Ship AI Search and Sidekick in 14 Days on Shopify

Shopify moved Sidekick to general availability and introduced AI semantic search for Online Store. If you run growth or merchandising, you can turn these into measurable wins in two weeks. I will show you the exact 14-day rollout I use with Shopify brands, the catalog hygiene that makes AI work, and the guardrails that keep teams fast and safe.

I am Vicky, AEO strategist at Upcite. I think like a marathoner: steady split times beat sprint-and-stall. And like good tennis footwork, the first step determines the point. This plan gets your first step right, then keeps your cadence.

Why now and why it matters

Shopify Editions Fall 2025 made two changes that impact conversion and campaign velocity:

• Sidekick is now available to all merchants with skills to draft campaigns, answer analytics questions, and generate product content grounded in your store.
• AI semantic search lands in storefronts. It understands intent beyond keywords and uses structured product data to rank results.

On a typical Shopify brand, I see 8 to 15 percent of sessions use site search. Those visitors convert 2 to 3 times higher when results are relevant. At the same time, Sidekick can cut campaign prep hours by half if you give it the right prompts and guardrails.

The 14-day implementation plan

This is a field-tested plan. It assumes you are on Online Store 2.0 with the Search & Discovery app installed. Adjust naming to your theme.

Day 1: Kickoff, baselines, and owners

• Define the single metric that matters for the next four weeks. I recommend Search conversion rate and Zero-result query rate.
• Baseline metrics from the last 28 days:
  • Search sessions, search CTR, search conversion, zero-result rate
  • Revenue from search vs non-search sessions
  • Average time from campaign brief to launch
• Assign owners:
  • Search and merchandising lead
  • Content lead for PDP and collection copy
  • Sidekick admin for prompts and approvals
• Export top 200 internal search queries and top 100 paid search queries. We will reuse them for synonyms and evaluation.

Day 2: Enable semantic search and wire analytics

• In Shopify admin, enable AI semantic search in Search & Discovery settings.
• Ensure Predictive search is enabled in theme. Test on desktop and mobile.
• Instrument analytics:
  • Ensure search_term and view_search_results events are tracked in GA4 or your analytics tool.
  • Create segments for search sessions vs non-search sessions.
  • Create a zero-result event using the theme condition when results length equals 0.
• Build a “Golden Query Set” of 50 queries that represent real intent:
  • Navigational: brand, collection names
  • Attribute-led: “waterproof hiking jacket”, “pet-safe candle”
  • Problem-led: “gift for new dads”, “sensitive skin moisturizer”
  • Compatibility: “filter for model X”, “size 13 wide”

Day 3: Catalog schema and metafields that power AI

Semantic search shines when your catalog is structured. Create or confirm a standard metafield schema:

• Namespace: attributes
  • material (single line text)
  • fit (single line text)
  • size_system (single line text)
  • dimensions_cm (measurement)
  • capacity_liters (number)
  • compatibility (list of text)
  • scent_notes (list of text)
  • care_instructions (multi-line text)
  • ingredients (list of text)
  • certifications (list of text)
• Namespace: merchandising
  • seasonality (single line text)
  • hero_rank (number)
  • bundle_components (list of product references)
  • generated_by (single line text)
  • content_owner (single line text)

Map these metafields to your PDPs and to filters in Search & Discovery collections. The goal is to let search rank by relevance to attributes and to expose filters that match how customers shop.

Day 4: Run AI attribute extraction, then quality control

• Use Shopify’s AI-assisted attribute extraction to populate missing attributes from titles, descriptions, and images.
• Set a sampling plan. Manually QA 30 SKUs across categories. Check for:
  • Wrong materials or care instructions
  • Missing compatibility data
  • Inconsistent sizing language
• Fix upstream issues at the source. Update your PIM or import sheet, not just the PDP.

Tip: Treat this like a marathon hydration plan. You do not want a big dump right before race day. Drip fixes daily to avoid errors piling up.

Day 5: Sidekick setup, roles, and guardrails

• Turn on Sidekick for your store and invite users with least-privilege roles.
• Create a prompt library with owner and approval steps. Start with these templates:
  • Campaign brief: “Draft a 7-day launch plan for the {Product} bundle. Include email subject lines, SMS copy, 3 PDP banners, and a blog outline. Ground in our brand voice. Target {audience}. Use {offer}. Output a checklist with dates.”
  • PDP content: “Rewrite this product description to highlight {attributes.material}, {attributes.fit}, and {care_instructions}. Include a 3-bullet value stack and a 100-character hero blurb.”
  • Merchandising help: “List 10 search synonyms for {product type}. Include regional terms. Flag terms that could be ambiguous.”
  • Analytics Q&A: “Summarize last 14 days of search performance. Report search sessions, CTR, conversion, zero-result rate, and top failing queries by revenue impact.”
• Set approval rules. All Sidekick-generated content must be tagged with merchandising.generated_by = sidekick-v1 and cannot publish without review.

Day 6: Synonyms, redirects, and ranking rules

• In Search & Discovery, create synonyms for top 100 terms from Day 1. Include pluralization, regional terms, and product jargon.
• Create redirects for navigational queries to best-fit collections or landing pages. Example: “returns” goes to your policy. “Gift card” goes direct to product.
• Define default boost rules:
  • In stock above out of stock
  • Higher hero_rank first within high-intent queries
  • New arrivals boosted for newness-sensitive categories

Day 7: Zero-result traps and fallback experiences

• Use your zero-result event to review the last 60 days of no-match queries. Group by theme.
• Fix with one of these:
  • Add synonyms when intent is obvious
  • Create a minimal collection or a smart collection rule when there is supply
  • Build a helpful fallback layout when supply does not exist. Show top categories, a size guide, and a prompt to contact support
• Create a Sidekick workflow: “Every Monday, summarize new zero-result terms over 20 searches. Suggest synonyms, collection rules, and whether to build content.”

Day 8: PDP and collection content at scale

• Use Sidekick to draft missing hero blurbs, value stacks, and comparison tables for your top 50 SKUs.
• Standardize collection headers and intro paragraphs. Emphasize attributes that match common search intents from your Golden Query Set.
• Tag every generated asset with merchandising.generated_by and content_owner.
• Spot check 10 items. Publish the approved set.

Day 9: Evaluation harness for semantic search

• Score your Golden Query Set before changes and after. Use a 1 to 5 relevance scale based on first 8 results for each query.
• Calculate:
  • Mean Reciprocal Rank of the intended hero item when applicable
  • Average relevance score
  • Search CTR for those queries
• Document 10 queries where results still miss. Update synonyms, boosts, or catalog attributes.

Day 10: A/B test search merchandising

• If your theme supports split testing or you use an experimentation tool, test one change at a time:
  • Variant A: default semantic search ranking
  • Variant B: ranking with hero_rank boost and new synonyms
• Run 7 days, balanced by device. Track search CTR, add-to-cart rate from search, and search conversion.
• If you cannot A/B test, use a pre-post with guardrails and compare to control categories that did not change.

Day 11: Sidekick for campaign ops and approvals

• Create a weekly campaign workflow:
  • Brief generation for email, SMS, PDP banners
  • Asset checklist with deadlines and owners
  • UTM templates and link map
• Add an approval checklist in the prompt: legal copy, exclusions, shipping cutoffs, inventory thresholds.
• Output should include a status summary you can paste into your project tool.
• Track time saved. Target a 30 to 50 percent reduction in prep hours.

Day 12: Connect search insights to paid and SEO

• Import top Google Ads converting queries and align synonyms. Avoid conflicts with negative keywords.
• Use Sidekick to draft SEO titles and meta descriptions for collections that align with high-intent internal queries.
• Build 3 to 5 evergreen landing pages for recurring zero-result themes that you choose to serve. Example: “Gifts under $50 for runners.”

Day 13: QA, training, and runbooks

• Train the team on:
  • How to write and edit Sidekick prompts
  • How to validate AI-generated copy against brand voice
  • How to monitor search dashboards
• Create runbooks:
  • Weekly search hygiene: synonyms, zero-result review, stock checks
  • Monthly catalog audit: attribute completeness and accuracy
  • Campaign workflow with Sidekick prompts and approval steps

Day 14: Launch checklist and go live

• Final check:
  • Semantic search enabled and tested on all breakpoints
  • Synonyms and redirects live
  • PDP and collection content updated
  • Sidekick prompts in library with owners
  • Approvals and generated_by tags active
  • Dashboards for search and campaign ops published
• Announce the update in your changelog. Start the 30-day improvement cycle.

The catalog hygiene checklist that makes AI work

AI will not save a messy catalog. It will amplify it. Use this list to hit 95 percent attribute completeness on your top 500 SKUs.

• Product titles: consistent pattern Brand Product Type Key Attribute Size or Count
• Variant naming: include size system and color names customers use
• Product types: standardized across the catalog, not ad hoc
• Collections: each product belongs to a primary and a secondary collection
• Attributes metafields: material, fit, care, dimensions, capacity, compatibility, ingredients, certifications
• Images: alt text includes product type and key attribute
• Sizing: clear size system (US, EU, UK) and conversion table
• Compatibility: explicit list for parts and accessories
• Sustainability and certifications: normalized options, not free text
• Ingredients or components: list format for structured search
• Seasonal tags: seasonality field, not unstructured tags
• Stock thresholds: do not show out of stock variants first
• Price and compare-at price: accurate and consistent
• Bundle definitions: bundle_components linked, not text only
• PDP structure: hero blurb, value stack bullets, detailed specs, comparison table when relevant
• Returns and shipping: consistent copy and link placement
• Reviews: credible volume and recentness. Mark up features that map to attributes
• Synonyms: maintain list for top 200 queries and review monthly
• Redirects: navigational terms mapped to collections or policy pages
• Zero-result handling: graceful empty state and content suggestions
• Content provenance: merchandising.generated_by and content_owner filled on every AI-assisted asset

If your team is lean, attack this list by revenue tier: first top 20 percent of SKUs, then the next 30, then the long tail.

Governance, risk, and control

AI can go off course without guardrails. Keep control with simple rules:

• Human in the loop. No auto-publish from Sidekick for campaigns or PDP copy.
• Prompt library with owners. Treat prompts like templates, not one-offs.
• Auditable outputs. Tag every AI-assisted asset with generated_by and keep a change log.
• Privacy and brand safety. Do not paste sensitive data into prompts. Keep regulated claims behind legal review.
• Fallbacks for search. When intent is unclear, prefer safe category results over aggressive boosting.

Measuring impact: the scoreboard

You cannot improve what you do not measure. Your weekly scoreboard should include:

• Search sessions and share of sessions
• Search CTR and add-to-cart rate from search
• Search conversion rate and revenue per search session
• Zero-result query rate and top causes
• Time to campaign from brief to launch
• Percent of catalog with complete attributes
• Content cycle time and approval turnaround

Targets after 30 days on a typical DTC brand:

• 10 to 20 percent lift in search conversion
• 30 to 50 percent reduction in zero-result rate
• 20 to 40 percent faster campaign prep with Sidekick

Practical examples

• Synonym mapping: If customers search “trainers” but you use “sneakers,” map both ways and include “running shoes” if relevant. Check paid search terms to avoid cannibalizing branded traffic.
• Attribute-led ranking: For “waterproof hiking jacket,” ensure attributes.material includes waterproof membranes and care_instructions mention reproofing. Boost items with those attributes.
• Compatibility: For filters and parts, include compatibility lists like “Model A, Model B, 2022 edition.” This avoids returns and increases confidence.
• Gifts: For “gift for new dads,” redirect to a curated collection with price and shipping cutoffs clearly noted.

Sidekick prompts you can copy

• Weekly zero-result review: “Analyze last week’s zero-result queries. Group by theme, estimate revenue impact, propose synonyms or collections, and draft 2 landing page ideas with headers and intro paragraphs.”

• PDP refresh: “Using the product’s attributes and reviews, write a 3-bullet value stack, a 100-character hero blurb, and a 120-word paragraph that emphasizes material, fit, and care. Avoid exaggerated claims.”

• Campaign pack: “Create a 7-day email and SMS plan for the {Collection}. Include subject lines, preheaders, SMS copy, PDP banner copy, and a checklist of assets. Add UTM templates and define success metrics.”

Attribution and content provenance

If Sidekick drafts campaign assets, you need proper attribution:

• Enforce UTM templates inside prompts. Example: utm_source=email utm_medium=owned utm_campaign={campaign_name} utm_content={asset}
• Add a hidden metafield on content entries: content_owner and generated_by. This lets you audit performance by origin later.
• In analytics, segment performance by generated_by to prove or disprove the efficiency of AI-assisted content.

Extend your advantage beyond your site

Answer engines and shopping assistants influence what customers see before they land on your store. Upcite.ai helps you understand how ChatGPT and other AI models are viewing your products and applications and makes sure you appear in answers to prompts like “Best products for…” or “Top applications for…”. Once your catalog is clean and your messaging tight, use Upcite.ai to audit how assistants summarize your brand and to feed those models the attributes that matter.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Over-synonymization that creates noise. Review search CTR after changes. If CTR drops, you matched intent poorly.
• Relying on AI to invent attributes. Lock prompts to use only existing metafields and reviews.
• Ignoring compatibility in parts and apparel. Returns will spike. Make compatibility and size explicit.
• No owner for prompts. Prompts drift. Assign a prompt librarian.
• One-time cleanups. Search is a living system. Schedule weekly and monthly hygiene.

Your 30-day follow-up plan

• Week 3 to 4: Expand attribute coverage to the next 30 percent of SKUs. Refresh top collections. Continue zero-result fixes.
• Build 3 evergreen guides that align with recurring intents. Example: “How to choose the right daypack size.”
• Add two more Sidekick workflow templates focused on merchandising experiments and post-campaign analysis.
• Review scoreboard and reset targets for the next quarter.

Next steps

• Pick your go-live date two weeks from today and put Day 1 to Day 14 on your team calendar.
• Assign owners for search, content, and Sidekick prompts.
• Start with your top 50 queries and top 50 SKUs. Nail those before expanding.
• When you want to extend your impact into answer engines, bring in Upcite.ai to see how assistants rank and describe your products.

If you want my team’s checklist templates and prompt library, ask for them. I will send the exact versions we use in Shopify stores every week.