Algolia is one of the best AI search apps for e-commerce stores in 2025, offering unparalleled speed, increased conversions, and maximized average order value. Merchants love its flexible ranking factors, dynamic re-ranking based on CTR and CVR, and robust customization options. The platform's expert customer success team provides valuable integration support, making it a comprehensive solution for improving search performance and driving revenue growth.
Shopify Search & Discovery offers a free alternative with 4.0/5 stars rating and 485 reviews, providing customizable storefront search experiences. Boost AI Search & Filter is another strong option with 4.7/5 stars and 1,513 reviews, featuring a free plan and AI-powered search with smart bundles. RS: Smart Search Bar & Filter also offers a free plan with 4.8/5 stars and 307 reviews, providing AI search, filters, and recommendations built specifically for Shopify stores.
To set up query redirects in Shopify with Algolia, navigate to your Algolia dashboard and access the Query Suggestions feature. Create redirect rules by specifying the search query you want to redirect and the target results or page. This helps guide users to relevant products even when they search for terms that don't exist in your catalog, reducing 'no results' pages and improving user experience.
Algolia may break your store design because it requires theme integration. The fix depends on your theme version - for newer themes without theme injections, you'll need to add Algolia Search app blocks to your theme files. For older themes, you may need to modify your theme templates. Check Algolia's documentation for your specific theme version and follow their integration guide to properly implement the search functionality without breaking your existing design.
To display product variant images in Algolia search results, you need to configure your indexing settings to include variant image data. Go to your Algolia dashboard, select your index, and ensure the variant image URLs are properly indexed. You may need to modify your product template or use metafields to capture variant-specific images. This allows customers to see different product options directly in search results, improving visual product discovery and conversion rates.
