Search configurations are sets of rules that affect the display of search result. When a site visitor issues a search query on the Commerce site, ATG platform components determine which search configuration to associate with the query, based on the visitor’s language and the user segments he or she is a member of. When ATG Search returns the results from the query, it applies the rules in the search configuration to those results.
As described in the Structuring the Search Configuration Tree and Administering Search Merchandising sections, an administrative user creates the folders that make up the search configuration tree. The merchandiser then creates search configurations to populate these folders. The ATG Merchandising UI includes a set of five tabs for defining the various settings that make up a search configuration. The following table lists these tabs and describes the kinds of settings specified in each one:
Tab | Task |
|---|---|
General | Specify the name of the search configuration and either the language or segment value (depending on the tree structure). |
Redirection | Define rules for redirecting to other pages rather than displaying search results. |
Property Prioritization | Specify the relative priority of different properties and their values for determining the ordering of search results. |
Result Exclusion | Define rules for excluding certain items from the search results. |
Result Positioning | Define rules for moving certain items higher on the list of search results. |
The settings are applied in the order listed in the table. So, for example, if product A gets moved to the top of the search results based on property prioritization, and then product B gets moved to the top based on result positioning, then product B will end up ahead of product A.
This chapter includes the following sections:
