OpenSearch:Top searches and hints

Top searches and hints are essential features of a complete search engine. They are often displayed in prominent positions in or near the search box and provide indispensable business value.

In a search engine, top searches and hints are provided to users in the first step of the search process. Better top searches and hints facilitate search optimization by reducing the difficulties in optimizing steps such as query analysis, sorting, and operational intervention. In addition, top searches and hints can be used with operational strategies to achieve business goals.

From the perspective of users, top searches and hints can meet the following requirements:

From the perspective of operators, top searches and hints can provide the following business value:

The top search list in the console and the top search recommendation interface have the following differences:

Usage notes

Create a top search or hint model

Create a top search or hint model by using the API or SDK

Management and Control SDK dependencies

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.aliyun</groupId>
    <artifactId>aliyun-java-sdk-opensearch</artifactId>
    <version>0.7.0</version>
</dependency>
<dependency>
    <groupId>com.aliyun</groupId>
    <artifactId>aliyun-java-sdk-core</artifactId>
    <version>4.5.0</version>
</dependency>

Demo for the SDK for Java

import com.aliyuncs.DefaultAcsClient;
import com.aliyuncs.IAcsClient;
import com.aliyuncs.exceptions.ClientException;
import com.aliyuncs.exceptions.ServerException;
import com.aliyuncs.http.FormatType;
import com.aliyuncs.http.HttpResponse;
import com.aliyuncs.opensearch.model.v20171225.*;
import com.aliyuncs.profile.DefaultProfile;
public class CreateModel {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        DefaultProfile profile = DefaultProfile.getProfile("cn-beijing", "<accessKeyId>", "<accessSecret>");
        IAcsClient client = new DefaultAcsClient(profile);
        CreateModelRequest request = new CreateModelRequest();
        request.setAppGroupIdentity("app_name");
 // The type parameter specifies the model type. A value of hot indicates the top search model. A value of hint indicates the hint model. The modelName parameter specifies the model name. You can enter a custom name that consists of digits, letters, and underscores (_). The name cannot contain only digits and can be up to 30 characters in length.
        String content = "{\"type\": \"hot\",\"name\": \"model_name\"}";
        request.setHttpContent(content.getBytes(), "UTF-8", FormatType.JSON);
        try {
            HttpResponse response = client.doAction(request);
            System.out.println(response.getHttpContentString());
        } catch (ServerException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        } catch (ClientException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Create a top search or hint model in the OpenSearch console

1. Log on to the OpenSearch console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Search Algorithm Center > Search Guidance. On the Search Guidance page, click Top Searches and Hints in the left-side pane. On the Top Searches and Hints page, click Create to create a top search or hint model.

2. Configure the Model Name and Filter Condition parameters, and select Top Search Model or Hint Model as Model Type. The Filter Condition parameter is optional.

3. On the Top Searches and Hints page, find the created model in the Pending Training state and click Train in the Actions column.4. After the training is complete, preview top search or hint effects.

Preview top search effects

Preview hint effects

Usage notes

Introduction to the Top Searches and Hints page

Top search or hint model list

On the Top Searches and Hints page, you can view the following information about each model in the model list: model name, model type, creation time, model status, start time of the last training, and status of the latest version. You can perform various operations on the models in the Actions column. You can specify a model as the default model based on your business requirements. If no model name is specified in the parameters, the default model is used.

Details page of a top search or hint model

In the Basic Information section, you can view the basic information about the top search or hint model, including the creation time, model status, start time of the last training, and status of the latest version. In the Training History section, you can view the following information about each historical training record: model version, version status, training start time, and training end time. A model training may succeed or fail.

Troubleshoot a failed training

On the model details page, move the pointer over Exception Report to view the cause of the failed training, and move the pointer over View Conditions for Integrity Level Upgrade to view the conditions for integrity level upgrade.

Custom settings

Blacklist and whitelist configurations: You can configure a blacklist and whitelist for a model based on your business requirements. To configure a blacklist and whitelist, click Configure in the Configuration Information section of the model details page. For more information, see Blacklists and whitelists.

Obtain the top searches and hints by using the API or SDK

After the top search and hint features are integrated into your product, you can obtain the recommended top searches and hints by calling API operations or using the SDK. For more information about the API operations, see the API document. For more information about how to use the SDK, see the following SDK demo code.

By default, 10 top searches and 3 hints are returned. The hints can be displayed in the search box in turn.

Usage notes

Traffic SDK dependencies

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.aliyun.opensearch</groupId>
    <artifactId>aliyun-sdk-opensearch</artifactId>
    <version>3.5.0</version>
</dependency>

Demo for the SDK for Java

import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Map;
import com.alibaba.fastjson.JSON;
import com.aliyun.opensearch.OpenSearchClient;
import com.aliyun.opensearch.sdk.generated.OpenSearch;
import com.aliyun.opensearch.sdk.generated.commons.OpenSearchClientException;
public class Hot {
    private static final String accesskey = "Your AccessKey ID";
    private static final String secret = "Your AccessKey secret";
    private static final String host = "The endpoint of the OpenSearch API, such as http://opensearch-cn-hangzhou.aliyuncs.com";
    private static final String appName = "The name of your OpenSearch application";
    private static final String HOT_API_PATH = "/apps/{app_name}/actions/hot";
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        OpenSearch openSearch = new OpenSearch(accesskey, secret, host);
        // Create OpenSearchClient
        OpenSearchClient client = new OpenSearchClient(openSearch);
        String requestPath = HOT_API_PATH.replaceAll(("\\{app_name\\}"), appName);
        Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<>();
        params.put("model_name", "your_model_name");// Specify the model name.
        params.put("hit", "20");// Specify the number of top searches that you want to obtain.
        try {
            String response = client.call(requestPath, params, OpenSearchClient.METHOD_GET);
            System.out.println(JSON.toJSONString(response));
        } catch (OpenSearchClientException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Model optimization

User behavioral data

The top searches and hints that are generated based on statistics collected from search logs can meet the requirements at the initial use of the top search and hint features. After the features are put into use, we recommend that you associate user behavioral data with top searches and hints. The system collects user behavioral data, including the from_request_id and user_id parameters. The user behavioral data can be used to further optimize the models. The user behavioral data has the following benefits:

Search traffic guided by top searches and hints

When you obtain top searches or hints by calling an API operation or using the SDK, the system returns the request_id parameter that contains an ID. The ID uniquely identifies the request. When a user clicks a top search or hint in your product, the system initiates a search request based on the top search or hint. You can allow the system to configure the from_request_id parameter in the search request to the value of the request_id parameter. This way, the user click behavior is associated with top searches and hints. After the system collects statistics from search logs and user behavioral data, you can view the metrics of search traffic guided by top searches and hints in business operation reports. If the user_id parameter is configured in search requests, you can also view the UV metric of search traffic guided by top searches and hints in business operation reports.

Usage notes

View business operation reports in the OpenSearch console

Business operation report for top searches

Log on to the OpenSearch console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Report Statistics > Top Search Report in the left-side navigation pane to view the business operation report for top searches.

Business operation report for hints

Log on to the OpenSearch console. In the left-side navigation pane, choose Report Statistics > Hint Report in the left-side navigation pane to view the business operation report for hints.

Usage notes