Relying on WooCommerce’s default search function is one of the quickest ways for an online store to lose customers. Every modern WooCommerce store needs a smarter product search that helps visitors find what they need quickly and easily, boosting conversions.
FiboSearch has built a strong reputation as one of the leading plugins for WooCommerce product search, replacing the default search with AJAX-powered live suggestions.
This article explores the plugin’s features, setup, pros, cons, and pricing to offer a clear understanding of its capabilities in enhancing product discovery and conversions for WooCommerce store owners.
📑 Table of Contents
What Is FiboSearch?
FiboSearch, formerly known as AJAX Search for WooCommerce, is one of the most popular WooCommerce search plugins. It replaces the default WooCommerce search bar with an advanced AJAX search bar that features live search suggestions.
The plugin simplifies the shopping experience for site visitors by saving time during product searches and performs well even on sites with over 10,000 products (when using the pro version).
With FiboSearch, users get a settings configuration interface that resembles the default WordPress user interface, with options neatly organized within tabs. It also includes a preview window that allows users to see their changes in real time, adding an extra layer of convenience.
FiboSearch uses a freemium model. The free version offers a solid set of features that improve the quality of WooCommerce search results.
The premium version takes things further with a faster search engine and additional features. These include fuzzy search, synonyms, filtering modes, conditional product exclusion, and support for searching by custom fields, attributes, categories, tags, brands, and SKUs (for variable products).
The free version of the FiboSearch plugin is perfect for small stores with fewer than 100 products that only need a basic upgrade from the default WooCommerce search. Larger stores that rely on search to drive sales will find greater value in the premium version.
FiboSearch Core Features
With over 100,000 active installs of the FiboSearch plugin, it's clear that the plugin offers search features that many users value. This section closely examines its core features that truly make a difference.
Live AJAX Product Search
One of the main selling points of the FiboSearch plugin is its AJAX-powered product search feature, which shows real-time suggestions as users type. This feature offers a faster search experience by eliminating the need to reload the page with each search.
When a site visitor types a search term in the search bar, a dropdown appears with search results that include product images, prices, and even SKUs.
An additional feature available is a Details Panel that provides more detailed information about each product highlighted in the search results and includes an Add to Cart button for faster conversion.
Search by Multiple Product Details
FiboSearch lets users customize how customers search for and find products. The plugin supports searching with details beyond just the product title.
In the free version, users can enable search by product descriptions (short or long) or SKUs, while the premium version adds support for searching by custom fields, attributes, categories, tags, brands, and SKUs for variable products.
This feature significantly refines the customer search experience and improves overall product discoverability as a way to boost sales.
Advanced Search Logic
Advanced search logic features are available in the Pro version of the FiboSearch plugin. These features help deliver faster, more accurate, and highly relevant search results.
One such feature is fuzzy matching. It helps customers find the right product match for their search term, even if it contains typos. FiboSearch allows users to disable the feature or set it to soft, normal, or hard mode.
Synonyms is another advanced search feature that enables FiboSearch users to enter alternative names for products. This ensures that site visitors can always find relevant results. For example, “couch” and “settee” can both be added as synonyms for “sofa”.
A filtering mode is also included in the FiboSearch plugin. This feature allows users to exclude groups of products from search results using taxonomies such as categories, tags, and attributes.
Inverted Index Search Engine for Large Product Catalogs
With FiboSearch Pro, users gain access to a more sophisticated search engine that uses an inverted index. This allows it to efficiently handle searches in WooCommerce stores with large product catalogs.
To ensure speed remains consistent, FiboSearch runs in WordPress's SHORTINIT mode (a PHP mode that runs a minimal WordPress environment) during searches. This helps it avoid potential slowdowns caused by other heavy themes or conflicting plugins.
Additionally, when reindexing product data is necessary, it runs seamlessly in the background while the live index remains active. This minimizes disruptions for shoppers on the site.
Built-In Search Analytics
FiboSearch features built-in search analytics that offer insights into customers' search behaviors.
This tool makes it simple for FiboSearch users to identify trending keywords and optimize their WooCommerce search.
It’s also a useful way to monitor phrases that don’t produce search results. Users can then resolve the issue by either adding the products to their WooCommerce catalog or including the phrases as synonyms for relevant products already in their catalog.
Setting Up and Configuring FiboSearch
FiboSearch’s setup and configuration process is not complicated. This section provides a breakdown of the steps to quickly get it up and running.
Installation and Activation
Since FiboSearch offers both free and paid versions, the installation steps depend on the version a user selects. The free version can be easily installed by navigating to the plugin repository in the WordPress admin dashboard, searching for “FiboSearch,” and clicking the install and activate buttons.
The pro version, however, must be purchased and downloaded from the FiboSearch website, then manually uploaded to WordPress.
After activation, settings can be accessed by clicking WooCommerce → FiboSearch from the WordPress admin menu.
The FiboSearch dashboard is well-organized into tabs, with a live preview window on the Search Bar and Autocomplete pages that makes it easy to track changes without saving and reloading the page each time.
Search Scope Setup
The first step to make FiboSearch work efficiently on a WooCommerce store is to set up the search engine by choosing what should be indexed and shown in search results.
The Search Config tab includes all the options for defining the search engine’s scope.
Free users have access to very limited options in this tab. The only options available are to enable search in descriptions, short descriptions, and SKUs for simple products. Out-of-stock products can also be excluded from search results.
Pro users, however, have much more control over the search scope, including the ability to enable searching across attributes, categories, tags, and even custom fields.
Other advanced search engine features, such as fuzzy matching, synonyms, and product filtering, are also exclusive to FiboSearch Pro users.
Search Bar and Results Customization
After setting up the search scope, the next step is to customize the search bar and the results that customers see on the frontend.
The Search Bar tab allows users to configure all search bar settings, including the minimum number of characters required to display search results, the search bar width, placeholder text, appearance options, preloader settings, and colors.
All settings can be easily adjusted by selecting the desired option from the dropdown menus or by entering a specific value.
The Autocomplete tab contains the search results settings. Users can specify how many search suggestions to display, choose which product metadata to show (such as price, image, description, and SKU), add a Details Panel for additional product information, and customize the colors of the search results.
Search Bar Embedding
Once the search engine and search bar are fully set up, the final step is for users to embed the search bar into the relevant part of the website.
FiboSearch offers several options for this. A quick way is to check the box to automatically replace all search bars on the website.
If that isn’t suitable, users can embed the search bar using a shortcode, PHP, or as a block, widget, or menu item.
The quality of WooCommerce search results will immediately improve significantly once the search bar is embedded.
FiboSearch Pros & Cons
Pros
- Fast search engine with an inverted index in the pro version.
- Capable free version for small stores.
- Wide search scope in the pro version (SKUs, custom fields, attributes, categories, tags).
- Relatively easy to set up.
- Built-in search analytics.
Cons
- Less visually appealing and intuitive settings interface compared to other options like Elevated Product Search.
- Fast search engine not available in the free version.
- Most advanced features are only in the pro version.
- Limited visual customization options compared to alternatives.
- Limits on product counts per pricing tier could constrain fast-growing stores.
FiboSearch Pricing
As previously mentioned, FiboSearch is a freemium plugin that offers a free version with limited features, which can be downloaded from WordPress.org.
The Pro version, which includes advanced search capabilities, is available in three pricing tiers, each offering all Pro features and a 15% renewal discount.
The Personal Plan costs $59 for the first year and includes a license for one site and support for up to 10,000 products.
The Entrepreneur Plan costs $99 for the first year and supports use on up to three sites, each with 50,000 products.
The Agency Plan is priced at $249 for the first year and supports up to 25 sites, with up to 150,000 products per site.
Each plan includes priority email support for 1 year and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Final Thoughts – Is FiboSearch Worth It?
Deciding whether to use the FiboSearch plugin on a WooCommerce site ultimately depends on a user’s needs and priorities.
FiboSearch is a robust, well-rounded plugin that refines the quality of WooCommerce search results, even in its free version. It performs well right out of the box, making it an excellent option for stores that want better product search functionality that works immediately without extensive setup.
Its multiple pricing options also make it suitable for a range of WooCommerce shops; small stores can do well with the free version, while mid-sized to large stores can benefit from any of its pro plans.
The main drawback of FiboSearch is that it is not ideal for stores that require deep, code-free visual customization. An alternative like Elevated Product Search, which offers more granular styling controls and consolidates all settings and live preview on a single screen, is better in that regard.
However, ultimately, FiboSearch delivers when it comes to offering users a good balance between simplicity, cost, and performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
To create a product search in WooCommerce, you need a dedicated product search plugin like Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce. Here are the steps to use the plugin:
Step 1 - Install and activate the Elevated Product Search.
Step 2 - Go to Elevated → Product Search to configure the search scope, customize the search bar and results, and access other advanced search engine options.
Step 3 - Embed the search form anywhere on your site using the shortcode.
Elevated Product Search is the best product search plugin for WooCommerce. Its modern, easy-to-use interface, extensive search engine customization options, and lightning-fast search speed make it the ideal choice for boosting customer conversions on WooCommerce stores.
AJAX search is a feature in WordPress that allows site visitors to see instant search results as they type in the search bar, instead of having to refresh the page each time they perform a search. It saves time and offers visitors a more seamless user experience.
The steps to search by SKU in WooCommerce using the Elevated Product Search plugin are as follows:
1 - Install and activate the Elevated Product Search for WooCommerce plugin.
2 - Go to Elevated → Product Search → Advanced Options panel and toggle the SKUs switch to turn it on.
3 - Place the search bar anywhere on your site.
4 - Test the setup by searching for a product using its SKU.
