September 05, 2023
Tyler Huff
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Relevance Models in SearchStax Studio are designed to improve the overall search experience by fine-tuning how Studio responds to search queries. Before diving into the configurations, set your goals. What defines a “relevant” result for your users? Whether you want to give higher priority to more recent content, content from a specific author, or those containing specific keywords, these goals will guide your customization.
Before you begin, review the available fields in your schema. Knowing the type of each field, whether it’s textual, numerical, or date, is essential as this understanding will guide the kind of rules and boosts you set up later.
Fields are usually categorized into two types:
Understanding the type of each field is crucial for setting up effective rules and boosts.
To access the Relevance Modeling features, you’ll either create a new model or modify an existing one. If you’re creating a new model, ensure you use a descriptive, unique name for easy identification later on.
Upon accessing the Relevance Model, you’ll find various tabs:
It’s crucial to know that these features are applied in a specific order: Global Filters come first, followed by Ranking, Rules, and finally Promotions.
The Search Fields Tab is essential for shaping your Relevance Model in Studio. It allows you to specify which fields Studio will scan when a search query is made.
To add a field, click its name in the list of available fields. To remove, click the ‘X’ next to the field name.
The Global Filters Tab in Studio lets you set universal constraints that influence all search queries.
Select a Search Field, input a Value, and then click the (+) button to add a filter. To delete a filter, click the corresponding ‘X’.
The Ranking Tab in Studio empowers you to fine-tune the relevance scores of search results. You have the flexibility to apply boosts based on specific search fields, field values, or even custom functions for more nuanced adjustments.
Boost by Function:
Adjust the sliders or directly enter values in input fields to set the boost multipliers. The higher the multiplier, the more prominently the result will appear in search listings.
The Rules Tab in Studio’s Model Details screen is a powerful feature that enables you to fine-tune the search experience for your users. By creating rules, you can modify the search results based on specific triggers or conditions.
There are four primary actions that a rule can take when a specific trigger is met. You can use these actions individually or in any combination:
To create a new rule, navigate to the Rules Tab and select the ‘Add Rule’ option. This will open up a form where you can specify the conditions and actions for the rule.
In this example, we’ll consider a simple use case where a user enters the query “Python”.
Promotions are one of the most powerful features you have at your disposal. It allows you to curate a list of search results and promote specific items to the top of the list, ensuring that the most critical or relevant information gains maximum visibility. This feature gives you control over the search experience, allowing you to guide your users to what matters most.
You can set up different types of promotions to customize the search experience:
To set up a promotion, go to the Promotions Tab and click on ‘Create’. This will prompt you to configure the promotion’s trigger and specify which items should be promoted.
The trigger for a promotion can be set up in one of two ways:
The choice between these two options depends on how broad or narrow you want the trigger to be. An exact match will be more restrictive but more targeted, while a “contains” condition will capture a broader set of queries.
With the Promotions Tab, you’re in the driver’s seat:
You can choose whether or not to disclose to users that an item has been promoted. For instance, each promoted result can optionally contain a special field value like [elevated]:true.
Once you have configured your Relevance Model, make sure to save your settings. If you’re ready to apply the changes, go ahead and publish the model.
How to Use: Use the ‘Save Draft’ and ‘Publish’ buttons at the bottom of the screen to finalize your settings.
This guide should cover all the necessary aspects of creating a well-tuned Relevance Model in SearchStax Studio. With these settings, you can significantly enhance the user search experience, ensuring that the most pertinent and useful results are presented to the end-user.
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