Magento Tutorials

How to Configure Search: Catalog Search in Magento 2

Magento 2 Catalog Search

Search tools are especially critical to shopper as the primary way to navigate on your site: 83% of consumers said a search box is “important” or “extremely important” to them while shopping on a retailer’s web or mobile site , and 76% of them use the search box more than often when visiting a merchant site , according to a study by Rich Relevance. Also, people who use search are more likely to make a purchase than those who rely on navigation alone. In fact, people who use search are nearly twice as likely to make a purchase. To optimize catalog search for better results, you can explore how customers search for products in your catalog, and how you can configure catalog search. In Magento 2, visitors can handily search catalog by using the quick search or advanced search:
 

Quick Search

The Search box in the header of the store helps visitors find products in your catalog. The search text can be the full or partial product name, or any other word or phrase that describes the product. The search terms that people use to find products can be managed from the Admin.
Quick search Magento 2
Quick search in Magento 2 


Advanced Search

Advanced Search lets shoppers search the catalog based on values entered into a form. Because the form contains multiple fields, a single search can include several parameters. The result is a list of all products in the catalog that match the criteria. A link to Advanced Search is in the footer of your store.

Advanced Search Magento 2
Advanced Search in Magento 2


How to Configure Catalog Search in Magento 2

Unlike Magento 1, Catalog Search in Magento 2 uses the fulltext MySQL search engine. Magento 2 Community Edition lets you configure its catalog search to control the size of valid query text by simply following these steps:
  1. On the Admin sidebar, tap Stores. Then under Settings, choose Configuration.
  2. In the panel on the left under Catalog, choose Catalog.
  3. Expand the Catalog Search section, and do the following:
  4. To limit the length and word count of search query text, do the following:
    Configure Catalog Search in Magento 2a. Set Minimal Query Length to the minimum number of characters that can be submitted in a query.
    b. Set Maximum Query Length to the maximum number of characters that can be submitted in a query.
  5. Accept the default, Search Engine, “MySQL.”
  6. When complete, click “Save Config”

Product discovery is the key on e-commerce sites. One of the most common friction on customers’ path to purchase is not being able to find the product they need. Allowing customers to find their desired items and quickly show relevant search results can have a powerful impact on sales and conversion. Optimizing your site’s catalog search in Magento 2 can help maximize its performance

Related tutorials: 
Catalog Price Rules not working in Magento 2
How to Configure Layered Navigation with Filterable Attributes in Magento 2
How to Configure Price Filter – Price Navigation in Magento 2