Kivo Search

Once Kivo Search is installed and activated, you are ready to go. All you need to do is add the search textbox using block editor and it will work.

Kivo Search is designed to provide a comprehensive and dynamic search solution for WooCommerce stores. It employs a combination of client-side and server-side technologies to ensure fast, accurate, and relevant search results. Depending on the search type selected (JavaScript, inverted index, or WordPress), Kivo Search adapts its approach to meet the specific needs of your store.

During installation, it automatically indexes all products of your store. So you are ready to use it as soon as installation is complete. All you need to do is to add the search box.

There are multiple ways you can create Kivo Search box.

• Using Block Editor: You can easily add search box using your block editor, search for block “Kivo Search” in block editor
• Using Shortcode: You can use shortcode [kivo-search] to add Kivo search box.
• Using jQuery: You can call  jQuery(“.kivo-search-input”).kivoSearch({}) to convert it into Kivo search.
  
  

Navigate to Kivo Search > Settings in the WordPress dashboard.
Customize search settings, such as search type (JavaScript, Server-Side, or AI-powered), filters, design options, and API integrations if using AI features.

Kivo Search provides both client side and server side search. First, you need to decide type of search you want to use between these 2 options. Please note that AI search works with both option.

Kivo Search supports multiple search types, each designed for different needs. Based on your store’s product catalog size and search requirements, choose the search type that best suits your needs. 

Lets explore first client side search (Javascript Search)

JavaScript Search (For Small Catalogs):

• Best suited for stores with fewer than 50 products.
• Offers super fast, client-side search using a jQuery-powered autocomplete.
• Lightweight and ideal for smaller WooCommerce stores that want fast and responsive searches without server calls.

Server side search has further options. Inverted Index Search and WordPress Classing Search. More details here

• Inverted Index Search (For Large Catalogs):
  • Designed for stores with large product inventories (up to 50,000 products).
  • This server-side search builds and maintains an inverted index, speeding up searches by directly referencing the relevant product data in a highly efficient manner. More details here
• WordPress Search (Basic Server-Side Search):
  • Utilizes WordPress’s native search functionality.
  • Suitable for stores looking for a basic search solution, with the benefit of Kivo’s additional filtering capabilities.

Kivo search additionally provides AI and Smart Algo search that works with both of the above options. You can chose whether to enable or disable these searches.  More details here

• Kivo Smart Algo Search:
  • Kivo’s advanced search algorithm allows for fuzzy matching (handling typos and partial matches), synonym handling, and extracting prices from queries like “Find men’s shirts under $100.”
  • Ideal for stores that need an intelligent search feature, which can return results even when the user’s input is imprecise. More details here
• AI Search (With OpenAI or Google AI):
  • Integrates AI for more complex searches.
  • This search type is triggered when no relevant results are found using the traditional search methods.
  • Requires API keys for OpenAI or Google AI. Results are fetched via API and displayed in the search dropdown. Click here for more detail.

• Search Engine Type: Client-side search engine is ideal for smaller datasets and provides faster client-side response without AJAX or server requests. Server-side search is recommended for larger datasets and integrates with WordPress or indexing solutions for better performance.
• Server Search: WordPress search is slower but can work well for smaller stores or simple search requirements. Indexing offers faster results, especially useful for large stores with many products and advanced search queries.
• Kivo Smart Algo: Enabling Kivo Smart Algo will improve search accuracy by handling complex queries like ‘find blue t-shirts under $50.’ It intelligently matches search terms to relevant results.
• Synonym search: Enabling synonym search allows the system to match search queries with synonym terms. For example, searching for ‘sofa’ will return products listed as ‘couch.’
• Fuzzy search: Fuzzy search corrects minor spelling mistakes (e.g., ‘Iphone’ instead of ‘iPhone’). Choose the strictness level based on tolerance for typos.
• Search in fields: Select which fields will be used for search purpose.
• Minimum Characters: Specify the minimum number of characters required before autocomplete suggestions are shown. Typically, 2 or 3 is a good starting point.
• Debounce time: Debounce time is a delay that prevents events from being triggered too frequently. Needs to set to ideal time(in ms) to avoid triggering search engine too often

Kivo search uses AI as fallback search mechanism if current search query doesn’t yield any result. Currently, we have added support for Open AI and Google Gemini api.

• AI Query Trigger: Set conditions under which AI search will be triggered (e.g., no exact matches). Preferred settings is to call AI only when no results are returned by the default search engine.
• LLM & API Keys: Set LLM and Add API keys for OpenAI or Google AI (if AI Search is enabled).
• Max tokens and Temperature: You can set max token and temperature as per your store requirement.

Result section contains mostly display related settings about various fields showing in the search result.

• Products: Sets various display related settings of products like show how many no. of products etc.
• Categories: Sets various display related settings of categories.
• Suggestions: Show suggestion based on the query.
• Pages: Show non-product related pages in result.

Provide a list of synonyms for the main search term. Separate each synonym with a comma. For example, synonyms for ‘sofa’ could include ‘couch’, ‘divan’, ‘settee’. These synonyms will allow the search engine to return relevant results even when users use different terms.

Kivo Search uses an inverted index to optimize search performance, especially for large catalogs. When a product is created, updated, or deleted in WooCommerce, Kivo Search automatically updates its index in real-time, ensuring that the latest product data is always reflected in search results. This automatic indexing keeps your store’s search functionality efficient and up-to-date.

In addition to automatic indexing, you can manually trigger a full reindex through the Indexer Page in the Kivo Search settings. This feature is useful when making bulk product updates or after importing a large number of products. By manually running the indexer, you ensure that every product is properly indexed for fast and accurate search queries.

We provide a variety of pre-designed templates that you can load directly from our server, making it easy to get started with a professional, responsive design. There are 4 different types of layout available as well.

In addition to pre-built templates, you have full control over the appearance of the search bar and results dropdown. You can customize width, height, font size, colors, borders, and other design elements to match your store’s branding. This allows you to create a visually cohesive and user-friendly search experience tailored to your specific design preferences.

Kivo Search provides robust text and translation support, making it easy to tailor the search interface for users from different regions. You can customize all the text labels used in the search bar and results, such as placeholder text, button labels, and filter names, directly through the plugin settings.

Kivo Search includes a powerful product promotion feature, allowing you to showcase specific products or categories when the search box is empty. This helps draw attention to featured items or special offers, increasing visibility and boosting conversions.

You can easily create a promotional product or category list using the intuitive drag-and-drop interface available in the admin menu under the Promotion section. Simply drag and drop products or categories to arrange them in your desired order. These promotional items will be displayed dynamically in the search bar when no search query is entered, giving you a flexible way to highlight key products.

Kivo Search comes equipped with an advanced analytics feature that provides valuable insights into your store’s search activity. You can track the most searched phrases, top searched products, and view detailed data on user search behavior.

The analytics section presents this information through intuitive graphs and charts, helping you easily visualize trends and understand what your customers are looking for. This data empowers you to optimize your product offerings and promotions, ensuring a more personalized and effective shopping experience.

Kivo Search offers a range of developer-friendly features for customization and integration.

• kivo_search_pre_query: Modify search queries before they are processed.
• kivo_search_results: Filter search results before they are displayed.
• kivo_ai_integration_settings: Customize the behavior of AI search integration