Smart Flows Search Term Targeting lets you branch a flow based on what a shopper has searched for in your store. The Smart Search targeting rule sends shoppers who searched a specific term down one path and shoppers who did not down another, so you can act on the intent a shopper has already expressed. For example, a shopper who searched "Skincare" can be shown a popup featuring your skincare bundle, while every other shopper continues through the rest of the flow.
Plan requirement: Search Term Targeting requires both the Smart Flows package and the Rebuy Smart Search package. The Smart Search rule appears in the Targeting Rules list for every Smart Flows merchant. If your store does not have Smart Search, selecting the rule shows an upgrade prompt with a link to start a Smart Search trial instead of opening the settings panel.
The Smart Search targeting rule reads search activity from Rebuy Smart Search only. It does not read searches performed through Shopify's native search, Algolia, or any other third-party search provider, so a store running a different search app on its storefront has no search data available to this rule.
How to add Search Term Targeting to a Smart Flow
You can add the Smart Search targeting rule to a new flow or to an existing flow that is already live. To add it:
In the Rebuy admin, go to Smart Flows and create or edit a flow.
Select the plus icon on the canvas to open the Add Step panel, then expand Targeting Rules.
Select Smart Search. The step is added to the canvas with two branches, Has Searched and Has Not Searched.
In the settings panel, select the Top Searches field. Either choose a term from the dropdown of your store's top search terms or type any custom term you want to target.
Select the plus icon on the Has Searched branch and add the step those shoppers should receive, such as a Popup Message, a Discount, or an Add Items to Cart step. Repeat on the Has Not Searched branch if that group should receive something different.
Select Save, then turn on the Live toggle to activate the flow.
Once the term is saved, the Smart Search card on the canvas displays that term in place of the default "Search Term" label, which confirms the step is configured. If the card still reads "Search Term" after you save, the term did not attach to the step. Reopen the step, re-select the term in the Top Searches field, and save again.
(Screenshot above: Add Step panel with the Targeting Rules section expanded and the Smart Search component highlighted)
Smart Search targeting rule settings
The table below describes every control in the Smart Search targeting rule settings panel.
Setting | Description |
Top Searches | The search term this step branches on. Select a term from the dropdown of your store's top 20 search terms over the last 30 days, or type any custom term. One term per step. |
Re-sync | Refreshes the list of top search terms from Smart Search immediately. The list also updates on its own, so use this when you want the newest terms right away. |
Last synced | A read-only timestamp showing how long ago the top search term list was refreshed, for example "Last synced 9 minutes ago". |
The Top Searches dropdown lists your store's most frequently searched terms with a search count next to each one, pulled directly from Rebuy Smart Search, so the terms match what you see in your Smart Search reporting.
How to target a search term that is not in your Top Searches list
You are not limited to the terms in the Top Searches dropdown. Type any term into the Top Searches field to target it, including terms no shopper has searched yet. This is how you get ahead of demand rather than reacting to it:
Pre-launch product names. Target searches for a product name before the product is available, and route those shoppers to a waitlist or early-access popup.
New categories. A skincare brand expanding into sunscreen can target "sunscreen" before launch to gauge demand, then switch the flow to a "Now available" banner on launch day.
Out-of-stock and discontinued items. Target the product name and offer a back-in-stock signup or an in-stock alternative.
Seasonal and event terms. Target "holiday gift set" or "Black Friday" ahead of the moment, paired with a countdown banner or a curated bundle.
Upcoming flash sales. Target the term for a product going on sale and pre-load an early-access popup in the days beforehand.
Smart Search branch behavior
The Smart Search step evaluates a shopper's search history over a fixed 30-day lookback window and sends them down one of two branches. The table below explains when each branch runs.
Canvas branch | When the flow continues down this branch |
Has Searched | The shopper searched the selected term in your store within the last 30 days. |
Has Not Searched | The shopper did not search the selected term within the last 30 days. A shopper with no search history at all always takes this branch. |
While you configure the step, the editor displays a preview of the logic you have built.
Search Term Targeting segments past searches, it does not react to a live search
Search Term Targeting segments shoppers who have searched a term in the past 30 days. It does not react to a search as it happens. The Smart Search rule is a targeting rule, not a trigger: it reads the search history a shopper has already built up and checks it when the flow runs for that shopper.
This distinction is the most common source of confusion with this rule, so it is worth being precise about what it means:
A shopper who searches your term right now does not immediately receive the flow. Submitting a search does not start a flow or advance a shopper through one.
The rule reads search history as it stands when the flow runs. A search performed after the flow has already evaluated for that shopper is not picked up until the flow runs again.
There is no way to trigger a Smart Flow at the moment a shopper searches. Smart Flows has no "shopper performed a search" event trigger, so an instant reaction to a search is not something you can build today.
What you build with this rule is the follow-up, not the immediate response. A shopper searches "Skincare" today, and on a later visit within the 30-day window the flow recognizes that search and shows them a Skincare popup offer. That delay is the intended behavior of the rule.
Do shoppers need to be logged in for search term targeting to work?
Shoppers do not need to be logged in for search term targeting to work. Rebuy recognizes the shopper through its own tracking cookie, which is set on their first visit and persists across later visits, so an anonymous shopper who searched your term still takes the Has Searched branch. When a shopper is logged into their Shopify account, Rebuy also passes their customer ID with the check, which gives it a second way to match their search history.
Because the match depends on Rebuy's tracking cookie, a shopper is treated as having no search history in these cases:
The shopper declined tracking. If your store's consent settings block Rebuy from tracking a shopper, Rebuy stores no identity for them and no searches are recorded, so they always take the Has Not Searched branch.
The shopper cleared their cookies, switched browsers, or switched devices. Searches recorded under the previous identity are not matched to the new one. A logged-in shopper may still match through their customer ID.
Search Term Targeting use cases
Search Term Targeting turns a shopper's search into the trigger for the rest of the flow. Common configurations include the following:
Abandoned search recovery. Target shoppers who searched a product term but did not purchase, and show them that product with a first-order discount.
Search to upsell pairing. A shopper who searched "wellness" sees a popup recommending your wellness best seller or a matching bundle.
Moving slower inventory. Pair a high-intent search term with a discount on a related lower-velocity product.
Category-specific promotions. Offer a discount only to shoppers who have shown interest in that category through search.
Competitor and comparison terms. When shoppers search generic category or competitor terms, surface messaging about your guarantee or review count.
Search Term Targeting limitations
The Smart Search targeting rule works within the following constraints:
One term per step. Each Smart Search step branches on a single term. To act on two terms, add a second Smart Search step further down the branch.
Exact term matching only. The rule matches the selected term exactly. Targeting "gift" does not match a shopper who searched "gift box" or "holiday gifts", so add a separate step for each phrasing you want to catch.
Fixed 30-day lookback. The window is 30 days and cannot be changed. There is no setting for a 7-day, 14-day, or 60-day window.
No frequency targeting. The rule checks whether a shopper searched the term, not how many times. You cannot target shoppers who searched a term three or more times.
Segments past searches, does not react to a live search. The rule checks the search history a shopper has already built up when the flow runs. Nothing fires at the moment a shopper submits a search, and Smart Flows has no search event trigger. See "Search Term Targeting segments past searches, it does not react to a live search" above.
Rebuy Smart Search only. Searches made through Shopify's native search, Algolia, or another search app are not visible to this rule.
Has Not Searched is also the fallback branch. If Rebuy cannot check a shopper's search history, whether because the shopper has no tracked identity or because the check does not complete, the shopper is sent down Has Not Searched. There is no separate error branch, so build the Has Not Searched path to be safe for shoppers you know nothing about rather than treating it as proof that a shopper did not search the term.
Troubleshooting Search Term Targeting
Why does the Smart Search targeting rule ask me to upgrade?
The Smart Search targeting rule shows an upgrade prompt when your store has the Smart Flows package but not the Rebuy Smart Search package. The rule needs Smart Search to supply your store's search data, so it cannot be configured without it. Select the upgrade option in the prompt to start a Smart Search trial, then return to your flow and add the rule.
Why is my Top Searches list empty?
An empty Top Searches list means Rebuy Smart Search has not recorded any searches for your store yet, and the panel displays "No top search terms found. Search data will appear once customers begin using site search." Confirm Smart Search is installed and live on your storefront, then allow time for shoppers to run searches. You can still build the flow in the meantime by typing a custom term into the Top Searches field.
Why can't Rebuy fetch my top search terms?
If the panel shows "Could not fetch top search terms. Try again or contact support.", Rebuy could not reach your Smart Search data when the panel loaded. Select Re-sync to try again. If the error repeats, contact Rebuy Support with your store URL and the name of the flow.
I searched the term on my own store and nothing happened. Is the rule broken?
Nothing happening right after you search is the expected behavior, not a broken rule. Search Term Targeting segments shoppers who have searched a term in the past 30 days, and it checks that history when the flow runs. It does not react to a search as you submit it, so the search you just performed does not produce an immediate popup, banner, or discount. To confirm the rule works, search the term, then run the flow again as that same shopper and check whether you now take the Has Searched branch.
Why isn't my flow triggering for shoppers who searched the term?
A flow that does not trigger for shoppers who searched your term usually comes down to one of the following:
You are expecting an instant reaction to the search. The rule segments past searches and evaluates when the flow runs, so nothing happens at the moment a shopper searches.
The term does not match exactly. The rule matches whole terms only, so "gift" never matches a shopper who searched "gift box". Check the exact wording, including plurals.
The search happened more than 30 days ago. Searches outside the 30-day lookback window no longer count.
The shopper searched somewhere other than Rebuy Smart Search. Searches through Shopify's native search or another search app are not recorded for this rule.
The flow is not live. Confirm the Live toggle is on and the flow has been saved since you added the step.