevant results.
The five ranking signals are:
- Query relevance: how well product titles, descriptions, and attributes match the search term.
- Inventory availability: products in stock rank higher than out-of-stock items.
- Sales velocity: products that sell frequently rank higher.
- Customer ratings: higher-rated products rank higher.
- Manual merchandising signals: pins, boosts, and buries that you apply directly.
Search analytics provide visibility into two key metrics: zero-result queries (searches that return no products) and click tracking (which products customers click on from search results). Use these metrics to identify gaps in your catalogue and optimise product titles and descriptions.
Merchandising controls
Merchandising controls let you manually override the ranking model to surface the products you want customers to see. You can apply these controls to search results and category pages.
Pinning products
Pinning places a specific product at the top of search results or a category listing. A pinned product stays in that position regardless of the ranking model. Use pinning to promote seasonal items, high-margin products, or items you have overstock of.
Boosting products
Boosting increases the ranking score of a product without removing it from the natural sort order. A boosted product ranks higher than it would based on the five signals alone, but can still move down the list if other products rank higher. Use boosting for products you want to promote without completely overriding the ranking model.
Burying products
Burying decreases the ranking score of a product, pushing it lower in results. Use burying for products you do not want to surface, such as items with low margins, discontinued lines, or products with quality issues.
Dynamic product blocks
Dynamic blocks are automatically generated product widgets that populate with real product data based on rules you define. These blocks appear on category pages, the homepage, product pages, or the cart.
Available dynamic block types include:
- Popular products: products with the highest sales volume in a category or across your store.
- Trending products: products gaining sales velocity over a recent period.
- Frequently bought together: products often purchased alongside a given item.
- New arrivals: products added to your catalogue within a set timeframe.
Each block can be customised with a title, the number of products to display, and placement rules (which pages or categories it appears on). Dynamic blocks help customers discover products without manual curation and increase average order value.
Note that dynamic block configuration is an evolving feature set. Manual ordering, pinning, and the built-in dynamic blocks work today. Some advanced recommendation-slot configuration is still maturing, so treat this capability as a feature that will expand over time.
Where to configure search and merchandising
All search and merchandising controls are located in the Experience area of your dashboard. From there, you can access search settings, analytics, and merchandising rules.
Configuration workflow
Step 1: Review search analytics
Start by reviewing your search analytics in the Experience area. Look for zero-result queries to identify products you should add to your catalogue or product gaps customers are searching for. Review click tracking data to see which products customers are clicking on from search results.
Step 2: Configure ranking signals
Verify that the five ranking signals are enabled and weighted appropriately for your business. Most merchants use the default weights, but you can adjust them if you want to prioritise inventory availability or customer ratings, for example.
Step 3: Apply merchandising rules
Identify products you want to pin, boost, or bury. Start with a small set of high-impact products: best sellers you want to promote further, seasonal items, or slow-moving stock. Apply the appropriate control (pin, boost, or bury) to each product.
Step 4: Create dynamic blocks
Choose at least one dynamic block type to place on your storefront. Start with a popular products or new arrivals block on your homepage or a category page. Verify that the block is populating with real product data.
Step 5: Monitor performance
After configuration, monitor search analytics weekly. Track zero-result queries to spot new catalogue gaps. Review click tracking to see whether your merchandising changes are affecting which products customers click on.
Success criteria
You have successfully configured on-site search and merchandising when:
- Search returns relevant results for common customer queries.
- Merchandising signals (pins, boosts, buries) are applied to at least one product.
- At least one dynamic block is placed on your storefront and populating with real product data.
- You are reviewing search analytics regularly to identify catalogue gaps and optimise product discoverability.
Once these elements are in place, you have a foundation for helping customers find products and increasing conversion. Refine your configuration over time based on search analytics and sales performance.