Use this article to set up what Smart Search Quick View shows at each stage of a shopper's search: before they start typing, as they type, and when a search returns no results. Customizing these stages helps shoppers discover products faster and keeps them engaged even when a query has no matches. This article is part of the Smart Search Quick View documentation set — for a general introduction, see Smart Search Quick View: Overview.
Set up what shoppers see before they type
The "before typing" settings control what Smart Search Quick View shows when a shopper has opened search but has not entered anything yet. In this section, you can customize the Quick View appearance for the empty state, choose to display suggested collections, search terms, and/or products, and configure a custom title for each element.
(Screenshot above: The "Before User Starts Typing" settings in the Quick View editor)
Choose the suggested search terms shoppers see
The Suggested Search Terms setting controls the search terms shoppers see in Smart Search Quick View before they begin typing. Rebuy provides three default rules, and you can also create your own custom terms:
Previous Search History — displays recent search terms from the user's current session, based on all-time search data.
Trending Search Terms — shows search terms that have been trending across your site in the past 24 hours.
Custom (Add New) — create custom search terms to display in the search bar.
You can adjust the priority of these search terms by clicking and dragging them in the settings; higher-priority terms appear at the top.
(Screenshot above: The Smart Search Quick View's Suggested Search Terms settings)
Some sections may be hidden in preview and onsite
Trending data and shopper history are dynamic — sections with no data to display will be hidden in the preview and on your storefront.
Choose the suggested collections shoppers see
The Suggested Collections setting controls the collection suggestions shoppers see in Smart Search Quick View before they start typing. By default, Trending Collections are displayed. You can also display Custom Collections, or combine both for a more personalized browsing experience:
Trending Collections — displays collections that have been popular within the past 24 hours, reflecting current shopper interests.
Custom (Add New) — create and display custom collections every time someone uses the search bar.
You can adjust the priority of collection suggestions by clicking and dragging them in the settings. Suggestions are prioritized top-down.
(Screenshot above: The Smart Search Quick View's Suggested Collections settings)
Choose the suggested products shoppers see
The Suggested Products setting controls the product suggestions shoppers see in Smart Search Quick View before they start typing. You can choose from two default settings or combine options for a tailored experience:
User History (Search and View) — displays products the user recently viewed, based on their session and all-time activity. This is generated through cookie tracking, and unless users are signed in, the data remains anonymous. Rebuy does not track or sell cookie data; events are anonymized across the same browser unless users sign in and provide customer information.
Trending Products — shows products that have been trending in the past 30 days, reflecting the most purchased items on your site during that period.
Custom (Add New) — create and display custom products every time someone uses the search bar.
You can adjust the priority of product suggestions by clicking and dragging them in the settings; higher-priority suggestions appear at the top.
(Screenshot above: The Smart Search Quick View's Suggested Products settings)
Set up what shoppers see as they type
The As User Starts Typing screen in the Smart Search Quick View editor controls the instant results that appear while a shopper types in the search bar. Open it from Smart Search > Quick View > General Settings > Interaction Settings > As User Starts Typing. Each result type is its own card under the Display heading, and the cards run in the same order shoppers see them: Intelligent Auto-Complete, Matching Collections, Matching Content, then Matching Products.
Every card works the same way. A toggle turns that result type on or off, a Title field sets the heading shoppers see above it, and a Max Suggestions Displayed slider caps how many entries appear, from 1 to 10, defaulting to 4. Matching Products is the exception and has no slider, since its count is set in Product Display instead.
These settings apply to Quick View only. The Smart Search Results Page is configured separately in the Results Page editor.
(Screenshot above: The Smart Search "As User Starts Typing" settings in the Quick View editor)
Show predictive search suggestions as shoppers type
Intelligent Auto-Complete shows predictive search suggestions in a Suggested Searches section inside the Quick View dropdown while a shopper types. It is on by default and applies to Quick View only, since the Smart Search Results Page has no auto-complete suggestions.
Suggestions are generated automatically from your product catalog and how shoppers are searching your store, so there is no keyword list to build or maintain. A shopper must type at least 3 characters before any suggestions are returned, and shorter queries return nothing.
Configure the card with the following:
Title sets the heading shown above the suggestions. It defaults to Suggested Searches.
Max Suggestions Displayed caps how many suggestions appear, from 1 to 10. The default is 4.
Note: Intelligent Auto-Complete replaces the setting previously called Auto-Complete Terms, which built its suggestions from Smart Search Keyword Groups. You no longer create or maintain keywords for auto-complete, and you cannot manually add, remove, or pin individual suggestion terms on this screen. Keyword Groups still drive Featured Products, Keyword Influence, and Keyword Page Redirects on the Smart Search Results Page.
Show matching collections as shoppers type
Matching Collections displays collections that contain products related to the shopper's search term, as a row of collection links in the Quick View dropdown. Collections you have excluded in your Smart Search Global Settings never appear here, even when they contain matching products.
Configure the card with the following:
Title sets the heading shown above the collections. It is prefilled with Matching Collections.
Max Suggestions Displayed caps how many collections appear, from 1 to 10. The default is 4. When more collections match than the cap allows, shoppers see a SEE MORE link.
Show matching blog posts and pages as shoppers type
Matching Content displays blog posts and pages that match the shopper's search term, in a section between Matching Collections and Matching Products. Each result is a clickable title link that opens that blog post or page. The section is hidden entirely when a query returns no matching content, so shoppers never see an empty heading.
Matching Content is off by default and has to be enabled here. The card itself only appears when your Search Engine Version is set to Lexical Search (v1) on the Smart Search Settings page. If the card is missing from this screen, check that setting first.
Configure the card with the following:
Title sets the heading shown above the results. It is prefilled with Matching Content.
Max Suggestions Displayed caps how many blog posts and pages appear, from 1 to 10. The default is 4.
For how content search works across both Quick View and the Results Page, see Smart Search: Content Search.
Show matching products as shoppers type
Matching Products shows product cards that match the shopper's search query in real time, below the other result types in the Quick View dropdown. It is on by default.
Title sets the heading shown above the products and is prefilled with Matching Products. This card has no Max Suggestions Displayed slider. To change how many products appear, and how those product cards look, select Configure In Product Display at the bottom of the card, which opens the Product Display settings.
Set up what shoppers see when a search returns no results
The No Search Results settings keep shoppers engaged when their Smart Search Quick View search returns no matches. Instead of landing on a dead-end page, shoppers see curated suggestions — products, collections, or related search terms — that help them continue their product discovery. When a search returns zero results, you can choose to display suggested search terms, suggested collections, and suggested products.
You can customize the no-results experience with the following settings:
Page Title Customization — change the default messaging shown on the no-results page. Use
{term}to dynamically insert the shopper's search query (for example, "No results for {Tee}").Editable Suggestion Cards — each of the three suggestion types includes an Edit button that opens a slide-out panel to customize the suggestions.
Limits and Validation — you can add up to 10 items per suggestion type. If you try to exceed the limit or leave with unsaved changes, you will see clear error messaging and prompts.
Consistent Styling — this interface matches the styling used in the "before a customer starts typing" settings, for a cohesive setup experience.
All no-results suggestion settings are off by default. You will need to enable and configure them manually.
(Screenshot above: The No Search Results settings in the Smart Search Quick View editor)
Frequently asked questions
What is the limit of suggested terms, products, and collections in the Quick View editor?
By default, the number of suggestions shown for each category — terms, products, and collections — is 6 per category in the before-typing Quick View suggestions. (On the no-results page, you can add up to 10 items per suggestion type.
Why aren't Intelligent Auto-Complete suggestions showing in Quick View?
Intelligent Auto-Complete suggestions are generated automatically from your product catalog and shopper search behavior, so there is no keyword setup to complete first. If suggestions are not appearing in Quick View, check the following:
The Intelligent Auto-Complete toggle is enabled in the Quick View editor under As User Starts Typing. It is on by default.
The shopper has typed at least 3 characters. Shorter queries return no suggestions.
You are looking in the right place. Suggestions appear in a Suggested Searches section inside the Quick View dropdown, not as completed text inside the search input field.
If the toggle is on, the query is at least 3 characters long, and the Suggested Searches section still does not render, send us your store URL and an example search term through the messenger on this page.