Result: one missing letter, zero results
41 of 41 measurable stores (100 %) showed no results at all for at least one typo, although the correctly spelled word found products. Across all word pairs, 55 of 56 searches with a typo (98 %) ended without a result.
Typical pairs from the test (store names withheld)
“firelace” 0 results, “fireplace” 945. “deraileur” 0, “derailleur” 900. “wholsale” 0, “wholesale” 419. “chiken” 0, “chicken” 14.
Stores with a search plugin were counted, not rated
14 stores in the sample use a search plugin or app instead of the default search, for example FiboSearch Pro, Advanced Woo Search, Algolia or Searchanise. We did not rate these, because the study is about the default WooCommerce search. Also excluded: stores without a visible search box, stores that refused our requests and stores whose result count could not be read reliably.
Method
Sample: 120 stores picked at random from public Store Leads lists of WooCommerce stores in UK towns and cities. We did not use client lists of agencies or of Grumeria.
Search words come from each store's public product catalogue (WooCommerce Store API): up to three words per store with at least six letters. For the typo, one letter in the middle of the word is left out, so “blanket” becomes “blaket”. Brand and place names were removed.
We queried the product search of the WooCommerce Store API, which uses the default WordPress search. Only pairs where the correctly spelled word found products were counted. One store at a time, at least 15 seconds between stores, read-only requests; stores with bot protection were skipped.
Limits: this is a snapshot with a small sample. A search plugin that changes only the search page and not the Store API can make a store look worse than it is; search plugins we detect on the home page are therefore excluded.
How to test your own store
The test takes five minutes and needs no tools. Use real words from your own range, not made-up examples.
- Write down five product words customers often search for.
- Type each one into your store's search box, correctly and with one letter missing.
- If you get 0 results, check whether the search ignores typos in general or only for this word.
- Then decide: add synonyms, install a search plugin or test a typo-tolerant search.
Using the figures
You may use the figures with the source “Grumeria typo study” and a link to this page. We do not publish store names.
Copy and paste (HTML)
<p>In the <a href="https://grumeria.com/guides/typo-study">Grumeria typo study</a> (November 2026), 41 of 41 UK WooCommerce stores returned 0 results when one letter of a product word was missing.</p>Frequently asked questions
How many stores were tested?
120 stores from public lists, of which 41 had a measurable default search. The rest used a search plugin, had no search box, refused requests or showed no readable result count.
Why only WooCommerce?
WooCommerce is the most common platform in our UK lists. Shopify was not tested: according to the Shopify Help Center, its online store search already handles typos.
What counts as a zero result?
The search with the typo showed 0 products, while the same word spelled correctly found at least one product.