BigCommerce Faceted Search: A Powerful Feature for Scalable E-commerce Navigation

When users shop online, they don’t always know exactly what they want. Instead, they prefer to narrow their options step-by-step using filters by brand, price, color, size, and more. This is where faceted search becomes essential. In BigCommerce, a robust faceted search experience can be the difference between high engagement and high bounce rates.

In this blog, we’ll explore how faceted search works in BigCommerce, whether it’s worth implementing, its alternatives, and why Expertrec is the best option to supercharge your store’s search capabilities.

What is Faceted Search?

Faceted search, also called faceted navigation or guided navigation, is a filtering mechanism that allows users to refine search results based on multiple attributes of a product catalog. These attributes (or facets) could include:

• Brand
• Category
• Price Range
• Ratings
• Color
• Size
• Availability

Rather than returning a flat list of search results, faceted search breaks down results into well-organized categories. This allows users to iteratively filter products, making the shopping experience intuitive and efficient.

How Does Faceted Search Work? (Technical Deep Dive)

At its core, faceted search uses metadata associated with products in your catalog. Here’s how it works:

1. Indexing Metadata: Each product is indexed with all its attributes (like price, brand, and availability). These attributes become the ‘facets.’
2. Faceted Navigation Engine: When a user performs a search, the engine retrieves all relevant products and concurrently extracts the matching facets.
3. Filter Application: Users can then select or deselect multiple facets. Each selection dynamically narrows down the product list without reloading the page (in AJAX-based implementations).
4. Multi-dimensional Filtering: Unlike traditional filters, faceted search allows multiple simultaneous criteria. For example, users can search for “Red Shoes” from “Nike” under “$100.”
5. Caching and Performance: To ensure speed, search results and facet counts are often cached or pre-computed.

Benefits of Faceted Search in eCommerce

1. Enhanced User Experience

Faceted search helps users quickly locate what they’re looking for without typing endless queries. It’s especially useful for users unfamiliar with product terminology.

2. Boosts Conversion Rates

By minimizing friction in the search journey, faceted search shortens the path to product discovery—resulting in more purchases.

3. Scales with Your Catalog

Whether you have 100 or 100,000 SKUs, faceted search adjusts dynamically, making it future-proof.

4. Mobile Optimization

Responsive faceted navigation ensures users can filter efficiently on mobile devices without pinch-and-zoom frustration.

5. SEO Benefits

Properly structured faceted search can create indexable, keyword-rich landing pages for search engines.

Is It Worth Using Faceted Search in BigCommerce?

Absolutely. If you’re serious about optimizing user journeys and improving conversion rates, faceted search is non-negotiable. BigCommerce’s native filtering system may suffice for small catalogs, but as your product count grows, its limitations become clear:

• Basic filtering is slow or reloads the entire page
• Doesn’t support advanced combinations
• Lacks real-time interaction or intelligent facet ordering

For modern, high-performing eCommerce stores, a more advanced solution is necessary.

Are There Better Alternatives?

Some merchants consider coding their own faceted navigation systems or using third-party add-ons. However, these often lack deep customization, intelligent ranking, or require complex backend configuration.

If you want a scalable, high-performance, and customizable solution without coding complexity, there’s a better option.

Book a Demo

Why Expertrec is the Best Solution for BigCommerce Faceted Search

Expertrec is a no-code search engine platform that offers best-in-class faceted search designed specifically for eCommerce. Here’s what makes it stand out:

✔ Intelligent Facet Prioritization

Expertrec automatically surfaces the most relevant facets based on user behavior and search context.

✔ Real-Time Faceted Filtering

Results update dynamically as users select filters—no page reloads.

✔ Supports Nested Facets

E.g., under the ‘Shoes’ category, users can filter by ‘Men’, then by ‘Size’, and then by ‘Brand.’

✔ Custom UI Design

Modify the look and feel of your faceted search to match your BigCommerce theme with zero coding.

✔ Multilingual & Voice-Compatible

Supports multilingual queries and voice-based search alongside faceted results.

✔ SEO-Friendly Implementation

Faceted URLs can be structured for indexing or blocked based on your SEO strategy.

✔ Analytics Dashboard

See which facets users click most, zero-result searches, and search-to-purchase flows.

Final Verdict

Faceted search is not just a feature it’s a growth strategy. With the complexity and size of modern eCommerce catalogs, helping users refine and personalize their search experience is critical to standing out in the BigCommerce ecosystem.

Expertrec makes it easy to implement faceted search that’s fast, intelligent, and visually stunning. From NLP-based intent detection to dynamic facet sorting and multilingual support, it’s the upgrade your store needs.

Book a Demo

FAQs: BigCommerce Faceted Search