Search capabilities with Optimizely Graph
Optimizely CMS (SaaS) uses Optimizely Graph, a headless content delivery API that lets you query and search your content.
📘 Note The Optimizely Graph documentationOptimizely Graph documentation contains information on how to configure Optimizely Graph and get started.
If you are just getting started with GraphQL, see the official GraphQL documentation.
Query your content
Queries let you request specific data from the Optimizely servers, ensuring you retrieve only the information you need. You define which fields and relationships to include within a single query. Unlike traditional REST APIs, where you make multiple calls to different endpoints to fetch different data sets, GraphQL lets you request the data you need with a single query.
- Cyclic queriesCyclic queries – Although against the GraphQL spec, Optimizely Graph supports self-referential queries.
- Recursive queriesRecursive queries – You can traverse nested relationships by specifying query depth.
🚧 Important Optimizely Graph also has parent and child queries, but they are deprecated. Optimizely Graph has replaced them with _link and joins with linking. See the Other features of Optimizely Graph section.
Arguments
Arguments act as parameters to refine your GraphQL queries.
- LocaleLocale – Fetch content based on location.
- WhereWhere – Apply conditions to filter and search for values within your query.
- OrderbyOrderby – Sort the query results.
- SkipSkip – Omit a specific number of results.
- LimitLimit – Restrict the number of returned results.
- Filter IDsFilter IDs – Filter content items by their unique IDs (GUIDs).
- CursorCursor – Implement pagination of results.
Operators
Operators help refine queries based on field values. See OperatorsOperators in the Optimizely Graph documentation.
- match – Search for exact or near-exact matches.
- contains – Find values that contain a specific string.
- eq or noteq – Equals or not equals.
- gt, gte, lt, lte – Greater than, greater than or equal, less than, less than or equal.
- exist – Check for the presence of a field.
- startsWith or endsWith – Search by prefix or suffix.
- in or notIn – Match against a list of values.
- like – Pattern-based search.
Other features of Optimizely Graph
The following are available in Optimizely Graph to help you query your content:
- Inline fragmentsInline fragments – Retrieve common fields across different content types in a single query.
- SynonymsSynonyms – Expand keyword searches for better results.
- BoostingBoosting – Adjust ranking for relevance.
- Hit countHit count – Display the number of results returned.
- AutocompleteAutocomplete – Implement word completion in search inputs.
- Modified and deleted content itemsModified and deleted content items – Query updates to content items.
- Joins with linkingJoins with linking – Join data across content types and sources within a single query.
- Text extraction fieldText extraction field – Extract text from PDFs and images to enable searchability.
🚧 Important Stop wordsStop words are deprecated. Optimizely Graph previously used them for filtering out common words.
Search in CMS (SaaS)
Optimizely Graph provides powerful search capabilities that can be categorized into filtering, full-text search, and faceted search. Searching in CMS (SaaS) using Optimizely Graph retrieves content from Optimizely Graph based on specified query parameters. It lets you filter, rank, and refine content retrieval. It enables structured and efficient content discovery from the headless CMS.
Filter
Filtering lets you refine search results by applying conditions to specific fields.
- Exact filteringExact filtering – Filters content based on exact values.
- eq – Retrieve content where the field exactly matches a value.
- in – Match against multiple exact values.
- Partial filteringPartial filtering – Filters content based on string matching.
- startsWith – Match strings by prefix.
- endsWith – Match strings by suffix.
- Geo searchGeo search – Filters content based on geographical location.
- lat – Latitude.
- lon – Longitude.
- Logical connectorLogical connector – Filters content using Boolean connectors.
- _and – Combine multiple conditions.
- _or – Return results that match any condition.
- _not – Exclude specific results.
Full-text search
Full-text (lexical) searchFull-text (lexical) search lets you perform keyword-based searches across content text.
- match – Returns the most relevant results by applying text-matching techniques.
- contains – Matches phrases exactly.
- Fuzzy searchFuzzy search – Handles misspellings using the following:
- eq or notEq – Match or exclude exact terms.
- in or notIn – Match within a list.
- contains or match – Flexible keyword search.
- Semantic searchSemantic search – Goes beyond keyword matching by understanding the query's context and intent.
📘 Note Semantic search is an experimental feature and is subject to change.
- HighlightHighlight – Displays search result snippets containing the matched words.
Faceted search
Faceted searchFaceted search lets you refine results using structured filters based on the following:
- Attributes (for example, categories or tags).
- Date ranges.
- Pricing tiers.
Access the Search Management portal within the CMS (SaaS) UI
Note You must have the Optimizely Graph Administrator role to access the Search Management portal in CMS (SaaS).
Click Graph Portal in the CMS (SaaS) navigation bar to access the Search Management portalSearch Management portal, where you can monitor Graph search performance, curate pinned results, and configure synonyms for your Optimizely Graph instance.
This lets you manage your CMS (SaaS) and Optimizely Graph search settings together without switching to a separate application.