The Product Search tab is where you manage your engine’s most powerful commercial feature: the multi-source shopping aggregator. This system allows you to bridge your site with global affiliate networks, turning every product search into a potential commission-earning event. Even in its current beta phase, the admin panel provides granular control over how data is fetched, merged, and stored.
1. Global Feature Control
Before configuring providers, you must use the Enable Product Search toggle to make the shopping vertical visible on your frontend. This allows you to keep the feature hidden while you are still inputting API credentials or testing feeds.
2. Managing Multi-Provider Logic
Your engine doesn’t just pick one store; it aggregates them. In the Product Providers Configuration, you can toggle four distinct sources and set independent “Results per page” for each:
- Amazon Associates API: Supports the latest Creators API (v2.2) and PA-API 5.0. (Limit: 1-10 results per search).
- AliExpress Affiliate API: Requires OAuth2 credentials to tap into the global Alibaba ecosystem. (Limit: 1-50 results per search).
- eBay Partner Network: Connects via the eBay Browse API. (Limit: 1-200 results per search).
- XML/RSS Feeds: A specialized section at the bottom of the tab allows you to add your own custom product feeds. This is ideal for smaller affiliate programs or direct merchant partnerships.
Beta Tip: The system automatically merges results from all active providers and sorts them by relevance. Your total results per page will be the combined sum of all enabled providers.
3. API Credential Administration
Each provider has a dedicated configuration sub-section. You will need to input your API Keys, Secret Keys, and Tracking IDs (e.g., your Amazon Associate Tag or eBay Campaign ID).
- Test Connections: Most sections include a “Test API Connection” button. Use this to verify your credentials before saving settings to avoid broken search results on the frontend.
- Sandbox Mode: For eBay, you can toggle the Sandbox Environment to test your integration without affecting live production data.
4. Performance & Cache Settings
Product APIs are notoriously “heavy.” To ensure your site remains fast and your API limits aren’t throttled, the Product Search Cache is essential:
- Thumbnail Localization: Enabling the cache tells the script to download product images directly to your server. This prevents “broken image” icons if a provider is slow or an item goes out of stock.
- Surgical Cache Life: Because product prices change frequently, you can set the cache duration. A shorter window of 5 to 30 days is recommended to keep data fresh for your users.
5. Debugging & Logs
If a specific provider isn’t returning results, enable Product Search Logging. This will record the raw API requests and responses in your Search Logs tab, allowing you to see exactly why a connection might be failing (e.g., an expired token or incorrect permission level).
Admin Note: Remember that while this is in beta, the database structure is already optimized for high-volume product data. Use the Cron Jobs tab to ensure your custom XML feeds are being parsed and updated on a regular schedule.