Semantic search
Semantic search uses AI to understand what shoppers mean, not just the exact words they type. Queries such as “dress for a beach wedding” or “comfortable shoes for standing all day” can return relevant products even when your catalog does not use those exact phrases.
Live Search combines keyword matching and semantic matching in one search experience. You do not manage separate keyword and semantic modes on the storefront. Live Search does not offer advanced semantic controls (for example, boost or similarity sliders) in the Admin. You can enable or disable semantic search.
Enablement by deployment
Semantic search is managed from the Settings workspace in the Live Search Admin (Marketing > SEO & Search > Live Search). Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service uses this same Live Search interface as PaaS merchants.
Benefits
- Fewer zero-result searches — Shoppers find products when their wording does not match catalog text exactly.
- More relevant results — Natural, descriptive queries return useful matches based on meaning and context.
- Less synonym maintenance — Common word variations (for example, couch and sofa) are often handled without manual synonym lists.
- No storefront or developer work — Semantic search requires no theme code, widget, or API changes. PaaS merchants enable it in Settings; Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service customers receive it enabled by default.
How it works
When semantic search is enabled, Live Search uses predefined catalog attributes chosen by the system (such as product name and description) to interpret query meaning alongside traditional keyword search. You do not select or prioritize attributes in the Admin.
For example:
- A search for “leather couch” can return products labeled “leather sofa.”
- “Spring dress” can surface seasonal dresses even when “spring” is not in the product name.
- “Shoes for trail running” can match products described as off-road or hiking footwear.
What happens when you enable semantic search
Semantic search works alongside your existing Live Search configuration. You do not replace keyword search or reconfigure the storefront.
When semantic search is active:
- Your existing search rules, synonyms, facets, boosts, and category merchandising settings continue to apply.
- Semantic search adds AI-powered understanding of shopper intent to improve result relevance alongside keyword matching.
- Predefined catalog attributes are indexed automatically. You do not select attributes or publish a separate configuration.
Manage semantic search in the Admin
Go to the Settings workspace to view or change the Semantic search toggle.
For PaaS merchants
Adobe Commerce on Cloud and on-premises merchants must enable semantic search manually:
-
In the Admin, go to Marketing > SEO & Search > Live Search.
-
On the Settings workspace, enable Semantic search.
When enabled, search matches products based on meaning and context, which can produce more relevant results, fewer zero-result searches, and improved conversion.
-
Click Save.
Search results update after indexing completes. For a medium-sized catalog, indexing can take up to half an hour. For large catalogs with millions of products, it can take a few hours.
For ACCS customers
Adobe Commerce as a Cloud Service customers use the same Settings workspace in the Live Search Admin. Semantic search is enabled by default for eligible English catalogs. Confirm Semantic search is enabled, or disable it if you do not want semantic matching on the storefront.
You do not need a separate publish step or storefront configuration after you save a change.
Validate after enablement
After semantic search is active and indexing completes, Adobe recommends validating search performance. Use the Performance workspace to review metrics and test queries that matter to your business. This applies whether semantic search was enabled by default or you enabled it manually.
- Review your top searched terms in the Unique searches report.
- Test historical zero-result queries from the Zero results report on the storefront.
- Compare search results for the same queries before and after enablement.
- Monitor search conversion and engagement metrics, including click-through rate, conversion rate, and zero results rate.
Best practices
- Use clear, descriptive product names and descriptions (ideally 50-100 words) so both keyword and semantic matching have strong catalog text to work with.
- Keep brand-specific or highly technical synonyms where semantic search may not cover specialized terms.
Troubleshooting
Limitations semantic-search-limitations
- Catalog language: Semantic search is available only for English-language catalogs.
- Admin controls: Live Search provides an enable/disable control only. You cannot tune semantic boost, similarity threshold, or fuzzy search from the Settings workspace.