PrestaShop 8’s native search works, but it leaves several important capabilities out by default. This post explains what you can configure without touching code, what needs a module, and what needs an external SaaS if native results aren’t enough.
What native search lets you configure
In the PrestaShop 8 back office, under Configure > Shop Parameters > Search:
- Manual aliasing: if a customer types “laptop,” you can define an alias so it’s interpreted as “notebook.” It works, but each pair has to be set up manually.
- Per-field weight: product name, description, reference, attributes. Defines what weighs more for result ranking.
- Incremental indexing: a new or edited product enters the index automatically. If your cron is set up correctly, there’s no need to reindex by hand.
What’s not included natively: live autocomplete, automatic typo tolerance, bulk synonyms without defining every pair by hand, redirects for specific queries to specific pages.
Live autocomplete
Live autocomplete (suggestions as you type) doesn’t come by default in PrestaShop 8. Three ways to add it:
- Modify the theme with JavaScript that calls PrestaShop’s search endpoint on every keystroke. Functional, but it generates a lot of calls and latency can suffer.
- An advanced search module that adds autocomplete with caching and grouping by categories/products. The cleanest solution for most catalogs.
- External SaaS that fully replaces the search bar. Superior quality but a monthly cost and a dependency.
For stores with under 5,000 products, a dedicated module on the platform itself is the reasonable choice. For large catalogs with complex searches (heavy faceted filters, multilingual in 5+ languages), SaaS starts to make sense.
Synonyms and related terms
Native aliasing covers the simple case. Managing it at scale needs an extra layer:
- A list of synonyms per category (“laptop/notebook/portable computer” in electronics, “hoodie/hooded sweatshirt” in fashion).
- CSV import of synonym pairs so you don’t configure them one by one.
- Automatic synonym detection from searches that returned no results but have variants in the catalog.
That logic usually comes with advanced search modules or gets custom-built. External SaaS includes it with per-category configuration.
Typo tolerance
Searches with common typos (“sneakrs” instead of “sneakers”) return nothing with PrestaShop’s native search. Edit distance (Levenshtein or similar) tolerates a couple of changed letters.
Possible implementations:
- At the database level with MySQL fulltext using MATCH AGAINST in BOOLEAN MODE: limited, but works for basic cases.
- With an external SaaS-type search engine, which usually already has typo tolerance built in.
- With an advanced search module that adds the logic on top of PrestaShop’s index.
The typical threshold is 1-2 letters of difference. Beyond that it generates irrelevant results (“shoe” shouldn’t match “shoemaker”).
Redirects for specific searches
For strategic queries, redirect straight to the relevant page instead of listing products. Typical cases:
- “black friday” → specific promotion page.
- “outlet” → outlet category.
- “new arrivals” → category with recent products.
- “contact,” “returns,” “shipping” → specific CMS pages.
This isn’t included natively. It’s implemented with a module that defines query → destination URL pairs. It replaces the product listing with a 302 redirect when the query matches one of the configured pairs.
Filtering by category, brand and price
Searching by name alone isn’t always enough: a customer who types “running shoes” usually also wants to narrow down by brand or price without opening a second menu. PrestaShop’s native search doesn’t automatically cross the search text with those filters.
To achieve that:
- Keep each product’s brand (manufacturer) properly configured so it’s filterable.
- Keep prices and categories well organized so a range filter makes sense.
- Combine search with faceted navigation so the initial search result can be refined visually.
Handling no-results searches
Three reasonable improvements over the standard “no results” page:
- Suggest related products from the same category using some heuristic (best sellers, most relevant to the query).
- A form to save the search: the customer leaves their email to be notified if the product enters the catalog.
- Log of no-results searches in the back office: a list of queries that found nothing, sorted by frequency. Data-driven catalog and synonym decisions.
The log is the most useful piece long-term. Reviewing it monthly surfaces real catalog and configuration issues.
The shortcut: the Zeyvro module
Zeyvro’s Smart Search module for PrestaShop 8 implements live autocomplete, synonyms manageable from the back office, basic typo tolerance, redirects for specific queries, and a log of no-results searches. It works as a layer on top of PrestaShop’s native index, with no need for external SaaS. More detail on the Smart Search product page.
When it’s worth it: catalogs of 500 to 10,000 products with average traffic, where native search falls short but SaaS is overkill. When it’s not: very large, heavily multilingual catalogs, where SaaS delivers superior quality.
External SaaS: when it’s worth it
Three situations where an external search SaaS pays for itself despite the monthly cost:
- A catalog of more than 20,000 products where native performance drops with complex searches.
- A multilingual store with 5+ languages and typo tolerance required across all of them.
- Specific personalization needs (recommendations, collecting search events for ML) that the module doesn’t cover.
If your case fits any of the three, SaaS usually justifies the €50-200/month it costs.
Next step
If your search is still on your to-do list and you’d like an opinion on your case, write to us at hola@zeyvro.com with the URL, or check out the Smart Search product page directly.