There are four routes: embed a hosted search widget with a script tag, install a search app from your platform's app store, enable your CMS or ecommerce platform's built-in search, or build your own on a search engine like Typesense or Elasticsearch. A widget takes minutes; a custom build takes weeks.
Every implementation is a variation on one of these, and the differences are mostly about who owns indexing and ranking.
| Route | Effort | You own | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Embedded widget / script | Minutes | Nothing | Least control over design and ranking |
| Platform app (Shopify, WordPress…) | Under an hour | Configuration | Bounded by the platform's data model |
| Hosted search platform + API | Days | UI and integration | Ongoing subscription |
| Self-hosted engine | Weeks | Everything | Permanent maintenance |
What gets indexed is the first decision and the one most often made by accident. Products only is the default in ecommerce and the reason so many stores return nothing for policy and order questions.
How the index stays fresh is the second. Webhooks or scheduled syncs both work; no strategy at all works until the first price change.
Where results appear is the third. An overlay keeps the visitor in place and generally outperforms a full page navigation, particularly on mobile.
Put the search bar in the header on every page, visible rather than hidden behind an icon. Trigger suggestions from the second character. Show a results overlay rather than navigating away. Log every query from day one — you will need that log more than any configuration option.