How do I create and place a search engine?

Create the engine and define its scope

In the module configuration, click “Add a new search engine”. In multistore, select the relevant shop first. Enter an internal title to identify the engine in the back office and a public title if you want a heading above the filters, in the shop’s languages.

Choose “Filter” to preset a search within the current page context, or “Whole catalog” to search without that context. Then check “Where to search?”, the starting category and whether subcategories are included. A fixed starting category and the visitor’s current category define different scopes. Restricting searches to products in stock narrows that scope further and can reduce performance.

Step-by-step search is reserved for the PRO version. The creation and placement procedures described here apply to both editions; see the version comparison for their differences.

Place the block and choose how searches start

In “Search block settings”, choose a position available in your theme. If you choose a hook, the module must also be attached to it: use the module’s hook management link or ask your integrator to do this.

For a custom position, save the engine first: the module then provides widget code to insert at the required position in a template. Ask your developer to handle this integration, using the code displayed for this engine and edition. To keep the block visible on a dedicated results page, the integrator must also provide its position in the results template. When using a column, check that the theme enables that column on the relevant pages.

The submission method can run a search whenever a criterion changes, after clicking the search button, or after that click with a redirect to a dedicated results page. In PRO, searching when the last criterion is selected is an additional choice for step-by-step search: select this method if that is the behavior you want.

You can display the result count, show the selected criteria and enable scrolling to the results. Making an engine primary hides non-primary engines on the same page; several primary engines can remain visible.

Configure results

In the results settings, choose the number of products per page, sort order and direction, and the description shown above the products. Available sorts also depend on the module’s general settings. The center-column CSS selector must match your theme: ask your integrator to adapt it when needed.

Pre-selecting a combination on its product page is separate from choosing the cover image shown in the results. On PrestaShop 9, combination images in product lists follow PrestaShop’s native setting; the corresponding engine option is no longer displayed.

Save and check

Save the engine, add its criteria groups and arrange their order. Re-index the engine, then try the filters on a storefront page using products whose characteristics you know. “Settings” reopens the engine form.

You can enable or disable an engine without deleting it. “Duplicate” creates a copy and can offer a target shop in multistore; if the catalogs are not shared, adapt the copied engine’s criteria. To temporarily remove the filters, disable the engine rather than deleting its configuration.

Use visibility restrictions to choose where the engine is displayed. After catalog changes, see the re-indexing methods. To update an already installed module, see the general update procedure.

See also: general settings and available sort orders.

See also: configure step-by-step search.