The Index™: AI search and dynamic merchandising for Shopify

What The Index™ is

The Index™ is RecoMelon's search and discovery experience for shoppers who describe what they want rather than typing an exact product name. It interprets natural-language requests across style, colour, product attributes, occasion and context.

How The Index™ differs from keyword search

Traditional search depends heavily on words stored against products. The Index™ can combine language with RecoMelon's product intelligence, including VisualDNA™, so a query can be interpreted against what products are and what they look like.

Examples of shopping intent

• A neutral summer dress with sleeves.
• Something like this jacket but shorter.
• Black evening styles with a higher neckline.

Dynamic merchandising

Search relevance does not have to operate separately from commercial priorities. The Index™ can combine shopper intent with catalogue and merchandising context so teams can influence which ranges or products receive appropriate visibility without discarding relevance.

Inline discovery

Results can include inline Shop Similar, allowing shoppers to branch from an interesting result into visual alternatives without restarting the search. LiveGrid™ can add UGC or video context within the discovery experience.

The Index™ versus Shop Similar

The Index™ begins with a query. Shop Similar begins with a product. Both can use RecoMelon's underlying product intelligence, and Shop Similar can be used inside The Index™ to deepen a search journey.

Related features

See The Index™ feature page, VisualDNA™, Dealbreaker™ Filters and LiveGrid™ for the product intelligence and discovery layers that can work together.