Customers use your locator's main search bar to choose a place. The map moves to that place and shows locations by distance. Filters and sorting rules can change which results appear.
Open Design & settings → Search & filters in your dashboard to change these settings. Select Save Settings after making changes.
Start with your goal
| What you want customers to do | Settings to use |
|---|---|
| Find stores near a city or postcode | Suggestion types and search radius |
| Search within particular countries | Country restrictions |
| Find a store by its name | Location name suggestions |
| Narrow nearby results with a word | Keyword search bar |
| Find stores near their current position | GPS button |
| Open the locator with a search already entered | Pre-filled searches |
On this page
- Suggestion types
- Country restrictions
- Radius and distance units
- Radius options
- Location name suggestions
- Keyword search bar
- Placeholder text
- GPS button
- Pre-filled searches
- Check your search
Suggestion types
As customers type, the search bar suggests places from your map provider. This is called autocomplete.
To choose which kinds of places it suggests:
- Open Search & filters.
- Find Restrict Search Bar Suggestion Types.
- Select the types you want to show.
- Select Save Settings.
Options include addresses, postcodes, neighborhoods, cities, regions, and countries. Leave the selection empty to allow all types.
For a store locator, start with cities and postcodes. Add street addresses if customers need to search from an exact address.
Country restrictions
Country restrictions limit the places suggested in the search bar. For example, selecting France keeps suggestions for Paris within France.
- Find Restrict Search Bar Suggestions to Certain Countries in Search & filters.
- Select the countries you want to include.
- Select Save Settings.
Leave the selection empty for worldwide suggestions. This setting controls suggestions; it does not remove your stored locations.
Radius and distance units
The search radius is the distance from the searched place within which Storepoint looks for locations.
In Search & filters, find Radius & Limit Settings:
| Setting | What it changes | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Default Search Radius | Sets the starting search distance. | With miles selected, 25 searches within 25 miles. |
| Distance Unit | Shows miles, kilometers, or the unit local to each visitor. | Choose miles for a consistent distance unit across your locator. |
| Radius Options | Sets the distances customers can choose. | Offer 10, 25, and 50 miles. |
| Hide Distance/Radius Filter | Hides the distance dropdown. The search still uses its radius. | Keep a fixed starting distance without showing the control. |
| Focus Map on Nearest Locations | Sets how many nearby results the map initially zooms to show. | 3 focuses the map on the three nearest matching locations. |
| Limit Number of Results | Caps how many results the list shows. | 10 shows at most ten results. |
Zoom and result limits do different things. Focusing the map changes the view. A result limit reduces the number of results shown.
Show nearby locations with a wider search
Use this setup when you want a wider search area while initially focusing the map on a few nearby locations:
- Set Default Search Radius to a distance suitable for the areas your customers search.
- Set Focus Map on Nearest Locations to
3. - Leave Limit Number of Results blank if you do not want a result cap.
- Select Save Settings.
- Test a search near your locations and another farther away.
A search can still have no results if all locations are outside the radius or excluded by filters. Increasing the radius does not override filters.
Radius options
The default choices are 5, 10, 25, 50, and 100, using your selected distance unit.
- Open Search & filters → Radius & Limit Settings.
- Turn off Hide Distance/Radius Filter if it is enabled.
- Under Radius Options, select a suggested distance or enter a positive whole number.
- Remove unwanted distances with the × beside each value.
- Select Save Settings.
Leave the options empty to use the default distances.
Location name suggestions
Turn on Enable Keyword-Based Suggestions in Search & filters. Select Save Settings.
Customers can then type a location name and select it from the suggestions. The map moves to that location. Nearby results can also appear.
Keyword search bar
This adds a second search field. It narrows the results by name or other text.
The two search bars have different purposes:
- The main search bar chooses a place and finds nearby locations.
- The keyword search bar narrows the result list using a word or name.
For example, a customer can search for a postcode, then enter a store name in the keyword bar.
Turn on Enable Keyword Search Bar in Search & filters. Select Save Settings.
Placeholder text
Placeholder text is the hint inside an empty search bar. Use it to explain what customers can enter.
Enter a hint in Search Bar Placeholder Text, such as Search by city or postcode. Select Save Settings.
Leave the field blank to use the default hint.
GPS button
The GPS button uses the customer's device position to find nearby locations. The customer must allow location access.
Turn on Show GPS Location Button in Search & filters. Select Save Settings.
For location detection when the page opens, see Auto-Detect Location.
Pre-filling search via URL or external bar
You can send customers to your locator with a place or filter already selected:
- Create a pre-filled link for an email, advertisement, or website button.
- Add an external search bar to start a search from another page on your website.
Check your search
After saving settings, open Preview locator:
- Search near a location you know is in your list.
- Confirm that the expected location appears.
- Try any filters you offer to customers.
- Search farther away to check the radius and no-results behavior.
If a location is missing, check its published status, the search radius, and selected filters. Also check any result limit or Spotlight rules you use.
Set the message for empty results in Design & settings → No results. Contact us if results still differ from what you expect.
Related
- Filters & Tags: let customers choose products, services, or categories.
- Priority Sorting: place selected locations first.
- Update List as Map Moves: update results while customers browse the map.
- Spotlight: show locations or messages for particular searches.
- Locator settings reference: find individual settings.
- Search & Filter Overview: see how search, filters, and sorting work together.