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This article explains how search results are sorted based on the selected Sort By option, along with how boosting, bury rules, and pricing limitations impact the final result order.
Overview
Search result ordering is determined by the Sort By option selected by the user. Each option applies a primary sorting rule, followed by secondary and tertiary sorting logic to ensure consistent and predictable results.
Primary Sorting Logic (First-Level Sort)
When a Sort By option is selected, search results are sorted according to the following rules:
Default Sort
Results are sorted by Category Display Order (Ascending)
Highest Rating
Sorts products based on Product Rating
Most Review
Sorts products by Star Ratings
Price, High to Low
Sorts products by indexed default store price list pricing in descending order (option is hidden when the "Display Pricing and SEO Details of Products From Index" is Disabled)
Price, Low to High
Sorts products by indexed default store price list pricing in ascending order (option is hidden when the "Display Pricing and SEO Details of Products From Index" is Disabled)
Sort by: Name, A to Z
Sorts products by Product Name (Ascending)
Sort by: Name, Z to A
Sorts products by Product Name (Descending)
Out of Stock
Sort sequence:
- Out of Stock
- In Stock
- Backorder
In Stock
Sort sequence:
- In Stock
- Out of Stock
- Backorder
Sort by: Most Popular
Sorts products by Most Popular (Descending)
Note: Cache flush is required for the latest popularity data and product sorting order to be fully reflected on the storefront. Until the process is completed, recently updated popularity metrics may not appear accurately.
Secondary Sorting Logic
When multiple products share the same primary sort value:
- Products are sorted by Product Name (Ascending)
This ensures consistent and user-friendly ordering.
Boosting and Bury Rules
When No Unique Sort Is Selected and No Boosting Is Configured
Boosting is automatically applied to products where the search term:
- Matches completely, or
- Appears as a prefix in any searchable field
When Boost and Bury Rules Are Configured
- Boost and bury rules are applied to assign boost values
Products are then sorted using the following priority:
- Boost/Bury value
- Category Display Order (Ascending)
- Product Name (Ascending)
Pricing-Based Sorting – Important Notes
Price sorting in search results is dependent on the default store price list, where prices are the same for all customers. These prices are added to the search index during publish, allowing the system to reliably sort products by Price: Low to High or High to Low while keeping search fast and performant.
Unsupported Pricing Models
Price sorting is not supported for the following live pricing models:
- Real-time pricing
- Profile-based pricing
- Account-based pricing
- Any other pricing dynamically resolved at runtime
Summary
Search result sorting follows a structured, multi-level approach:
- User-selected Sort By option
- Product Name (for ties)
- Boosting and bury logic (when applicable)
Price sorting is limited to indexed default pricing to maintain optimal search performance.