Autocomplete is a search feature that shows suggestions in a dropdown as a shopper types in the search box. The suggestions can be search phrases, product names, categories, or brands. The shopper picks one or keeps typing.
What types of autocomplete suggestions are there?
| Suggestion type | What it does |
|---|---|
| Query suggestions | Complete the phrase, so "run" offers "running shoes" or "running shorts" |
| Product suggestions | Show matching products with image, title, and price in the dropdown |
| Category suggestions | Link straight to a relevant category page |
| Recent searches | Bring back the shopper's earlier queries |
| Trending searches | Surface popular queries across all shoppers |
How does autocomplete work?
Suggestions usually trigger after the first two or three characters. The system queries an index of products, categories, and popular searches, then ranks results by relevance, popularity, and business rules. Good implementations handle typos with fuzzy matching, recognize synonyms, and can personalize on a shopper's history.
Why does autocomplete matter?
Autocomplete cuts the effort of searching. It guides shoppers toward queries that return results, corrects typos before they cause a dead end, and surfaces products without a full page load. Shoppers who use search tend to convert at higher rates than those who only browse, so a search box that helps them phrase a good query is high-value. Our ecommerce site search best practices cover the wider search experience.
Autocomplete best practices
- Trigger after two or three characters, not the first keystroke.
- Show a handful of suggestions, not a long list that overwhelms.
- Include product images and highlight the matching characters.
- Support keyboard navigation and keep responses fast.
- Hide out-of-stock products, and route empty queries somewhere useful. Our zero results page guide covers that recovery.
On Shopify, the default Dawn theme hides search behind an icon. Our guide to adding a visible search bar shows how to surface it.
