Sorting

1. Core Sorting Behaviour by Shopware Version

≤ Shopware 6.6.9

Area	Behaviour
Admin panel	• One unified sorting configuration covers both category listings and search results. • The Top Results (score) option is not visible/selectable.
Storefront	Category pages – Top Results is absent from the dropdown. Search results – Top Results is hard-coded as the default and visible in the dropdown.

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≥ Shopware 6.6.10

Area	Behaviour
Admin panel	• Sorting settings are split: one for categories, one for search. • Top Results appears only in Search sorting. • Top Results is still absent from Category sorting.
Storefront	Category pages – Top Results still not shown. Search results – Top Results remains hard-coded as default.

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2. What the Nosto Plugin Adds

Property	Value	Purpose
Label	Recommendation	Human-readable name
Key	nosto-recommendation	Technical identifier
Usage	May be set as default in both category and search pages	Personalised relevance-based sort

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3. Plugin Lifecycle & Fallback Logic

✔️ Install

• Adds Recommendation if it does not yet exist.

❌ Uninstall

• Removes Recommendation.

• Fallbacks if Recommendation was the default:

Shopware Version	Area(s)	Action
≤ 6.6.9	Unified config	Pick first active, unlocked option with highest priority
≥ 6.6.10	Category	Same as above
	Search	Use Top Results if present; otherwise first active, unlocked, highest-priority

🚫 Deactivate

• Marks Recommendation as inactive (active = 0).

• Applies the same fallback rules as Uninstall.

✔️ Activate

• Sets active = 1 for Recommendation without touching existing defaults.

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4. Storefront Visibility Logic

“Why don’t I see both Top Results and Recommendation?”

Only one relevance-based option is shown to avoid duplication.

Condition	Visible in Dropdown	Hidden
Top Results is default	Top Results	Recommendation
Recommendation is default	Recommendation	Top Results
Neither is default	Higher-priority option	Lower-priority option
Same priority, neither default	Recommendation	Top Results

Rule of thumb: Recommendation replaces Top Results when its priority is ≥ the priority of Top Results.

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If Nosto Services Are Inactive

Recommendation is suppressed in the storefront—but still remains configured in Admin. Customers then see whichever active option has the highest priority instead.

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5. Shopware Handling of Sortings Without Criteria

If a sorting option contains no criteria, Shopware runs the listing without an ORDER BY clause. MySQL then applies a nondeterministic order (effectively by ID). Shopware mitigates this by appending a fallback sort on product ID.

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6. Managing Sorting Options in the Backend

Changing Priority

1. Settings → Catalogue → Product Sorting

2. Drag options or adjust the Priority column.

Higher numbers = higher dropdown position. Avoid giving two options the exact same priority.

Creating a New Option

1. Click Add option.

   
2. Fill in Name, Technical name, set Active, and add criteria.

   
3. For each criterion define Order (ASC/DESC) and *Priority.

   

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7. Using a Custom Field as Sorting Criteria

1. Create the custom field in Shopware Backend → Settings → Custom fields and attach it to products.

   
2. Back in Product Sorting, pick the custom field from the Name dropdown.

   
3. In Settings → Extensions → Nosto, add the same custom field.

   
4. Run a Full Product Sync.

5. In the Nosto account: Product Experience Cloud → Search → Settings → Indexed fields → + Add attribute.

   
6. Save. Indexing runs every 6 hours—changes may take time to appear.