Switch search engines without losing your tuning
If you're on Algolia, Doofinder or another search SaaS, we carry over synonyms and rules, compare results on your real queries and only switch once they match. Until then, your current search keeps running.
What you need to bring from one search engine to the next
Search that has been tuned for years carries a lot of decisions. These are the ones we move, and how.
Synonyms
Algolia exports them as JSON or CSV from the dashboard or the API; Doofinder, as CSV. We review them before importing: some aren't needed because AgentSearch already handles typos, and others add noise.
- One-way, for misspellings
- Equivalent, for interchangeable words
Rules and pinned results
Rules that pin or hide products become curations: per store, with exact, contains, starts-with or regex matching, and dates for campaigns. Rules relying on features we don't have, such as redirects or banners, are listed for you beforehand.
- Pin products to the top in the order you choose
- Hide products for a specific query
Search history
The history in your current dashboard can't be imported as is. We export whatever your tool allows and use it to seed synonyms from zero-result searches and to set the baseline we compare against later. From switch-over day, every search, click and order is stored in your database.
- Starting zero-result rate and CTR
- The query list for the side-by-side comparison
AI spending has a cap
Algolia bills by search requests and records, Doofinder by requests per month, and a search box that queries on every keystroke generates plenty. In AgentSearch the AI part has a configurable daily cap, so a traffic spike does not blow up model usage.
- Configurable daily cap on AI spending
AgentSearch, Algolia and Doofinder: what each does best
All three handle search for an online store, but they don't compete on the same things. Pricing and plans are taken from each vendor's public pages as of September 2026.
| Algolia | Doofinder | AgentSearch | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | API-first SaaS aimed at development teams | SaaS with a ready-to-install search layer | A service we deploy and maintain, on your server or ours |
| Pricing model | Search requests and records; the Elevate plan comes with an annual contract | Plans by monthly requests (searches from the third keystroke, indexing and API) | Agreed with each store; AI has a daily cap |
| Installation | Shopify app and InstantSearch libraries; development work elsewhere | Plugins for Shopify, PrestaShop, WooCommerce, Magento and other platforms | We do it: Shopify, PrestaShop, custom or ERP |
| Semantic search | AI synonyms and ranking on Grow Plus; NeuralSearch on Elevate | AI search included on every plan | BM25 + embeddings, with the balance set per store |
| What you manage yourself | Rules, A/B testing and analytics in a very complete dashboard | Banners, redirects and custom results from its panel, no coding needed | Synonyms, curations and analytics; relevance, with us |
| Personalization | Recommendations and personalization depending on plan | Recommendations on every plan; 1:1 personalization and visual search on Advanced | No per-customer personalization; similar products by text or image |
| Where the data lives | Algolia's cloud | Doofinder's cloud | Events in your database |
Algolia is the solid choice if you have developers and want to build the experience on top of an API, with A/B testing and personalization. With large catalogs and heavy traffic, the bill grows with requests.
Doofinder suits small and mid-sized stores that want to install a plugin and move on. For a standard catalog it's hard to beat on price and time to launch.
AgentSearch makes sense when the catalog isn't standard: tens of thousands of SKUs, part-number searches where a near match is the wrong part, several stores on one catalog, or data in an ERP with no API. If none of that applies to you, you probably don't need us.
What a real migration looks like
First we audit what you have: fields and their weights, synonyms, rules, facets and what your tool lets you export. That produces the test query list: top searches, the ones failing today and the ones your team knows must come out a certain way.
Then we set AgentSearch up alongside your current engine and run those queries against both. Differences are reviewed one by one: some are improvements, others are rules that got lost along the way. The key queries become an automated regression test that runs after every change; on one deployment we started with 11 cases.
The switch means replacing the script in the theme, with a theme backup saved beforehand. Rolling back means restoring that backup.
A warning from experience: when we installed AgentSearch, the script of another search tool the store had tested was still loaded in the theme, and the two fought over the same search box. Before switching, check that nothing from the previous engine is left in the theme.
From your current search engine to AgentSearch
Your store is never left without search: the current engine stays live until switch-over day.
We audit your search
Fields, synonyms, rules and what can be exported
We carry over and tune
Synonyms and curations reviewed, not copied blindly
We compare side by side
Your real queries run against both engines
We switch with a backup
Theme backed up so you can roll back
Common questions about switching search engines
Is AgentSearch an alternative to Algolia?
For stores with large or technical catalogs, yes. Not for everyone: if you need A/B testing or per-customer personalization, Algolia covers that today and AgentSearch doesn't. AgentSearch fits catalogs with part numbers, several stores or data in an ERP, for a flat fee.
And compared with Doofinder?
Doofinder installs as a plugin on Shopify, PrestaShop or WooCommerce and covers a standard catalog well. We integrate AgentSearch for you, and it pays off when you need rules specific to your business, such as strict part-number search, per-store stock or replacement products.
Will I lose my synonyms and rules when migrating?
Not if they can be exported. Algolia lets you export synonyms and rules as JSON from the dashboard or through the API, and Doofinder exports synonyms as CSV. Pinned and hidden results become curations. Anything with no equivalent in AgentSearch, such as redirects or per-query banners, is listed before we start so you can decide.
How long does a migration take?
Mostly it depends on the catalog and on how many rules need reviewing. As a reference, the first deployment, covering 77,000 products and three Shopify stores, took four weeks from the first commit to the third store going live. With a small catalog and few rules it's considerably less.
Can I go back to my previous search engine?
Yes, as long as you keep that subscription: the switch is a script swap in the theme and we keep a backup of the theme. We recommend not cancelling your old service until you've had a couple of weeks on AgentSearch and compared the numbers.
Tell us which search engine you use today
We'll tell you what can be carried over, what has no equivalent and how much work it involves, before you commit to anything.