SHOPIFY APPWorks in your theme’s native search

Search Shopify SKUs without hyphens, dots, or spaces.

Termatch: SKU & Synonym Search

Shoppers type 221612 when the catalogue SKU is 221-612. Native Shopify search often returns nothing. Termatch matches dashes, dots, spaces, slashes, underscores, and case inside the search bar your theme already has. It does not replace that search.

In a study of 21 Shopify stores between 19 and 21 October 2026, 58 of 62 part-number searches found nothing when the dash, dot, or space was left out. Read how the study was run.

Listed on the Shopify App Store. 14-day free trial on Starter and Pro. No theme code to edit.

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See plans and features · Compare with MT: Search by SKU, Part Number

Illustrative example of the miss in the study: 221612 when the SKU is stored as 221-612.

Why native search misses

The same part number, different punctuation.

A trade customer has the code on an invoice and types it the way they always do, without the dash, dot, or space. The product is in stock. Search says it is not there.

221-612221612221.612221 612

Same part to a buyer. Not the same string to an index that keeps the punctuation. The study measured dashes, dots, and spaces. It did not, on its own, score letter case.

What Shopify documents

Partial SKU search starts at the beginning of the stored code

“A partial search matches the first 3–15 characters of a SKU… Characters from the middle or end of a code don’t match, unless they’re a complete segment that’s separated by hyphens, slashes, or spaces.”
Shopify Help Center, Search behavior in your online store

Shopify also says matching counts from the first character, with or without hyphens. The examples are prefixes of the stored code: for abc1-888-xl, prefixes such as abc1 or abc1-888 can match. That is not the same as typing the whole code with the dashes stripped. In the study, 221612 for a SKU stored as 221-612 usually returned nothing. The same pattern showed up with USM499 for US-M499, and 069D for 069-D.

For the dropdown, Shopify says product suggestions for a SKU or barcode are based on the code exactly as it was entered. Typo tolerance does not cover the SKU field. The fields listed for typo tolerance are title, description, product type, tags, variant title, and vendor.

Sources: Search behavior · Predictive search

What we measured

58 of 62 searches found nothing

Between 19 and 21 October 2026 we searched 21 Shopify stores that sell by part number, mostly UK plumbing, electrical, and car parts shops. For each one we took real codes from the store’s own catalogue and typed them without the dash, dot, or space the store uses.

58 of 62 searches found nothing. Every store had at least one miss. We used only the public search suggestions and the public results page. Stores in the write-up are anonymous.

Why Shopify search can’t find your SKUs

What Termatch does

Part-number matching inside the search you already have.

Termatch is a Shopify app for SKU, part-number, and synonym search. It keeps native theme search. It does not replace it with a new search page or widget.

The compact code is tagged

Termatch syncs the catalogue and tags each SKU, including a version without dashes, dots, or spaces. So 221612 has something to match.

A full code can open the product

On the results page, when a shopper presses Enter on a full code, Termatch opens the product directly. Matching ignores dashes, dots, spaces, slashes, underscores, and case.

The theme search stays put

No theme code to edit. Strict mode with exclusions keeps look-alikes off the results page. The search dropdown order is unchanged.

Synonym groups are yours to edit, unlimited on every plan, including an old list imported as CSV or TXT. It works on every Shopify plan, including Basic. Before uninstall, you can remove every tag the app added, in one click. Your own tags are not removed.

Limits, stated plainly: Termatch does not match an arbitrary slice from the middle of a code, and it does not match a code that only appears in the product title. It does not change the order of the search dropdown.

Termatch is for merchants who keep Shopify’s native search, especially UK plumbing, heating, electrical, auto parts, and dental or B2B catalogues with 500–20,000 SKUs. If the store already runs Searchanise, Boost, Klevu, or Algolia, this is the wrong tool.

Comparison

Termatch and MT: Search by SKU, Part Number.

MT: Search by SKU, Part Number is a Shopify app by Merchant Tools, already on the App Store, for SKU, barcode, and part-number search. The notes below are what that listing said on 2 November 2026, and what Termatch already states on its public site. This is a comparison for punctuation-tolerant part numbers, not a ranking of Shopify search apps.

Listing facts can change. Termatch facts match termatch.com and /llms.txt.
Topic	Termatch	MT: Search by SKU, Part Number
App Store	Listed on the Shopify App Store. Termatch listing. Install from the listing, or start a 14-day free trial from this page.	Listed by Merchant Tools. Shopify App Store listing.
Theme search	Keeps the theme’s own search. No replacement search page or widget to style. No theme code to edit.	The listing says it adds exact matching to your existing search bar, and that native search takes over if the app is down.
Punctuation and case	Ignores dashes, dots, spaces, slashes, underscores, and case. On the results page, an exact SKU can jump straight to the product. Does not match an arbitrary slice from the middle of a code.	The listing says partial references work, and that dashes, spaces, and case are ignored. It also says separators, spaces, and case are ignored.
Synonyms	Synonym groups you control. Unlimited on every plan. Import a CSV or TXT list.	The listing does not describe synonym groups.
Price	Starter $9/month or $90/year. Pro $19/month or $190/year. Pro adds full search analytics: top searches, no-result searches, and CSV export. 14-day free trial on Starter and Pro. Billed in USD by Shopify. No public free plan.	A free plan, then paid plans at $9/month and $15/month. The listing shows a 7-day free trial on the paid plans. Free is up to 500 indexed variants, $9/month up to 10,000, and $15/month up to 100,000.

The MT listing also describes barcode scanning with the phone camera, a log of searches with no result, and a quick order form on the $9/month plan. Termatch’s public pages do not claim those. Asking Termatch about a founding store is a note of interest, not a public free plan.

Questions

SKU search, punctuation, and which app to use.

How do I search a Shopify SKU without hyphens, dots, or spaces?

Search the compact code only if the store can match it. Native Shopify search often cannot. It can find a full SKU as stored, and a partial search from the start of that stored code, but typing the same code with the punctuation removed often returns nothing. Termatch tags the compact form and matches dashes, dots, spaces, slashes, underscores, and case, so 221612 can match a SKU stored as 221-612. It does not match an arbitrary slice from the middle of a code, or a code that only appears in the product title.

Why does Shopify search miss part numbers when the punctuation changes?

Shopify's help docs say a partial SKU search matches the first 3 to 15 characters, and that characters from the middle or end do not match unless they are a complete segment separated by hyphens, slashes, or spaces. Typo tolerance does not cover the SKU field. In a Termatch study of 21 stores between 19 and 21 October 2026, 58 of 62 searches found nothing when the dash, dot, or space was left out. That study did not score letter case on its own. Termatch also ignores case when it matches a code.

Does Termatch replace my theme's search?

No. Termatch keeps Shopify's native search and the search bar your theme already has. There is no replacement search page or widget to style, and no theme code to edit. An exact SKU can jump straight to the product. Strict mode and exclusions apply on the results page. Termatch does not change the order of the search dropdown.

What is the best Shopify app for part-number search?

No one app is the right search tool for every catalogue. For part numbers typed with different hyphens, dots, spaces, or case, compare tools that match the code and keep theme search. Termatch does that job and adds synonym groups you control. It is listed on the Shopify App Store (https://apps.shopify.com/termatch). Starter is $9/month (or $90/year) and Pro is $19/month (or $190/year), with a 14-day free trial, billed in USD by Shopify. There is no public free plan. MT: Search by SKU, Part Number by Merchant Tools is on the Shopify App Store (listing checked 2 November 2026). Its listing says dashes, spaces, and case are ignored, with a free plan and paid plans at $9 and $15 per month.

Can I install Termatch now?

Yes. Termatch is listed on the Shopify App Store (https://apps.shopify.com/termatch). Install from that listing, or start a 14-day free trial from this page. Shopify asks you to pick a store. There is no public free plan. A note on the support page about a founding store is interest only, not a public free plan.

Sources

Why Shopify search can’t find your SKUs (Termatch, 26 October 2026). 58 of 62 part-number searches on 21 stores found nothing when the dash, dot, or space was left out.
Shopify Help Center: Search behavior in your online store
Shopify Help Center: Predictive search
Shopify App Store: MT: Search by SKU, Part Number by Merchant Tools, as read on 2 November 2026.

Install Termatch from the Shopify App Store.

Termatch is listed on the Shopify App Store. Starter is $9/month and Pro is $19/month, each with a 14-day free trial, billed in USD by Shopify. There is no public free plan. Questions, or a note about a founding store, go to the support page. That note is not a public free plan.

Start 14-day free trial View on the App Store