Search & Recommendations

Introduction

Search & Recommendations extension enhances selected Sales Channels by optimizing Product Listing Pages (PLPs), refining search word predictions, and improving filters. The data flow involves transferring information from the platform to Algolia, where it is stored and powers storefront listing pages. While the data can be obtained through a catalog data loader, the Algolia extension elevates accuracy in results and search predictions, optimizing search-to-result time.

Key functionalities include indexing, sorting, and mapping for effective data organization. The Auto Complete Menu provides quick, intuitive suggestions, and Search Analytics offers insights into user behaviour. The Data Loader ensures seamless data transfer, while the File Uploader simplifies file uploads. In summary, the Algolia extension comprehensively enhance the search experience, optimizing the functionality and efficiency of Sales Channels in e-commerce.

---

Steps to use Search & Recommendations Extension

1. Go to Extensions in Fynd Commerce.

2. Open Search & Recommendations.

3. Choose from the available integrations:

   • Common – Manage global settings.
   • Algolia – Optimise search using Algolia APIs.
   • Google Retail Search – Sync and manage search with Google.

---

Using Algolia in Search & Recommendations

The Algolia integration provides advanced tools to configure search ranking, sort orders, rules, relevance, analytics, and more.

Set up Algolia Credentials

To activate the integration, first set up your credentials:

1. Open Credentials.

Figure 3: Credentials

2. Enter the Algolia's API Keys in this section to complete the setup for the Algolia extension.

Figure 4: Setup

3. Go to algolia.com.
4. Select Dashboard > Overview.

Figure 5: Overview

5. Select the company from the drop-down. Here, we have selected Fynd company.

Figure 6: Fynd Application

6. Go to API Keys.

   

   Figure 7: API Keys
   
   1. Copy the Application ID and paste it into the Application ID field on the Fynd Commerce.

   

   Figure 8: Application ID
   
   2. Copy the Search API Key and paste it into the Search-Only API Key field on the Fynd Commerce.

   

   Figure 9: Search API Key
   
   3. Copy the Write API Key and paste it into the Admin API Key (or Write Key) field on the Fynd Commerce.

   

   Figure 10: Write API Key
   

7. Select the Search module from the left side panel and go to Index under Configure.

Figure 11: Index

8. Go to the Index drop-down in the header and select the relevant index from the drop-down menu, and copy the Index Name.

Figure 12: Index Name

note

After entering the details in the aforementioned fields, other modules of the Algolia extension will be enabled for you to configure.

note

After setting credentials for an extension, only the index_name can be modified.

9. Add Global Context. This refers to universal settings that impact the overall behaviour of search functionalities across the entire application. This field is non-mandatory.

10. Add Target Mart. It is specific to Jio. Target Mart can be either Jio or Smart. This field is non-mandatory.

Fill in the following fields with the copied details:

Field	Description	Example
Application ID	Unique ID to identify your Algolia project.	3kb42k3v42u42jkjb32k4
Search-Only API Key	Public key used on the frontend for search queries and analytics.	23brkbjb23jb4j234j12n3b4l
Admin API Key	Admin or Write API key. Keep this confidential.	*********** (masked)
Index Name	The name of the index to store and retrieve data.	Enter Index Name
Global Context	Default search context.	Global Context
Target Mart	The mart type to target (choose either JIO or SMART).	SMART

Click Save to store the credentials.

note

For more information on price internationalisation, click the info link above the form.

Configure Sort & Replica Mapping

Control how your products are sorted and displayed in search results.

Steps to Configure Sort Options

1. Select Sort & Replica Mapping from the Algolia dashboard.

2. Review available sort options such as:

   • Price Low to High
   • Popularity
   • Latest
   • Price High to Low
   • Rating
   • Size Depth
   • Manual

3. Click on a sort option to:

   • Update its Display Label (e.g. "Price Low to High")
   • Set its Position (e.g. 4)
   • Mark it as Default
   • Enable or disable the option using the toggle

4. Click Save.

note

Clicking “click over here” in the info banner will take you directly to this settings screen.

Enable Search Analytics

Use Search Analytics to track user behaviour and improve search performance.

1. Go to Search Analytics from the Algolia dashboard.

2. Enable Click Analytics to start sending query_id from Algolia to the front end, enabling click and conversion tracking.

3. Enable Search Analytics to view:

   • Total searches
   • No result rate
   • Daily search activity

4. Click Visit Algolia Dashboard to access these insights directly on Algolia.

note

This link opens the official Algolia dashboard in a new tab.

Upload Rules Using File Uploader

Create and sync bulk rules in Algolia using a structured Excel upload.

Steps to Upload Rules

1. Go to File Uploader under Algolia.
2. Download the Algolia Rules Demo Excel file.
3. Fill in the spreadsheet using the format below:

Column	Description	Example
rule_id	Identifier for the rule	my_rule_1
condition_type	Type of condition (query, context, filter)	query
query_type	Query operator (e.g. is)	is
query_value	Term to match	juice
context_name	Context grouping	testing
context_scope	Scope of the context (e.g. all)	all
filter_name	Filter to apply (e.g. color)	color
filter_value	Filter value (e.g. red)	red
from_date	Start date of rule validity (MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY format)	6/9/2023
to_date	End date of rule validity	6/15/2023

4. Click Upload File and select the completed .xls or .xlsx file.

5. Monitor the upload status under Uploaded Rules:

   • Success
   • Failed
   • In Progress

Example

A file named sample_algolia_rule (4).xlsx with status SUCCESS confirms that rules were synced.

Configure Relevance Settings

Relevance settings allow you to fine-tune the way search results appear to customers. These settings define how queries are interpreted, how results are ordered, and which terms are treated as equivalent.

To configure relevance settings, you will be redirected to the Algolia Dashboard by clicking the Set up in Algolia Dashboard button.

Searchable Attributes

Defines which fields of your data are searchable, and in what order.

Purpose
You want to control how users find products (e.g., search by brand, category, or product name)
You want to prioritise certain fields over others in the search results

Example Configuration:

[
  "product_name",
  "category",
  "brand",
  "description"
]

tip

Put the most relevant field (e.g. product_name) first. This ensures better matches appear at the top.

Custom Ranking

Controls how matched results are ordered after applying the search logic.

Use case	Example
Show bestsellers first	bestseller
Prioritise highest rated items	rating DESC
Highlight most-viewed items	views_count DESC

Example Configuration:

[
  "desc(bestseller)",
  "desc(rating)",
  "desc(views_count)"
]

note

Custom ranking helps display more business-relevant results, such as top-sellers, first.

Synonyms

Synonyms expand or unify search intent by telling Algolia which words are considered equivalent.

Use case	Example
Search for "pants" should also return results for "trousers"	pants ⇄ trousers
"jacket" includes "blazer"	jacket ⇄ blazer

note

All of these settings are configured directly within the Algolia Dashboard after redirection.

Manage PromoRules Context

This section allows you to assign context to rules, so they can be triggered conditionally based on customer behaviour, device type, or other metadata.

Steps to Use PromoRules Context

1. Navigate to PromoRules Context in the Algolia module.

2. View previously synced rules, including their:

   • Rule ID
   • Context (e.g. testing)
   • Type (e.g. all)

3. Use the search bar to find specific rule contexts.

4. Click the bin icon to delete a context.

Example

Rule ID my_rule_1 with context testing and type all ensures this rule only applies during testing campaigns across all scopes.

Use case

• Promote a rule only during a sale period.
• Apply different rules for desktop vs mobile experiences.

Enable and Track User Events

User Events: help track and measure key customer actions on your storefront. These events can be used to optimise search relevance and enable personalisation.

Steps to Use User Events

1. Go to User Events in the Algolia section.
2. Toggle the switch at the top right to enable.
3. You'll now see a list of predefined events:

Event Name	Description	Mapped Algolia Event
Add to cart	Captures when a user adds a product to the cart	addedToCartObjectIDs
Product view	Captures when a user clicks on a product	clickedObjectIDs
Order complete	Captures when a user places an order	purchasedObjectIDs

1. Toggle each event to enable it based on your tracking requirements.
2. Click Save.

Why use this?

These events improve search performance by feeding real-time behavioural data into Algolia, enabling better analytics and personalised ranking.

Google Retail Search

Google Retail Search enables enhanced product discovery by leveraging Google’s search intelligence. With this integration, merchants can optimise cataloguing, indexing, and personalisation—improving customer experience and search conversion rates.

Set Up Google Retail Search Credentials

To connect your Google Retail Search account with Fynd, you must provide key credentials.

1. Navigate to Google Retail Search > Credentials.
2. Enter the following information:

Field	Description	Example
Project ID	Google Cloud project ID used for Retail Search	retail-store-123
Dataset ID (Optional)	Identifier for a specific dataset (optional)	product_dataset_v1
Service Account Key	JSON key for service account with access to Retail Search	{...}.json
GCS Error Path	Path to your Google Cloud Storage bucket for error logging	gs://fynd-retail-errors/

Use case

These settings allow Fynd to sync your product data and fetch search-related insights from Google’s platform.

3. Click Save to complete the integration setup.

note

Clicking the info link will guide you to more details about price internationalisation and its impact on Google Retail configurations.

Track User Events for Google Retail

User Events: help you capture behavioural data such as searches, views, cart actions, and purchases. These insights are sent to Google Retail to improve search relevance and product recommendations.

1. Go to User Events under Google Retail Search.
2. Toggle the switch in the top-right corner to enable.
3. A list of available events will appear:

Event Name	Description	Mapped Event
Add to cart	When a user adds a product to the cart	add-to-cart
Remove from cart	When a user removes an item from the cart	remove-from-cart
Product view	When a user views a product detail page	detail-page-view
Product listing	When a user views the homepage or a PLP	home-page-view
Order complete	When a purchase is made	purchase-complete
Product search	When a user searches for a product	search
Order checkout	When a user visits the shopping cart	shopping-cart-page-view

4. Use the toggle next to each event to enable tracking.
5. Click Save once configuration is complete.

Use Case

Enabling these events allows Google to understand how users engage with your site, enhancing the personalisation and ranking of search results.

Common Settings

The Common section allows you to configure and manage universal settings for search services across your store. These include pricing, catalogue sync, attributes, autocomplete, and more. This centralises configuration across both Algolia and Google Retail search engines.

Config – Price Internationalisation

Manage API-based currency conversion for product listings.

How to configure:

1. Navigate to Config.

2. Select the Currency Exchange Partner from the dropdown.

   • Example: Open Exchange

3. Enter your Open Exchange API Key.

   • Example: fynd-openex-12345678

4. Click Save to apply the settings.

Use case

Display accurate prices for international customers by converting your base price using real-time exchange rates.

Catalogue Sync

Synchronise products, collections, and currency data between Fynd Commerce and external search providers (Algolia or Google Retail).

Steps to Sync:

1. Go to Catalogue Sync.

2. Click Sync.

3. Choose options from the modal:

   • Sync Type: Select Incremental or Full.
   • Select Provider: Choose from Algolia, Google Retail, or Both.

4. Click Sync.

Sync History:

You’ll see a job list with the following details:

• Job Type: Products, Collections, Currency
• Status: SUCCESS / IN_PROGRESS
• Items Synced: Auto-filled after completion

Use case

Ensures your search providers have up-to-date product and collection data from the Fynd backend.

Auto Complete Menu

Customise autocomplete suggestions shown in the search bar.

Available toggles:

• Product Suggestion
• Brand Suggestion
• Category Suggestion
• Query Suggestion
• Departments Suggestion
• Fallback to Algolia (used if Vertex data is empty)

Example: Enable Query Suggestion and provide a Query Suggestion Index name like fynd_query_suggestions.

Use case

Improves search UX by suggesting products, categories, or brands as users type.

Custom Attributes

Create and manage custom attribute mappings for your product data.

Steps to configure:

1. Go to Custom Attributes.

2. Toggle Enable Custom Attributes.

3. Click Add New.

4. Fill in:

   • Source: e.g., product_colour
   • Destination: e.g., custom_colour

Optionally, toggle:

• Remain Original: Retains the original source field in the output.

Use Case

Re-map fields for clarity or compatibility before syncing to search services.

Attributes

Select which attributes from your product data should be passed to Algolia.

Example:

• uid
• multi_size
• slug
• is_available
• algolia_facet

1. Toggle Enable Attributes.
2. Enter or delete fields as needed.
3. Click Save.

Use case

Reduce payload size or enhance indexing performance by syncing only required fields.

Data Loader

Switch search-related data services from Fynd default to external providers.

Options available for:

• Product Listing
• Collection Listing
• Autocomplete Menu

Each row includes two dropdowns:

• Mode:
  • Fynd or Ext Search Provider
• Search Provider:
  • Algolia, Google Retail, Hybrid

Use case

Enables flexible routing of search APIs to different engines depending on A/B testing or performance.

A/B Testing Config

Split traffic between search providers for testing purposes.

Configuration:

• Algolia Percentage: Set share of traffic (e.g., 50)
• Vertex Percentage: Remaining traffic (e.g., 50)
• Rotation Time: Time (in hours) after which user session switches provider

note

This applies only when Hybrid mode is selected in the Data Loader section.

Stats Panel:

Use the calendar to filter A/B test metrics by time range.

Search Tool Pinning

The Search Tool Pinning feature allows you to assign a specific search engine to a particular user. This is helpful for internal QA, performance analysis, debugging, and A/B testing use cases.

Steps to Pin a Search Engine to a User ID:

1. Navigate to Search Tool Pinning.
2. Fill in the required fields:

Field	Description	Example
User ID	The unique identifier of the user to pin	user_123456
Search Engine	Select the engine to assign from the dropdown	Algolia, Google Retail, Hybrid

3. Click Save to finalise the configuration.

Use case

If you're running multiple search engines and need to fix one engine (e.g. Algolia) for a tester or a group of users, this ensures consistent and predictable behaviour for them—bypassing A/B testing or dynamic rotation logic.

note

This pinning overrides the A/B testing and hybrid settings for the specified user ID.