on-site search design patterns for e-commerce: schema structure, data driven ranking & more

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On-site search design patterns for e-commerce:schema structure, data driven ranking & more

Dr. Martin Loetzsch, Project A VenturesKrešimir Slugan, Contorion

https://goo.gl/xJr9Jshttp://project-a.github.io/on-site-search-design-patterns-for-e-commerce/

http://goo.gl/xJr9Js

http://project-a.github.io/on-site-search-design-patterns-for-e-commerce/

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2 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js


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A naive product centric approach

2 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Don’t do this!

{ "name": "Fäustel DIN6475 2000g Eschenstiel FORTIS", "staple-name": "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "description": "Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt geschweifter Eschenstiel mit ozeanblau lackiertem Handende. SP11968 SP11968", "preview_image": "faeustel-din6475-2000g-eschenstiel-fortis-21049292-0-JlHR5nOi-l.jpg", "categories": [ "Fäustel", "Handwerkzeug", "Hammer", "Fäustel" ], "final_gross_price": 1149, "final_net_price": 1003, "url": "/handwerkzeug/fortis-faeustel-mit-eschen-stiel-SP11968", "manufacturer": "Fortis", "hammer_weight": 2000}

‣ What are the attributes of your documents?

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‣ Huge complexity in schema design and query generation• Queries need to explicitly list the attributes they want to operate on

• Difficult to use the same attribute in different operations

• Whenever new attributes appear, the schema needs to be extended




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‣ Full potential of data is usually not used




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‣ Full potential of data is usually not used ‣ Your search shouldn’t need to know that there is such a thing as the weight of a hammer




{ "type": "staple", "search_result_data": { "sku": "SP11968", "name": "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "preview_image": "faeustel-din6475-2000g-eschenstiel-fortis-21049292-0-JlHR5nOi-l.jpg", "number_of_products": "4", "final_gross_price": "822", "final_net_price": "691", "base_gross_price": null, "base_price_unit": null, "url": "/handwerkzeug/fortis-faeustel-mit-eschen-stiel-SP11968" }, "search_data": [ { "full_text": " 21049289 4317784792714 04317784792714 Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt geschweifter Eschenstiel mit ozeanblau lackiertem Handende. SP11968 SP11968", "full_text_boosted": " Fortis Fäustel DIN6475 1000g Eschenstiel FORTIS 1000 Fäustel Handwerkzeug Hammer Fäustel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "string_facet": [ { "facet-name": "manufacturer", "facet-value": "Fortis" }, { "facet-name": "hammer_weight", "facet-value": "1000" } ], "number_facet": [ { "facet-name": "final_gross_price", "facet-value": 822 } ] }, { "full_text": " 21049290 4317784792721 04317784792721 Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt

Usage driven schema & document structure

‣ How do you want to use the attributes of your documents? ‣

3 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Do this!





search result rendering






full-text search


{ "type": "staple", "search_result_data": { "sku": "SP11968", "name": "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "preview_image": "faeustel-din6475-2000g-eschenstiel-fortis-21049292-0-JlHR5nOi-l.jpg", "number_of_products": "4", "final_gross_price": "822", "final_net_price": "691", "base_gross_price": null, "base_price_unit": null, "url": "/handwerkzeug/fortis-faeustel-mit-eschen-stiel-SP11968" }, "search_data": [ { "full_text": " 21049289 4317784792714 04317784792714 Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt geschweifter Eschenstiel mit ozeanblau lackiertem Handende. SP11968 SP11968", "full_text_boosted": " Fortis Fäustel DIN6475 1000g Eschenstiel FORTIS 1000 Fäustel Handwerkzeug Hammer Fäustel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "string_facet": [ { "facet-name": "manufacturer", "facet-value": "Fortis" }, { "facet-name": "hammer_weight", "facet-value": "1000" } ], "number_facet": [ { "facet-name": "final_gross_price", "facet-value": 822 } ] }, { "full_text": " 21049290 4317784792721 04317784792721 Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt geschweifter Eschenstiel mit ozeanblau lackiertem Handende. SP11968 SP11968", "full_text_boosted": " Fortis Fäustel DIN6475 1250g Eschenstiel FORTIS 1250 Fäustel Handwerkzeug Hammer Fäustel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel", "string_facet": [ { "facet-name": "manufacturer", "facet-value": "Fortis" },




faceted navigation

{ "facet-name": "hammer_weight", "facet-value": "2000" } ], "number_facet": [ { "facet-name": "final_gross_price", "facet-value": 1194 } ] } ], "completion_terms": [ "Fortis", "1000", "1250", "1500", "2000", "Fäustel", "Handwerkzeug", "Hammer", "Fäustel" ], "suggestion_terms": [ "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel" ], "number_sort": { "final_gross_price": 822 }, "string_sort": { "name": "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel" }, "scores": { "top_seller": 0.91, "pdp_impressions": 0.38, "sale_impressions_rate": 0.8, "data_quality": 0.87, "delivery_speed": 0.85, "random": 0.75, "stock": 1 }, "category": { "direct_parents": [ "bpka" ], "all_parents": [ "bost", "boum", "boun", "bpka" ], "paths": [




completion






spell-checking






static sorting






dynamic result ranking






‣ Analyse attributes differently depending on their use• Best representation for each use case

• Intelligence moves to importers


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Faceted navigation



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Faceted navigation


Facet counting


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Faceted navigation


Filtering


Faceted navigation: the standard way

‣ Put all filterable attributes in unanalyzed document field: ‣

5 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Does not scale to open-ended number of facets

"string_facets" : { "manufacturer": "Fortis", "hammer_weight": "2000", "hammer_color": "Red" }


Faceted navigation: the standard way

‣ Put all filterable attributes in unanalyzed document field: ‣

5 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Does not scale to open-ended number of facets

"string_facets" : { "manufacturer": "Fortis", "hammer_weight": "2000", "hammer_color": "Red" }

"aggregations": { "facet_manufacturer": { "terms": { "field": "string_facets.manufacturer" } }, "facet_hammer_weight": { "terms": { "field": "string_facets.hammer_weight" } }, "facet_hammer_color": { "terms": { "field": "string_facets.hammer_color" } } }

‣ Explicitly list all facets in the query:


! ‣

Generic faceted navigation

/ 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Nicely scales to thousands of facets

‣ Put facet names as values in documents:

"string_facets": [ { "facet-name": "manufacturer", "facet-value": "Fortis" }, { "facet-name": "hammer_weight", "facet-value": "2000" }, { "facet-name": "hammer_color", "facet-value": "Red" } ]

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! ‣





‣ Mark string_facets field as “nested” in document:

"string_facets": { "type": "nested", "properties": { "facet-name": { "type": "string", "index": "not_analyzed" }, "facet-value": { "type": "string", "index": "not_analyzed" } } }

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‣ Nested query with nested aggregation: "aggregations": { "agg_string_facet": { "nested": { "path": "string_facets" }, "aggregations": { "facet_name": { "terms": { "field": "string_facets.facet-name" }, "aggregations": { "facet_value": { "terms": { "field": "string_facets.facet-value" } } } } } } }!



6









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"filter": { "nested": { "path": "string_facets", "filter": { "bool": { "must": [ { "term": { "facets.facet-name": "hammer_weight" } }, { "terms": { "facets.facet-value": [ "2000" ] } } ] } } } } !

‣ Nested filter:









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"filter": { "nested": { "path": "string_facets", "filter": { "bool": { "must": [ { "term": { "facets.facet-name": "hammer_weight" } }, { "terms": { "facets.facet-value": [ "2000" ] } } ] } } } } !

‣ Nested filter:

‣ The front-end doesn’t need to know which facets exist


Full-text search

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Text analysis

‣ Pre-built Elasticsearch analyzers work, but won’t give the best user experience

8 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣ Invest time in in building proper text analysis chains


Text analysis



Stiel für Schonhammer 800g


Text analysis




Stiel für Schonhammer 800gWhitespace tokenizer


Text analysis





Stiel für Schonhammer 800g 800 gWord-delimiter filter


Text analysis






stiel für schonhammer 800g 800 gLowercase filter


Text analysis







stiel für schonhammer plastikhammer 800g 800 gSynonym filter


Text analysis








stiel für schonhammer schon hammer plastikhammer plastik hammer 800g 800 gDecompounder filter


Text analysis









stiel fur schonhammer schon hammer plastikhammer plastik hammer 800g 800 gGerman normalization filter


Text analysis









stiel fur schonhammer schon hammer plastikhammer plastik hammer 800g 800 gGerman normalization filter

stiel fur schonhamm scho hamm plastikhamm plastik hamm 800g 800 gGerman stemmer filter


Text relevance

‣ Split searchable text by importance in documents:

9 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣ Improve relevance by combining multiple analyzers

"full_text": "21049291 4317784792738 Fäustel DIN 6475 Stahlgeschmiedet, Kopf schwarz lackiert, Bahnen poliert, doppelt geschweifter Eschenstiel mit ozeanblau lackiertem Handende SP11968", "full_text_boosted": "Fortis Fäustel DIN6475 2000g Eschenstiel FORTIS 2000 Fäustel Handwerkzeug Hammer Fäustel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel"

Text relevance




"properties": { "full_text": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer", "fields": { "no-decompound": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer_no_decompound", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_decompound" }, "no-stem": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer_no_stem", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_stem" } } } }

‣ Apply multiple analyzers to full-text fields in mapping:


Text relevance




"properties": { "full_text": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer", "fields": { "no-decompound": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer_no_decompound", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_decompound" }, "no-stem": { "type": "string", "index_analyzer": "full_text_index_analyzer_no_stem", "search_analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_stem" } } } }

‣ Apply multiple analyzers to full-text fields in mapping:

"query": { "bool": { "must": [ { "multi_match": { "fields": [ "search_data.full_text_boosted^7", "search_data.full_text^2" ], "type": "cross_fields", "analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer", "query": "hammer" } } ], "should": [ { "multi_match": { "fields": [ "search_data.full_text_boosted.no-stem^7", "search_data.full_text.no-stem^2" ], "operator": "OR", "type": "cross_fields", "analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_stem", "query": "hammer" } }, { "multi_match": { "fields": [ "search_data.full_text_boosted.no-decompound^7", "search_data.full_text.no-decompound^2" ], "operator": "OR", "type": "cross_fields", "analyzer": "full_text_search_analyzer_no_decompound", "query": "hammer" } } ] } }

‣ Combine subqueries to get more relevant results


Data driven ranking


! ‣

‣Align formula with business goals


Data driven ranking


! ‣

Result order



Data driven ranking


! ‣ ‣ Add normalized scores to document that each reflect a heuristic what a “good” result is: "scores": { "top_seller": 0.91, "pdp_impressions": 0.38, "sale_impressions_rate": 0.68, "data_quality": 0.87, "delivery_speed": 0.85, "random": 0.75, "stock": 1 }

Result order


most scores left out due to their sensitive nature


Data driven ranking



‣ Concrete scores depend on business

Result order




Data driven ranking



‣ Concrete scores depend on business

"query": { "filtered": { "query": { "function_score": { "score_mode": "first", "boost_mode": "replace", "query": {}, "functions": [ { "script_score": { "script": " (1 + _score ** 0.5) * doc['scores.stock'].value * (0.1 * doc['scores.random'].value + 0.3 * doc['scores.top_seller'].value + 0.1 * doc['scores.pdp_impressions'].value + 0.2 * doc['scores.sale_impressions_rate'].value + 0.1 * doc['scores.data_quality'].value + 0.3 * doc['scores.delivery_speed'].value)" } } ] } } } }

‣ Combine scores through algebraic formula in query:

(actual weights replaced by random values)




‣ Example I: expected margin

Normalized, evenly-distributed scores I

11 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Look at the distribution of a measure across all products

-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

05000

10000

15000

20000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5+atan((x−0.1)0.05)π

computation of score expected_margin

# pr

oduc

ts

x = expected_margin

data from 2014





-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

05000

10000

15000

20000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5+atan((x−0.1)0.05)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = expected_margin

data from 2014

distribution of the expected margin across all products





-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

05000

10000

15000

20000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5+atan((x−0.1)0.05)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = expected_margin

data from 2014


score function





-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0

05000

10000

15000

20000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5+atan((x−0.1)0.05)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = expected_margin

data from 2014


mean

stdev

score function


‣ Example II: expected time of delivery

Normalized, evenly-distributed scores II

12 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Finding meaningful scores is a requirement for a good ranking

100 200 300 400

020000

40000

60000

80000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5−atan((x−48)12)π

computation of score delivery_speed

# pr

oduc

ts

x = delivery_time

data from 2014





100 200 300 400

020000

40000

60000

80000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5−atan((x−48)12)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = delivery_time

48 hours = neutral → 0.5

data from 2014





100 200 300 400

020000

40000

60000

80000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5−atan((x−48)12)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = delivery_time


60 hours = acceptable → 0.25

data from 2014





100 200 300 400

020000

40000

60000

80000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5−atan((x−48)12)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = delivery_time



bad

data from 2014





100 200 300 400

020000

40000

60000

80000

0.0

0.5

1.0

0.5−atan((x−48)12)π


# pr

oduc

ts

x = delivery_time


good


bad

data from 2014


Multi-term auto-completion

! ‣

13 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Allow users to drill down to results by combining multiple attributes



! ‣


"completion_terms": [ "Fortis", "1000", "1250", "1500", "2000", "Fäustel", "Handwerkzeug", "Hammer" ]

‣ Put all terms to complete on in document



! ‣




"completion_terms": { "type": "string", "analyzer": "completion_analyzer" }

‣ Leave terms more or less un-altered in mapping



! ‣




"completion_terms": { "type": "string", "analyzer": "completion_analyzer" }

‣ Leave terms more or less un-altered in mapping

"aggs": { "autocomplete": { "terms": { "field": "completion_terms", "size": 100 } } }

‣ Filter by input, aggregate by terms in query


Simple spelling suggestions

14 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Very easy to build, and customers expect it

! ‣




! ‣ "suggestion_terms": [ "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel" ]

‣ Put high quality suggestion terms in document:




! ‣

‣ Apply a simple analyzer that that splits text by whitespace and that lowercases it:

"suggestion_terms" : { "type" : "string", "analyzer" : "term_suggestion_analyzer", }

"suggestion_terms": [ "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel" ]





! ‣

‣ Apply a simple analyzer that that splits text by whitespace and that lowercases it:

"suggestion_terms" : { "type" : "string", "analyzer" : "term_suggestion_analyzer", }

"suggestion_terms": [ "Fortis Fäustel, mit Eschen-Stiel" ]


‣ Look for most similar term by distance in query: "suggest": { "spelling-suggestion": { "text": "hammmer", "term": { "field": "suggestion_terms", "size": 1 } } }


Personalization: dynamic pricing

‣ User specific discounts per product or category

15 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Scripts can be used for many other types of user specific personalisations

"query": { "script_fields": { "final_gross_price_discount": { "script": “ if (fixed_prices && fixed_prices[doc['sku'].value]) { return fixed_prices[doc['sku'].value] } if(!discounts) { return }; def discount = 0; for (String i : doc['discount_categories']) { if(discounts[i] && discounts[i].value > discount) { discount = discounts[i].value } } if (discount > 0 && doc['prices.discount_gross_price_level_' + discount].value) { return doc['prices.discount_gross_price_level_' + discount].value }", "params": { "discounts": { "47": 5, "453": 2, "305": 7 }, "fixed_prices": { "210417044": 9999, "128553": 100 } } } } }


Index pages, not products

‣ Usage driven schemas can be used for any kinds of searchable documents

‣

16 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Makes brands, categories, editorial content, etc. easily findable

{ "type": "cms-page", "search_result_data": { "id": "7", "title": "Versandkosten | contorion.de", "name": "Versandinformationen", "url": "/versandkosten" }, "search_data": { "full_text_boosted": [ "Versandinformationen" ], "full_text": [ "Die Versandkosten innerhalb Deutschlands betragen 5,95€ pro Bestellung. Ab einem Warenwert von 50 € liefert Contorion versandkostenfrei.Contorion.de liefert im Moment nur nach Deutschland." ] }}

Explicit attribute management

‣ Conscious decisions have to be made about how to use each attribute

‣ An explicit representation makes things more maintainable

17 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Bonus points for providing an UI

attribute full text full text boosted

string facet

number facet

completion terms

suggestion terms

search result data

description ✓ manufacturer ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓name ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓sku ✓ ✓hammer_weight ✓ ✓ ✓ hammer_handle_length ✓ ✓ hammer_handle_material ✓ ✓ ✓ preview_image ✓url ✓


Product management for search

‣ Best: concrete examples of how search should behave from a user perspective

18 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣ If I search for a hammer, I want to find a hammer

search term issue / expected result dev commentmakita i would expect standard power tools on top (e.g., drilling machine), not a

jacket & a laserEnhance WHF

akkuschrauber I would expect more search word suggestions, not just Akkuschrauber-Set PM: In specificationschleifscheibe no top sellers on top Add all categories, add popularity

score to category rankinglatt hammer should give back Latthammers first we might ne to recalibrate the

search a little bitblindnietwerkzeug only gives back products called “Blindnietwerkzeug” but no Blindnietzange

or Blindnietmutter-Handgerät and so onPlease add Tokens to list

bohrmaschine bosch

top categories should be the ones that actually have “Bohrmaschine” as it’s name, not Bohrständer and stuff

fixed

tiefenmesschieber customers missing an “s” don’t get any results for TiefenmesSschieber very hard to fixklopapier synonym for “Toilettenpapier” please create synonyms yourselfduebel doesn’t find products when “ä” is “ae” - that should happen for all umlaute fixedHandwaschpaste doesn’t find category bug


‣ Structure documents around the usage of attributes

‣ Index pages, not products


Conclusions






Conclusions




19 / 19https://goo.gl/xJr9Js‣Thank you !


Conclusions


on-site search design patterns for e-commerce: schema structure, data driven ranking & more

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