Why Use Surge?
Search is one of the most important parts of your Shopify store. Customers who use search are often your highest-intent buyers. They know what they want, and they want it fast. If your search experience is slow, inaccurate, or returns the wrong results, those customers do not wait around. They leave.
Shopify's built-in search gets the job done for very small stores. But as your catalog grows, it starts working against you. Slow results, limited filtering, and zero visibility into search behavior are not problems you can afford to ignore.
Surge: AI Search has been built to solve these problems. It replaces the limitations of Shopify's built-in search with a blazing-fast, AI-powered engine that indexes your entire catalog and returns personalized results instantly.
The Problem With Keyword-Based Search
Shopify's default search relies on keyword-based matching and predefined relevance rules to return results from indexed store content. It ranks products based on how often the search term appears in a product title, description, or tags. This approach works for simple catalogs, but it breaks down fast as your catalog grows.
Here are some common frictions that cost you sales:
- Shoppers type "sneakers", but your products are tagged "trainers." They see zero results and leave.
- A customer searches "warm waterproof jacket", but the engine only looks for those exact words, not the intent behind the phrase.
- Large catalogs may return incomplete results for popular search terms.
- Search results do not adapt to individual shopper behavior. Every visitor sees the same generic ranking.
- Shopify's storefront filtering shows customers a maximum of 100 filter values per attribute. If a filter has 100+ values, some won't display.
What Makes Surge Different from Shopify's Default Search?
Surge takes a fundamentally different approach to search. Instead of querying a database at runtime, Surge indexes your entire product catalog in memory. Queries run against that in-memory index, which is why results come back in milliseconds regardless of catalog size. Here's a direct comparison:
| Capability | Shopify Default Search | Surge: AI Search |
|---|---|---|
| Search speed | Slow on large catalogs | RAM-indexed results in milliseconds |
| Typo tolerance | Limited - matches words differing by 1 letter or 2 letters swapped | Advanced typo handling with no strict letter requirements |
| Synonym handling | Not built-in, can be set up via Shopify Search & Discovery app (1,000 synonym cap) | Multi-way synonym grouping with no hard cap |
| Search personalization | Limited, some behavior-based ranking | Results adapt to each shopper's behavior |
| Metafield filtering | Supports metafields but capped at 100 filter values per attribute | Smart metafield indexing and filtering with no limit |
| Filter attribute cap | 25 attributes in Shopify Search & Discovery app | No hard cap, scales with catalog |
| Search suggestions | Basic, up to 10 suggestions | As-you-type suggestions based on behavior |
| Stopwords | Not indexed for search, returns no result | Indexed for search, returns instant result |
| Search analytics | Not available | Detailed analytics - popular queries, zero-result searches, trends, etc. |
| Customization | Not supported | Full, no coding required |
Key Benefits
Instant Search Results, Every Time
Surge indexes your entire product catalog in memory. When a customer types a query, results appear character by character as they type. For stores with large catalogs, this means no spinners, no waiting, and no frustration.
AI-Powered Typo Correction
Surge automatically handles misspellings and surfaces the right results even when the query is wrong. A customer typing "shurt" still finds your shorts. A shopper writing "sneekers" still lands on your sneaker collection.
Personalized Results for Every Shopper
No two shoppers are the same. Surge tracks behavior and tailors results to each individual. A returning customer who regularly buys running gear will see different top results than someone browsing casually. This kind of personalization can meaningfully lift conversion rates.
Advanced Filtering with Metafield Support
Metafield indexing is one of Surge's most powerful features. Take a product like an "Authentic Red T-shirt" with a metafield of "Fabric: Cotton". Once you index that metafield, your shoppers can filter search results by "Cotton" fabric. The same logic applies to any custom attribute in your catalog: material, fit, season, compatibility, finish, and beyond.
Surge supports filtering by:
- Price
- Vendor
- Product type
- Tags
- Variants
- Availability
- Custom metafields
Real-Time Product Sync
Every product update, price change, or inventory adjustment is reflected in search results immediately. Surge automatically picks up every change from Shopify and updates search results within seconds. Your customers always see accurate, up-to-date information.
Search Analytics That Drive Decisions
Surge gives you a full analytics view of what your customers are searching for, including:
- The most popular search queries on your store
- Searches that return zero results, which reveal catalog gaps
- Trends over time to guide your merchandising and marketing decisions
Knowing what customers are looking for but cannot find is one of the most actionable data points you can have as a merchant.
Product Recommendations
Surge surfaces relevant product recommendations alongside search results. When a shopper searches for a product, they also see related items they might want, giving you a direct path to increasing average order value without any manual work.
Fully Customizable with Native Theme Support
Surge works with your existing Shopify theme out of the box. You can embed the search experience using App Blocks in the Shopify Theme Editor, which means no code changes, no developer required, and no impact on your store's performance. You can also customize the search UI components to match your brand.
Subscription Plans
Surge uses a monthly recurring subscription model with a credit-based system. Each plan comes with a set number of monthly search credits. Choose the plan that matches your current traffic and upgrade as you grow.
| Plan | Monthly Price | Monthly Credits | Est. Monthly Store Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | $19 | 10,000 | Up to ~50,000 visitors/month |
| Pro | $49 | 50,000 | Up to ~250,000 visitors/month |
| Scale | $149 | 250,000 | Up to ~1,000,000 visitors/month |
| Enterprise | $299 | 1,000,000 | 1,000,000+ visitors/month |
Note: Basic, Pro, and Scale plans include a 14-day free trial so you can explore the app and see how it fits your store before committing.
Understanding Credits
Each search query your shoppers perform uses one credit from your monthly allowance. Credits reset at the start of each billing cycle. If your store reaches its monthly credit limit before the cycle ends, you can purchase additional credits through the billing portal at any time.
Important: Unused credits do not carry over to the next month. Credits reset on your billing date regardless of usage.
What Is Included in Every Plan?
All Surge plans include the full feature set:
- Lightning-fast in-memory search
- Typo tolerance, stopwords, and synonym groups
- Smart as-you-type search suggestions
- Advanced filtering by price, vendor, tags, and metafields
- Real-time product and inventory sync
- Full search analytics: popular queries and zero-result searches
- Personalized search results per shopper
- Product recommendations on cart and search page
- Native Shopify theme support with App Blocks
- Customizable search components
Note: The plans differ only in the number of monthly search credits included.
What Happens When You Run Out of Credits?
If your store reaches the monthly credit limit before the billing cycle ends, Surge stops returning results until you add more credits or your plan resets.
If you consistently approach your credit limit, upgrading to a higher plan is more cost-effective than regularly purchasing top-up credits.
Ready to Switch Plans?
You can change your plan at any time from the Surge Billing tab. Changes take effect immediately. If you upgrade mid-cycle, you gain access to the higher credit limit for the remainder of the current month. Downgrades take effect at the start of your next billing cycle.
For step-by-step instructions, check the Switching Subscription Plans guide.
Let's Get Started
Ready to give your shoppers the search experience they deserve? Install Surge: AI Search from the Shopify App Store and see the difference in your first session.
Have questions about which plan is right for your store? Reach out to us through live chat in the app or by email at support@bevycommerce.com. We're happy to help you find the best fit.