Getting started with VIBE

VIBE adds semantic and keyword search to your storefront.

After installation, complete these six setup screens:

Welcome: an unnumbered intro screen with the one choice we need from you
Plan: start your free trial and pick a plan
Sync: analyze and index your catalog so search is ready
Appearance: choose how quick search looks on your storefront
Enable: turn on the VIBE widget in your theme
Verify: check the app embed and finish setup

Step numbers: Welcome is unnumbered. The progress bar starts on Plan and shows five steps: 1 Plan, 2 Sync, 3 Appearance, 4 Enable, and 5 Verify.

You can move forward and back. From Sync onward, Need help? opens the in-app Help page.

1WelcomeSelect the theme, storefront access, and catalog preference.

2PlanApprove the Shopify-managed subscription and available features.

3Analyze and syncBuild the search profile and index eligible catalog records.

4AppearanceChoose quick-search and search-page presentation.

5EnableTurn on the app embed and add the Search Page block.

6VerifyTest exact, broad, typo, no-result, desktop, and mobile paths.

Requirement: Use an Online Store 2.0 theme that supports app embeds, such as Dawn.

Step 1: Welcome

The Welcome screen, with the theme, storefront access, and catalog-understanding choices.

Choose the theme VIBE should analyze. Then select Balanced, More visual, or More text for catalog understanding. If the storefront is password-protected, enter its password so VIBE can inspect the theme. Select Next.

VIBE analyzes the selected theme for compatible search surfaces and product cards. You can enable the app on another theme later, but native results depend on the analyzed theme.

This is an intro screen, so it has no progress badge and no Need help? link. By continuing, you also confirm you’ve read and agree to VIBE’s Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and Data Processing Addendum, which are linked from the onboarding flow. If a legal link is unavailable, email support@coi.se before continuing.

Step 2: Plan

This is step 1 on the in-app progress bar.

The Plan step, comparing the current VIBE plans, included sessions, features, and subscription actions.

Start the 7-day free trial and choose a plan:

Starter: 10,000 included monthly sessions and basic features.
Growth: 50,000 included monthly sessions, more merchandising rules, and advanced analytics.
Pro: 200,000 included monthly sessions, additional discovery features, and priority support.
Enterprise: 200,000 included monthly sessions, custom usage terms, and a dedicated contact.

Each plan card lists what’s included and shows a monthly price. Click Start free trial on the plan you want.

Shopify opens its subscription approval screen. Charges begin after the trial. You can change the plan later from Plan and billing.

Note: Plan approval requires a live (non-development) store. On a development store, the billing step shows a message instead of charging.

Note: The Plan screen does not show a Need help? link. If you need assistance here, open the in-app Help page directly.

Plan summary:

Capability	Starter	Growth	Pro	Enterprise
Monthly price	$149	$349	$799	$1,299
Included monthly sessions	10,000	50,000	200,000	200,000
Semantic search and autocomplete	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Explore mode	No	In search	Search + standalone block	Search + standalone block
Find similar and Tastes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Visual search and exact variant matching	No	No	Yes	Yes
Merchandising rules	3	15	30	Unlimited
Synonyms and redirects	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Analytics	Basic	Advanced	Advanced	Advanced
Multilingual storefront search	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Support	Standard	Standard	Priority	Dedicated contact

The VIBE admin and the widget’s bundled interface text are currently in English. Stores using multilingual search need matching widget translations for each additional storefront locale.

Step 3: Sync

This is step 2 on the in-app progress bar.

The Sync step, indexing the catalog with a live product count.

VIBE first analyzes the catalog to prepare the search profile, then starts a full product sync automatically.

During analysis, the page reports what VIBE is reviewing. If catalog analysis cannot finish, setup uses the selected default profile and you can analyze the catalog again later from Sync and Index.

During indexing, a progress bar shows the percentage and number of indexed products. The Next button is available after the active analysis or sync phase is no longer blocking setup. Indexing can continue in the background after you leave this step.

From this screen onward, a Need help? link appears next to the Next button if you get stuck.

After the initial sync, VIBE updates the index when products change in Shopify.

Step 4: Appearance

This is step 3 on the in-app progress bar.

The Appearance step, choosing quick-search behavior and the card style used on each search surface.

Choose the quick-search mode and the product-card style for the full search page. Quick search has three modes:

VIBE’s search box: uses VIBE’s complete quick-search interface and product cards.
VIBE’s search box with theme cards: keeps VIBE’s quick-search experience but renders products with your theme’s cards.
Theme’s search box: keeps your theme’s predictive-search surface and connects it to VIBE results.

For the full search page, choose either VIBE cards or theme cards.

All modes use VIBE search. Theme-based options are available only when the theme analysis finds a compatible surface. You can change these settings later under Appearance.

Step 5: Enable

This is step 4 on the in-app progress bar.

The Enable step, with the Theme Editor instructions and Open Theme Editor button.

Turn on VIBE in the live theme:

Click Open Theme Editor to open your Shopify Theme Editor (the VIBE app embed is pre-selected for you via a deep link).
Turn on the VIBE Search app embed under App embeds.
Click Save, return to the wizard, and click I’ve enabled it.

VIBE is not visible to shoppers until the app embed is enabled and the theme is saved.

For full details, including the two theme blocks VIBE provides, the optional VIBE search page, and how to turn the widget off, see Enable VIBE on your theme.

Step 6: Verify

This is step 5 (the last step) on the in-app progress bar.

The Verify step, checking the app embed and showing the actions available after setup.

Wait for VIBE to check the app embed, then select Verify and finish.

After verification, the page confirms that VIBE is live and shows these options:

Test your storefront search: try a few searches and see how filters and sliders update results.
Review analytics: watch how shoppers interact with search as activity comes in.
Adjust sliders and controls: update semantic controls for your catalog.
Explore customization settings: update styling and behavior from your VIBE admin.

A Go to my storefront button opens the live store for testing.

Run your first search

Once the widget is enabled, open your storefront and try it:

Click the search bar and type a natural-language query, such as “cozy winter jacket.”
Review the results. Semantic matches can appear even when the query does not match the product title.
If semantic sliders are shown (for example, a Modern to Classic control), drag one and review the updated results.
Apply a filter, such as a price range, to narrow the results further.
Click a product to confirm it opens the correct product page.

Try several queries. Storefront activity appears in Analytics after shoppers begin using search.

Next steps

Enable VIBE on your theme: full theme setup, the VIBE search page, and how to disable the widget.
Complete merchant guide: every admin area, storefront surface, and operating routine.
Quick search and suggestions: the three quick-search modes and the complete shopper interaction.
Full search results page: results, collections, filters, sorting, and mobile behavior.
Open the Appearance settings to adjust styling and product-card layout.
Open the Analytics page to track searches, top queries, and how shoppers use search.
For support, use Need help? from the Sync step onward, open the in-app Help page, or email support@coi.se.