A complete guide to Magento AI search autocomplete & suggestions

Let's be real for a second. A customer lands on your Magento store, types something into the search bar, and gets a page of totally random results. Or worse, the dreaded "no results found." We’ve all been there, and it’s a surefire way to send potential buyers clicking away for good.

The thing is, modern site search has come a long way from just matching keywords. Today, Magento AI Search Autocomplete & Suggestions tools are smart enough to figure out what your customers actually want, predict what they’re looking for as they type, and guide them straight to the right product.

In this guide, we'll break down how AI-powered search works in Magento, walk through the features (and limitations) of the usual suspects, and show you how to build a smart product discovery experience that sticks with your customer long after they hit "buy."

What are Magento AI Search Autocomplete & Suggestions?

First, let's get the definitions out of the way. "Autocomplete" is what predicts the rest of your query as you're typing. "Search suggestions" are the related terms or products that pop up to help you narrow things down.

Platforms like Adobe Commerce have moved past basic search and now use powerful engines like OpenSearch and Elasticsearch. These work by indexing all your product info (like names, SKUs, and descriptions) and using a search weight system to decide which details are most important. They can even handle simple synonyms, like knowing "sofa" and "couch" are the same thing.

That’s a decent starting point, but AI is what really kicks things up a notch. Instead of just matching text, an AI-powered search engine:

• Understands what people mean: It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) to get the gist of a query. A customer isn't just typing words; they're trying to solve a problem, like finding "men's running shoes for under $100." AI gets that.

• Learns as it goes: Machine Learning (ML) algorithms watch search patterns, clicks, and sales to make results more relevant over time. The more people use it, the smarter it gets.

• Doesn't sweat the small stuff: It automatically corrects typos and understands a ton of synonyms without you having to manually map out every single variation.

Key features of a modern Magento AI search solution

When you're shopping for a top-tier AI search tool, you're looking for more than just a faster keyword finder. You should be getting a whole suite of features that makes finding products a breeze.

Making autocomplete useful

Modern autocomplete is so much more than a simple text predictor. It should be a rich, interactive dropdown that works like a mini-storefront, showing:

• Product suggestions with little images, titles, and prices.

• Category suggestions so people can narrow their search from the start.

• "Add to Cart" buttons right there in the search results to make buying super simple.

This kind of immediate visual feedback saves time and closes the gap between finding a product and buying it.

Real understanding and personalization

This is where the "AI" part really shines. A good search tool understands language in context, not just word for word. It knows that "sofa" and "couch" mean the same thing and that "sneeker" was probably a typo for "sneaker."

Personalization takes it another step. The AI should be able to re-rank search results for a user based on what they've looked at before, what they've bought in the past, or even what they're doing on your site right now.

Creating filters that make sense

Traditional layered navigation often shows the same filters for every category, which can be pretty unhelpful. An AI-driven system, on the other hand, creates and prioritizes relevant filters based on the specific search term and the products in the results.

For instance, a search for "laptops" should bring up filters like "RAM" and "Screen Size" right away. A search for "dresses" should highlight "Color" and "Size." The AI changes the interface to match what the user is looking for, making it way easier to find the right thing.

Evaluating popular Magento AI search extensions and their limits

While Magento's built-in search has gotten better, most online stores that are serious about sales use a specialized extension to get the features we just talked about. You'll probably run into names like Klevu, Searchanise, Doofinder, and Amasty Advanced Search.

These tools are great at what they do, delivering fast, relevant, and nice-looking search results. That's a huge step up from the default setup. But they all have the same basic problem: they are point solutions that create knowledge silos.

They’re masters of pre-purchase product discovery, but they have no idea what happens in the post-purchase customer journey. The "intelligence" they have is stuck inside your product catalog. They don't know anything about a customer's old support tickets, shipping problems, or return requests.

This is where a unified AI platform makes a lot more sense. While the tools above focus on perfecting the search bar, a platform like eesel AI connects your product catalog with your helpdesk data (from Zendesk, Freshdesk, Intercom, etc.) and all your other knowledge sources. This builds a single source of truth that can help out across the entire customer lifecycle, not just that first search.

A pricing comparison of popular Magento AI search extensions

Pricing for these extensions can be all over the place, and it often turns into a big, unpredictable bill. Many charge you based on how many searches are performed or how many products you have, which basically penalizes you for growing your business.

Here’s a quick look at how some of the common options compare:

Extension	Pricing Model	Starting Price	Key Limitations
Amasty Advanced Search	One-time fee + optional support	$249 (one-time)	Lacks true self-learning AI; needs a lot of manual setup.
Doofinder	Monthly subscription (usage-based)	Free tier, paid plans from ~$35/month	Price goes up with search requests, making costs hard to predict.
Klevu Search	Monthly subscription (usage-based)	Free tier, paid plans are custom quoted	Can get pricey for bigger stores and tricky to set up right.
Webkul Semantic Search	One-time fee	$389 (one-time)	The AI isn't as advanced as subscription services; fewer updates.

The problem with these models is pretty obvious. Usage-based pricing can lead to some nasty surprise bills during your busy seasons, and one-time fees often mean you're left behind on AI improvements unless you shell out for new versions or support plans.

On the other hand, eesel AI offers clear, predictable pricing. Our plans are a flat monthly or annual fee that covers our entire product suite, from the AI Agent to the AI Chatbot. We don't charge per resolution, so your costs won't balloon as your support volume grows.

Best practices for implementing Magento AI Search Autocomplete & Suggestions

Getting AI search right is more about your strategy than just installing a plugin. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Start with good product data

You've probably heard the old saying: "garbage in, garbage out." It's especially true for AI. Your search tool is only as smart as the data you give it. Make sure you're using detailed product descriptions, accurate attributes, high-quality images, and consistent info across your entire catalog. This is a core part of having good product data.

Keep an eye on analytics

Once you’re set up, get into the habit of checking your search analytics. The data you'll find there is a goldmine for improving your business. Key things to watch are:

• Zero-result searches: What are people looking for that you either don't sell or call something different? This can clue you into new product opportunities or show you where to add some synonyms.

• Search conversion rate: How well is your search actually leading to a sale? If it's low, you might need to adjust how your results are ranked or displayed.

• Popular searches: See what's trending on your site. This can help you with your merchandising, promotions, and even what you feature on your homepage.

Think beyond the search bar

This is the most important part. Making your search bar better is a great start, but it's just one piece of the puzzle. A truly AI-powered e-commerce strategy connects pre-purchase discovery with post-purchase support.

Think about what happens after someone finds a product. They might have questions about shipping, returns, or how the thing works. A standard search extension can't help with that, forcing them to hunt for an FAQ page or contact your support team.

This is where a unified platform like eesel AI really stands out. It can run an AI Chatbot on your site that answers both product questions (by tapping into your Magento catalog) and support questions (by connecting to your helpdesk). It creates one smooth, helpful experience. For your agents, the AI Copilot can whip up replies about product specs and order status in a click, pulling info from every system you've connected.

This video demonstrates how a Magento 2 search suggestion extension works to provide customers with relevant product keywords and SKUs as they type.

Next steps for Magento AI Search Autocomplete & Suggestions

A smart Magento AI Search Autocomplete & Suggestions engine isn't really optional anymore for a modern e-commerce store. While dedicated extensions are an improvement over the out-of-the-box setup, they tend to create a choppy experience by keeping product search and customer support in separate worlds.

The future is all about a unified approach. The best strategy is to use a single AI platform that understands the entire customer journey, from their very first search to their tenth support ticket.

Ready to connect your product discovery with your customer support? eesel AI integrates with your knowledge sources and helpdesk to deliver seamless, smart automation across the entire customer lifecycle. Why not book a demo and see how it all works?