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Synonyms

Use synonyms when shoppers and your catalog use different words for the same product: sneaker vs shoe, hoodie vs sweatshirt, cellphone vs mobile phone. A synonym tells search to include products that match another term as well.

For the PrestaShop-specific dashboard workflow, see Synonyms (PrestaShop).

What a synonym is

Section titled “What a synonym is”

A synonym is a merchant-defined rule. It says: when a shopper searches for term A, also include products that match term B.

A synonym is not learned automatically from the catalog. It is an intentional business rule that you add because shoppers use a different word than the catalog does.

Synonyms are not typo correction. If the shopper types a misspelling, that is a typo problem, not a synonym problem.

When to use synonyms

Section titled “When to use synonyms”

Use a synonym when the issue is vocabulary mismatch:

  • The catalog uses formal language and shoppers use casual language, such as sneaker and shoe.
  • Two product lines use different words for the same thing, such as hoodie and sweatshirt.
  • Shoppers search in one language but the catalog uses another common term, such as cellphone and mobile phone.

Do not use a synonym for:

  • Misspellings. A misspelling is typo correction.
  • Ranking. Synonyms expand the set of returned products; they do not force one product to the top.
  • Redirects. Sending a query to a landing page is a separate navigation feature.

Direction: Unidirectional vs Bidirectional

Section titled “Direction: Unidirectional vs Bidirectional”

Every synonym row has a direction.

Unidirectional means A expands to B, but B does not expand back to A.

sneaker -> shoe

A query for sneaker also includes products that match shoe. A query for shoe stays focused on shoe.

Use Unidirectional when one term is narrower than the other. Shoppers who type the narrower term may accept the broader category, but shoppers who type the broader category should not be forced into the narrower one.

Bidirectional means A expands to B and B expands to A.

hoodie <-> sweatshirt

Use Bidirectional when the terms are interchangeable in your catalog.

Each side can contain more than one alternative. Enter the terms separated by commas; the admin presents saved values as chips so the group remains easy to scan.

How synonyms are applied

Section titled “How synonyms are applied”

Saved synonym rules are read by the search runtime when a query is processed. The shopper’s query is expanded according to the enabled rules, and search returns products that match the original term or the expanded term.

This has two practical consequences:

  • A synonym can change which products are returned for the next search request.
  • A synonym does not change product data, product fields, or the catalog index schema.

When changes take effect

Section titled “When changes take effect”

A saved synonym change is available immediately for new search requests. You do not need to run a catalog reindex after adding, editing, deleting, enabling, disabling, or changing the direction of a synonym row.

After saving a synonym change:

  1. Re-run the query in storefront preview or on the live storefront.
  2. If the same browser tab still shows an old response, refresh the page and run the query again.
  3. If the result still looks wrong, check the synonym row itself: status, direction, spelling, and whether the target products actually contain the target term.

When NOT to use a synonym

Section titled “When NOT to use a synonym”
If the issue is… Use… Why
Shoppers search for sneaker, catalog says shoe Synonym Both words are valid; the catalog and shopper vocabulary differ.
Shoppers search for sneaekr, catalog says sneaker Typo correction The shopper’s word is misspelled. A synonym would make you maintain typo lists by hand.
Shoppers search for boots and you want them to see sneakers too Synonym, only if the terms are intentionally interchangeable This is a business choice, not a language rule.
Shoppers search for boots and you want to send them to a landing page Query redirect That is navigation, not search expansion.

Risks: broad synonyms can create surprising results

Section titled “Risks: broad synonyms can create surprising results”

A synonym is powerful because search applies it exactly as configured. Common mistakes:

  • Too broad. shoe -> footwear, sock, slipper, sneaker, boot makes a shoe query return unrelated categories.
  • Wrong direction. A Bidirectional row where the broader term inherits the narrower term can flood results.
  • Old business terms. A row for a product line you no longer sell can keep expanding queries until you delete it.
  • Trying to rank with synonyms. If the right products are present but ordered poorly, adjust fields and priorities instead.

Keep each row narrow and test the shopper query that motivated the rule.

Before you rely on a synonym

Section titled “Before you rely on a synonym”

After saving, run the shopper query that motivated the change. For a Unidirectional synonym, also test the opposite direction so you can confirm that the broader term did not inherit the narrower one by accident.

Test one unrelated query too. This catches synonyms that are too broad before shoppers see unexpected categories in otherwise normal searches. If the synonym was created to hide a misspelling, delete it and fix the typo problem instead.

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