How to add voice search and image search to your online store
AlFinder adds a microphone and a camera to your store's search bar. Shoppers can tap the microphone and say what they want, or tap the camera and upload a photo to find products that look like it. Voice search has its own switch under Search › Customize the search Input, and image search comes with the Professional plan.
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- Search › Customize the search Input, and Search › Advanced Search Settings
- Image search is part of the Professional plan.
Why give shoppers more ways to search
Not every shopper wants to type. On a phone, long product names are slow to write, and switching keyboards between Arabic and English adds friction. Speaking a search is often quicker and easier.
Other shoppers know what an item looks like but not what it is called: a lamp they saw at a friend's house, an abaya design from a screenshot, or a pair of headphones in an ad. A photo lets them search without guessing the right words.
How voice search works
The shopper taps the microphone in the search bar and says what they are looking for. The words appear on screen as they speak, and the results follow, just like a typed search.
Voice search understands Arabic dialects and searches that mix Arabic and English, such as "شاحن ايفون سريع" or "عطر oud للرجال". Once spoken, it runs as a normal search, so the shopper gets the same results and filters as if they had typed it.
How image search works
The shopper taps the camera in the search bar and uploads a photo or a screenshot. Search then shows the products in your catalog that look most like it. In the video, a photo of a headset brings up gaming headsets.
The image search threshold, under Advanced Search Settings, sets how close a match must be, on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0. A higher value shows fewer, closer matches. A lower value shows more products, including looser look-alikes.
Image search compares the shopper's photo with your product images, so clear photos that show the product itself give the best matches.
Tips for getting the most from both
- Set the voice icon colors to match your theme, so the microphone looks like part of your store rather than an add-on.
- Try a few real searches on your phone after turning voice search on, in Arabic and in English.
- Test image search with a screenshot of one of your own products. If unrelated items appear, raise the threshold a little; if too few appear, lower it.
- Check Search Analytics to see how many of your searches are text, voice and image.
How to set it up
- 1In the dashboard, open Search, then Customize the search Input.
- 2Turn on Enable voice search.
- 3Choose the Voice search icon color and Voice search background color, then click Save changes.
- 4On the Professional plan, open Search, then Advanced Search Settings, and set the Image search threshold between 0.0 and 1.0. Click Save changes.
- 5Open your store on a phone and try a spoken search and a photo search.
Common questions
Which plan do I need for image search?
Image search is part of the Professional plan. Voice search is controlled by its own switch, Enable voice search, under Search › Customize the search Input.
Does voice search understand Arabic dialects?
Yes. It handles Arabic dialects as well as searches that mix Arabic and English in one sentence, which is common for brand and product names.
What image search threshold should I use?
The default is 0.7, which suits most stores. Test with a few photos: raise it if unrelated products appear, and lower it if good matches are missing.
I just moved to the Professional plan. When does image search start?
It switches on automatically when the plan becomes active, and your product images are then prepared for matching. On a large catalog this can take a while, so if results look thin at first, try again later.
