Search-based navigation
Search-based navigation enhances starter stores by performing searches against categories when you browse a storefront catalog. All immediate categories and products are returned in the results, and can also include subcategories to increase its scope. With search-based navigation enabled, the storefront benefits include improved search performance and accuracy, search rules, and faceted navigation. As a result, the storefront delivers a perception of a personalized browsing experience in starter stores. Shoppers can navigate the storefront catalog in the following ways:
- Quick search
A search field with auto-suggest functions, integrated into the store's header at the top of the page. Shoppers can perform quick searches from any store page within the site.
The auto-suggest menu contains suggested keywords, categories, brands, site content, and search history.
- Category-based navigation
A category-based navigation technique, which is driven by the header's top navigation menu. Effective when the shopper knows exactly which category their wanted products are located.
- Faceted navigation
A process of browsing information by filtering a set of topics by progressively selecting from only valid values of a faceted classification system, which is a predefined collection of facets.
Catalog entries must contain multiple facets to be effective in the storefront. Therefore, facets are not shown in the storefront by default for those catalog entries that contain only one facet.
- Advanced search
A variation of quick search, but allows for more detailed searching criteria to be specified. Useful when the shopper knows their range of criteria or conditions to be used to narrow the scope of search results.