As eCommerce businesses grow, so does the complexity of product discovery. For Shopify merchants, providing accurate, fast, and personalized search results is essential to improving user experience and driving conversions. Among the platforms helping address these needs is Klevu, known for its AI-powered on-site search and merchandising tools.
This article explores how Klevu integrates with Shopify, what its key features are, limitations you should be aware of, feedback from users, pricing considerations, and factors to evaluate before choosing a search provider.
Why Merchants Look Beyond Shopify’s Native Search
Shopify’s built-in search capabilities are simple and functional, but they often fall short for growing merchants who require more advanced search behavior, filtering, and merchandising flexibility.
Some of the limitations of native Shopify search include:
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Basic text matching: No semantic understanding of search queries.
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Lack of personalization: Every shopper sees the same results.
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Limited filtering options: Swatches, price sliders, and advanced logic are unavailable out of the box.
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No typo handling or synonym recognition: Misspelled queries often return zero results.
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Absence of reporting: Store owners have limited visibility into what users are searching for, what’s converting, or where drop-offs happen.
These constraints drive many Shopify stores to consider third-party solutions that specialize in search and product discovery—like Klevu.
What Is Klevu?
Klevu is a cloud-based search solution tailored for eCommerce websites. It uses artificial intelligence, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning to interpret user queries and return more accurate, personalized search results.
Klevu supports popular platforms like Shopify, Magento, BigCommerce, and others. For Shopify specifically, Klevu provides a dedicated app that integrates directly with your storefront.
Key Features of Klevu for Shopify
Here are some of the core functionalities Shopify merchants can expect when using Klevu:
1. AI-Powered Search
Klevu’s semantic search engine understands natural language, intent, and context, going beyond simple keyword matching. This leads to more relevant product results and better user engagement.
2. Search Autocomplete
The solution includes real-time autocomplete suggestions, reducing time to product and increasing conversions. It dynamically suggests trending products and popular queries as users type.
3. Product Recommendations
Klevu can display related products, recently viewed items, and frequently bought together suggestions based on user behavior, increasing average order value.
4. Dynamic Filtering
Faceted navigation includes features like color swatches, price ranges, multi-select filters, and more. These filters update in real time based on query context.
5. Catalog Enrichment
Klevu enhances your product metadata by automatically indexing and enriching content like product tags, descriptions, and attributes to improve discoverability.
6. Analytics Dashboard
You get access to search analytics, which reveal top-performing queries, no-result searches, click-through rates, and insights to optimize content and merchandising.
Integration with Shopify
Klevu offers a Shopify integration via its app on the Shopify App Store. Once installed, it syncs your product catalog and overlays its smart search engine over your storefront. Most merchants can get started without extensive developer support, though stores with unique theming or specific UI needs may benefit from customization.
For Shopify Plus stores, Klevu provides additional flexibility through its API and JavaScript SDKs, enabling deeper integrations and styling control.
Limitations and Considerations
Despite its robust feature set, Klevu isn’t without challenges. Merchants evaluating it for Shopify should be aware of the following:
1. Pricing Transparency
Klevu’s pricing isn’t always transparent on their website. Many users report that costs scale with product volume and traffic. For smaller merchants, this can be a concern—especially if they only need basic functionality.
2. Search Accuracy with Typos
While the AI search engine is powerful, there are reports of inconsistencies when dealing with spelling errors or edge-case queries. Some merchants have had to manually adjust product data to improve matching accuracy.
3. Support Tiers
Customer support quality can vary based on your pricing tier. Some users mention that unless you’re on a higher plan, account management and strategic guidance may be limited.
4. Initial Learning Curve
Though designed to be merchant-friendly, setting up rules, merchandising, and fine-tuning analytics may take time and experimentation—especially for teams without dedicated technical resources.
What Users Are Saying
Klevu has earned praise for its potential, particularly its AI capabilities and autocomplete functionality. However, real-world feedback also highlights areas where it may fall short:
“Klevu has potential, but we faced challenges with inaccuracies in search results with spelling mistakes from time to time.”
— Verified Reviewer on G2
“The support team is very helpful, but we fall into a tier that doesn’t qualify for account management even though we are using two of their products. The lack of account management leaves us in the dark on strategies to employ…”
— Verified Reviewer on G2
These reviews reflect a common challenge in SaaS tools: powerful features with trade-offs in accessibility and support based on budget and team size.
Final Thoughts
For many Shopify merchants, Klevu offers a significant upgrade over native Shopify search, with powerful features like semantic search, dynamic filtering, and actionable analytics. Its strengths lie in helping stores with large catalogs deliver faster, more relevant product discovery experiences.
However, as with any advanced tool, it’s important to weigh the benefits against setup complexity, pricing, and support availability. A successful integration depends not only on feature depth but also on how well the tool aligns with your store’s current team, growth stage, and operational goals.
Alternative to Klevu on Shopify: ExpertRec
For Shopify merchants seeking a powerful yet simple and affordable solution, ExpertRec is an excellent alternative.
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No-code setup – Get started in minutes
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Customizable UI – Tailor the search look to your theme
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AI-powered relevance – Typo-tolerant, semantic, and fast
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Personalized support – Hands-on onboarding and tuning
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Transparent pricing – Without gated features or support limitations
With ExpertRec, you get high-quality search performance without the complexity or cost associated with enterprise platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Klevu Shopify integration?
It refers to connecting Klevu’s AI-powered search and merchandising system with a Shopify store to enhance product discovery and UX.
Does Klevu improve Shopify search results?
Yes, Klevu uses NLP and AI to improve search relevance, suggest autocomplete results, and display personalized product recommendations.
Is Klevu worth it for small stores?
Klevu’s features are robust, but pricing may be a concern for smaller stores. It’s best suited for merchants with larger catalogs or personalization goals.
