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Site search

| Article: 3 min read | Store pages

Site search is the box on an online store's site that a shopper uses to look for a product by name or description. For people who know exactly what they need, it is faster than walking through menus.

In plain words

For people who know what they are looking for, search is faster than the menu. That is why the search field should be on every page and look like a field, not a link.

When search fails, the shopper leaves. According to a Constructor survey (over 1,500 consumers in the US, UK and Germany, August 2025; the company sells search solutions), 68% think search on retailers' sites needs to improve, 42% always or often rephrase their query, 47% often leave the site right away when search disappoints, and 44% will go to another store (Constructor, report summary). For a store, this is a direct loss of an order.

What the state of search looks like now

In its 2026 benchmark, Baymard assessed over 170 sites and apps: 56% have "mediocre or worse" search (46% on desktop, 58% on mobile, 64% in apps). Sites do worst with "non-product" queries such as "return policy" (66% of sites with problems), abbreviations and symbols ("tv," "13in," 54%) and queries by purpose such as "wedding gift" (43%). Exact model names have the fewest problems (12%) (Baymard, updated 29.04.2026). Baymard does not assess real shopper queries: this is a usability assessment under its methodology.

There is also a new factor: people start searching outside the store. According to Constructor (2025), 13% of shoppers often use large language models like ChatGPT to start a product search, 18% among millennials and 16% among Gen Z. This is self-reported by respondents in three countries, not data about Ukraine. The takeaway for a store: search should understand longer phrases, with purpose and specifications, not just exact names.

  • A visible search field, not a small magnifying-glass icon; next to the main navigation. On mobile, a separate visible "Search" button; 27% of mobile sites do not have one (Baymard, updated July 2026, Baymard).
  • Relevance. First products that match all or most of the words in the query. Sorting by reviews accounts for the number of ratings, so that a product with two ratings does not outrank one with hundreds.
  • Suggestions only with results. A suggestion that leads to an empty or irrelevant results page does harm. Suggestions help with spelling and show the assortment. On mobile, plain text is enough.
  • Typos and synonyms. Baymard advises mapping common misspellings to relevant suggestions; 28% of mobile sites do not (Baymard, updated July 2026, Baymard). For Ukraine: search in Cyrillic and Latin, and across Russian and Ukrainian spelling variants ("ноутбук," "ноут," "laptop").
  • Filters after search to narrow results. More: catalog filters.
  • No complex operators. The search field should work with a simple phrase rather than require syntax.

How different sources see it

Scoped search is useful only in very large catalogs. If sections are needed, show the scope clearly and give a link to search the whole site.

How to use search queries

Shoppers' queries show what they lack: products that are not there, words the catalog does not understand, poorly named categories. Review the top queries with no results: those words can be added to synonyms, filter names and the assortment.

Common mistakes

  • Search hidden behind an icon.
  • An empty results page with no way forward.
  • No support for typos and synonyms.
  • Search finds a product by one of the words and returns junk.

FAQ

Does a small store need search? For a small catalog, navigation and filters are key. Search is needed when there are so many products that a shopper will not find what they need through the menu.

What should I do if search finds nothing? Show a clear message, keep the query in the field, and suggest similar queries or categories.

Why are autosuggestions needed? They shorten typing, help avoid mistakes and show the assortment.

Sources

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