We’ve upgraded the product search system across Run Free Project stores to help your customers find products faster and more accurately. The new search experience uses smarter natural-language matching, improved ranking logic, and a powerful filtering system to surface the most relevant products first.
This update improves discoverability, reduces friction, and helps customers get to the right product with fewer clicks.
How Search Ranking Works
When a customer enters a search, each product is assigned a relevance score. Results are then sorted by total score (highest first), with newer products used as a secondary sort when scores are equal.
Search Term Matching (300–150 points per match)
The system searches across multiple product fields, including:
Product name
Brand name
SKU
Color
Product description
Meta fields
Scoring is weighted by term importance:
First two search terms: up to 300 points each
Additional terms: up to 150 points each
This means the order of words matters. For example, a search for “nike running shoes” will prioritize products with Nike in the brand or product name.
Automatic Boosts
Certain product attributes receive automatic ranking boosts:
Featured items: +200 points
On Sale items: +150 points
In Stock items: +150 points
Primary variant: +100 points
These boosts help highlight promoted, available, and actively merchandised products.
Search Suggestions & Smart Matching
Real-Time Search Suggestions
As customers type, the search overlay displays intelligent suggestions ranked by relevance:
Exact brand matches (highest priority)
Direct links to brand pages
Category matches
Links to category pages when the term matches exactly
Product name matches
Individual products shown in the dropdown
This helps customers navigate quickly without needing to complete a full search.
Built-In Synonym Support
The search system understands common variations and running-specific language, including:
Shoes = sneakers = footwear
Women’s = womens = wmns = ladies
Pants = tights = leggings
It also supports dozens of run-specialty terms such as:
neutral, stability, trail, racing flats, marathon gear, and more.
Filter System
Available Filters
Customers can refine results using filters such as:
Brand
Categories
Collections
Size
Width / Style
Price range
Gender (Mens, Womens, Unisex, Kids)
Color
Options (Ship to Me, Pickup In-Store, On Sale)
Filter Logic
Within a single filter: OR logic
Example: selecting multiple brands matches any selected brand
Between filters: AND logic
Example: brand + size + price must all match
Mobile Experience
On mobile devices, filters appear in a slide-in panel from the side.
As filters are selected, a live product count updates in real time so customers always know how many results match their criteria.
Why Product Data Quality Matters
Search can only surface products based on the data you provide.
The system matches customer keywords against:
Product names
Brand names
Category assignments
Collection tags
Product descriptions
Colors and SKUs
If products aren’t appearing in search results, review the following:
Product names
Are they descriptive and using terms customers would search for?
Categories
Are products assigned to the correct gender and category paths?
Collections
Use collections to group related items (e.g., Trail Running, Marathon Gear)
Descriptions
Add relevant keywords naturally (no keyword stuffing)
Naming consistency
Be consistent with terms like Men’s vs Mens (the system supports both, but clarity helps)
Update Timing
When you update product names, categories, or other product data, changes typically appear in search results within about 10 minutes.
The search index refreshes automatically, so updates are not instant—give the system a short window to reprocess your catalog.
Examples
Example 1
Product name: “Ghost 15”
❌ May not match searches like “Brooks running shoes”
Product name: “Brooks Ghost 15 Running Shoe”
✅ Matches multiple relevant searches
Example 2
Category: Footwear only
❌ Misses gender-specific or trail searches
Categories: Footwear > Mens Footwear > Mens Trail
✅ Matches more targeted searches
Key Takeaways
The system understands synonyms, but it can only find products based on how they’re named and categorized
The first words in a search matter most—place key terms early in product names
Categories are critical, especially for gender-based searches (e.g., womens running shoes)
Featured and on-sale products receive automatic ranking boosts
Mobile users benefit from a streamlined filter experience with live result counts
Product updates typically appear in search within 10 minutes after saving
Need Help?
Questions or want guidance on optimizing your product data for better search performance?
Contact Run Free Project Support—we’re happy to help you fine-tune your catalog for maximum visibility.