User Guide CS-Cart Algolia Search

CS-Cart Algolia Search helps store owners add fast and smart search to their CS-Cart store. It connects your store with Algolia to deliver real-time and accurate product results.

This improves product discovery and helps customers find what they need without delay. Faster search leads to better user experience and higher conversions.

Furthermore, with this add-on, the admin can easily control search behavior, effectively manage indexing, and seamlessly configure autocomplete suggestions directly from the backend.

In addition, these capabilities ensure that the search experience remains consistent and highly relevant for users.

Admins can set products per page, define suggestion limits, and manage indexing settings with ease.

Advanced indexing and queue management keep product data updated and search results accurate at all times.

Clear logs and manual reindex options help maintain smooth and reliable search performance.

Features

• Supports filtering by category, vendor, stock, and price.
• Admin can add Algolia Application ID and API keys from the backend.
• Supports instant search with real-time product results.
• Displays autocomplete suggestions with adjustable limits.
• Admin can control the number of products per search page.
• Supports batch indexing and automatic index on product save.
• Allows manual reindex and clear index from the admin panel.
• Includes index queue system with activity logs.

Installation

To install CS-Cart Algolia Search, follow these steps:

1. Go to Manage Add-ons, click on the gear drop-down, and select Manual Installation.

2. Select the zip File and click on Upload&install.

Add-on Configuration

After installation of the add-on, you will find CS-Cart Algolia Search in the list of the available add-ons.

Click on “settings” to enable, disable, install, or refresh.

How to Create an Algolia Account and Generate API Keys

Step 1: Create an Algolia Account

Go to the Algolia website and click on Sign Up.

Create your account using your email ID or Google account.

After registration, log in to your Algolia dashboard.

Step 2: Get Your API Credentials

After logging in, open your Algolia application dashboard.

In the left sidebar, go to the Overview section. There you will find the API section.

Click on API Keys, and you will see your Application ID and API Keys.

Copy the required credentials to connect them with your CS-Cart store.

Copy the required API keys.

The Admin API Key is used for indexing products.
The Search-Only API Key is used for frontend product search.

Settings Section of CS-Cart Algolia Search

Inside the General section, you need to configure the following fields:

• Application ID: Enter the Application ID copied from your Algolia dashboard.
• Admin API Key: Paste the Admin API Key. This key is used for product indexing and syncing store data with Algolia.
• Search API Key: Add the Search API Key. This key is responsible for displaying search results on the storefront.
• Index Prefix: The default value is cscart_. This prefix is added before index names to organize your store data properly in Algolia.

Frontend Settings

The Frontend tab controls how search works on your storefront.

• Enable Autocomplete: Turn this on to show search suggestions while customers type.
• Autocomplete Results Limit: Set how many suggestions appear in the dropdown (default is 10).
• Enable Instant Search: Activate real-time product results without page reload.
• Products per Page: Define how many products appear on the search results page (default is 20).

Indexing Settings

The Indexing tab lets you control how product data is synced with Algolia.

• Batch Size: Set how many products are indexed in one cycle (default is 1000).
• Index on Save: Enable this option to automatically update the index whenever a product is created or edited.
• Index Out of Stock Products: Turn this on if you want out-of-stock items to appear in search results.
• Index Disabled Products: Enable this option to include disabled products in the Algolia index if needed.

After entering all credentials, click Save to activate the integration.

Managing Algolia Search from Admin Panel

After configuring the add-on, go to:

Admin Panel → Website → Algolia Search

From this section, you can manage and monitor your search index directly.

• Reindex Products: Manually start product indexing anytime.
• Clear Index: Remove all indexed data from Algolia when needed.
• View Index Queue: Monitor pending indexing tasks.
• Check Logs: Track indexing activity and errors for better control.

Storefront Search Experience

On the storefront, when a customer starts typing the name of any listed product in the search bar, the system instantly displays related product suggestions based on the entered text.

As a result, the results appear in real time and update as the user continues typing, helping customers quickly find the most relevant products without reloading the page.

Once the user clicks on the search icon, the system displays a complete set of results powered by Algolia’s advanced search functionality.

Consequently, these results are intelligently ranked based on relevance, popularity, and user behavior, ensuring that customers see the most accurate matches for their query.

Moreover, this seamless transition from instant suggestions to a full results page enhances the overall search experience and makes product discovery faster and more efficient.

Support

For assistance with CS-Cart Algolia Search setup or customization, contact support@webkul.com or Webkul Support.

Discover more powerful CS-Cart extensions to enhance your store’s functionality!