Configure Commerce Search v3 controls
Commerce Search v3 in Optimizely Configured Commerce lets you configure search controls that influence your search results. After you implement Commerce Search v3, you should test the text searches and browse searches to see how the default search settings align with your needs. Start with the default search settings to establish a baseline. If adjustments are needed, you can customize the controls to tailor the search experience based on specific business goals or user behavior. Follow the steps to create or modify search configurations and controls.
You can create separate search configurations for each website and each language it supports. This helps you tailor search results to match local content, language, and user expectations. It also ensures that your site provides accurate and relevant results for every audience.
Canonical Filter
The Canonical Filter system setting interacts with Query Expansion controls. When Canonical Filter is enabled, the system passes Website, Language, and Restriction Group filters as canonical filters on each serving configuration request. This helps Query Expansion produce more accurate expanded results.
Canonical Filter is a special-purpose filter used only by the Query Expansion decision module to determine whether query expansion should trigger. The setting does not filter the final search results returned to the user.
The system uses the Canonical Filter setting to distinguish between:
- organically poor search results
- results intentionally narrowed by user-selected filters
Typically, the canonical filters match the base business filters, such as defaultVisibility=Show, so the system can evaluate the broader catalog view before user interactions are applied.
To enable Canonical Filter:
- Go to Administration > Settings.
- Set Configuring to Global Default.
- Go to Search settings.
- Enable Canonical Filter.
Default value: No
Use modified date for lookback
Control how long deactivated products remain in Retail Search results by choosing which date field drives the lookback window. The lookback window determines how far back the indexer looks when deciding whether to include a deactivated product in the search index.
- Go to Administration > Settings > Search > Google Cloud Retail Search.
- Toggle Use Modified Date for Lookback on or off. This setting works with Deactivated Products Lookback Days to determine the lookback period.
- On – The indexer uses the product ModifiedOn date to calculate the lookback window.
- Off – The indexer uses the DeactivateOn date to calculate the lookback window.
- Run a full search index rebuild after changing this setting to reindex deactivated products with the updated lookback logic.
Default value: On
Serving Configs
Serving Configs in Commerce Search v3 lets you create serving configurations. These configurations associate a machine learning model with one or more serving controls to drive the generation and customization of search results.
By default, Commerce uses the default_search serving configuration provided out of the box. You should associate any new serving controls with this default configuration to streamline configuration and maintain consistency.
Alternatively, you can create a serving config. When configuring a new serving config, record its Config ID and the website, as you need this to update the Serving Config ID field in the settings to activate it.
If your website supports multiple languages, create the Serving Config with same Config Id across all associated languages to ensure search functionality works as expected.
Create a serving config
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3 > Serving Configs > Create Serving Config.
- Add a Config Name.
- Add a Config Id.
- (Optional) Use Enable personalization to let Commerce Search v3 automatically apply personalized search ranking when it has sufficient user event data.
- Add the appropriate Serving Controls.
- Click Submit.
- Update Serving Config ID Search Settings. Go to Administration > Settings > Search > Select Website > Serving Config ID.
- Rebuild your search index and test the search.
Serving Controls
Serving Controls in Commerce Search v3 lets you create the following controls.
Boost/bury
Adjusts ranking by promoting or demoting specific products or categories.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Boost/Bury Controls as the Control Type. Choose a Trigger for the control to affect either searches or browsing categories.
When choosing Browse Categories as the Trigger, the Page Categories must use the > sign to separate different hierarchies. For example: Office Products > Computer Accessories > Computer Hardware.
- Add any Partial or Exact match query terms and any Applicable Time Ranges within which the control should be effective.
- Add a Rule and assign a Boost/Bury value.
The following are examples of simple and nested rule formats you can use in a Rule:
- attributes.size: ANY("Medium", "Large") AND attributes.packaging_Type: ANY("Box", "Pouch")
- (attributes.shape: ANY("Round") AND attributes.pattern: ANY("Solid")) OR attributes.length: ANY("Long")
- attributes.material: ANY("Cotton", "Polyster") AND brands: ANY("Gap")
- id: ANY("0004145f-12ff-49b5-8397-ae4600f468e2") // Lower case product guid.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Filters
Excludes results that do not meet specific criteria.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Filter Controls as the Control Type. Choose a Trigger for The control to affect either searches or browsing categories.
- Add any Partial or Exact match query terms and any Applicable Time Ranges within which the control should be effective.
- Add a Rule.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Redirects
Sends users to a specific page based on their query.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Redirect Controls as the Control Type. Choose a Trigger for the control to affect either searches or browsing categories.
- Add any Partial or Exact match query terms and any Applicable Time Ranges within which the control should be effective.
- Enter a URL for the Redirect Control.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Two-way synonyms
Adds related terms to broaden search results for a query.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Two-way Synonym Control as the Control Type. Choose Search as the Trigger.
- Add the Synonyms and any preferred Applicable Time Ranges.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
One-way synonyms
Adds alternate terms for specific queries without applying the reverse mapping.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select One-way Synonym Control as the Control Type. Choose Search as the Trigger.
- Add the Query Terms and Synonyms and any preferred Applicable Time Ranges.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with preferred Serving Config Id and test the search with this configuration.
Do not associate
Blocks certain terms from being linked in search when specific keywords are present.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Do not Associate Control as the Control Type. Choose Search as the Trigger.
- Add the Query Terms and Dissociated Terms and any preferred Applicable Time Ranges.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Ignore
Excludes designated terms from being factored into search queries.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Ignore Control as the Control Type. Choose Search as the Trigger.
- Add Ignore Terms and any preferred Applicable Time Ranges.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Replacements
Substitutes specific terms in the query with predefined alternatives.
- Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3.
- Click Serving Controls > Create Control. Add a Control Name and select Replacement Control as the Control Type. Choose Search as the Trigger.
- Add the Query Terms and Replacement Term and any preferred Applicable Time Ranges.
- Click Submit.
- Associate the new Serving Control with the Serving Config Id and test the search.
Attribute Controls
Attribute Controls in Commerce Search v3 impact the search and recommendations behavior across your site. You can configure behavior for product attributes. Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3 > Attribute Controls > Create Attribute.
You can edit the following information: (Note: Some of the below fields in certain System Attributes cannot be changed and will remain set to their default values.)
- Attribute Name
- Type
- Indexable
- Dynamic Faceting
- Searchable
- Retrievable
- Exact Match
Click Save when finished. Changes to Indexable, Searchable, and Retrievable apply immediately on your next catalog ingestion or within 12 hours or more. Changes to Dynamic Faceting and Exact Match apply within two days. Changes to Filterable only apply to filter tag generation for recommendations and take effect within 12 hours or more.
Rebuild your search index, then wait for the sync to complete before testing your search results.
Autocomplete Controls
Autocomplete Controls in Commerce Search v3 help you customize how search suggestions appear, making it easier for shoppers to find what they need as they type. Go to Marketing > Commerce Search v3 > Autocomplete Controls > Edit Settings.
You can edit the following:
- Matching Order
- Suggestion Count
- Minimum Length to Trigger
Click Save Settings when finished. Rebuild your search index and test the search.