What is federated search? One search for products, brands and content

Federated search means one search queries several sources at once and merges all results into a single list, ranked by relevance. In an online shop, that means your customers don’t just find products – they find categories, brands, landing pages and guides. With a single query.

Why a products-only search falls short

Customers type whatever is on their mind: a brand name, a product group, a question. A search that only knows the product catalog often has no answer – and returns zero results, even though the matching brand page, category page or buying guide already exists. Every zero-result page is a likely exit: the customer goes back to Google – and often ends up with a competitor.

How federated search works in OnFinds

OnFinds searches five sources at once and ranks all results in one list:

• Products – your catalog with prices and stock, at the centre as usual.
• Categories – ideal results for broad queries like “power tools”.
• Brands & manufacturers – brand searches lead straight to the brand page.
• Landing pages – buying guides, topic and campaign pages are found when the query matches.
• Blog & guides – helpful content appears next to the products and leads back into the buying journey.

An example

A customer searches for “cordless screwdriver”. Next to the matching products, the result list shows the category, the brand page, the buying guide “Which cordless screwdriver fits?” and a guide article. Wherever the customer is in their buying decision – one result fits.

What you get out of it

• Fewer zero results: even without a matching product, search finds a relevant page.
• More conversion: customers who find answers stay in your shop.
• Content becomes visible: the guides and landing pages you worked on appear right inside search.
• No extra upkeep: new content, brands and categories flow into the search index automatically.

Federated search is part of OnFinds and runs with JTL-Shop and Shopware – at a fixed monthly price, with no per-query billing. All details on the feature page: Federated Search. Or try it yourself: free 30-day trial.