Query Relaxation

This guide introduces you to the Query Relaxation algorithm.

What is Query Relaxation


Query Relaxation algorithm relaxes the query matching criteria from "match on all terms" to "match on one term". Instead of showing zero results, this feature leverages Bloomreach's semantic understanding to extract the product type from the shopper's query input. This extracted product type is then used to display relevant product results.

Why is this feature valuable for your Business


  • Reduces zero result queries: Query Relaxation finds related product matches by relaxing the query matching criteria. This reduces the risk of zero result queries.
  • Lowers bounce rates: Query Relaxation reduces null search results and displays products relevant to your customer's search query. This translates to improved search relevance and reduced bounce rates.

How does Query Relaxation work


The Query Relaxation algorithm relaxes the query by using the identified product type as the mandatory term to find product matches.

Suppose a shopper searches for “awesome shoes”. The site returns no results because the term "awesome" is not available for any product as a searchable term in the product details. This feature then processes the query as follows:

  • Bloomreach's semantic understanding identifies the product type (in this example shoes) from the query.
  • The query is relaxed to only look for the identified product type (shoes) as the mandatory matching term.
  • Other terms (awesome in this example) in the query are made optional.

So in this example, the query “awesome shoes” is relaxed to "shoes" and the shopper will see results for the product type "shoes”.

How to enable this feature


This feature is enabled for all customers by default.

Sample Request and Response


GET http://core.dxpapi.com/api/v1/core/?
account_id=<Bloomreach Provided Account ID>
&auth_key=<Bloomreach Provided Authorization key>
&domain_key=homeoasis_com
&request_id=9824119820726
&_br_uid_2=uid%3D1356891981096%3Av%3D11.8%3Ats%3D1650345306243%3Ahc%3D142
&url=www.homeoasis.com
&ref_url=www.homeoasis.com
&request_type=search
&rows=10
&start=0
&fl=pid%2Ctitle%2Cbrand%2Cprice%2Csale_price%2Csku_color_group%2Curl%2Cprice_range
&q=paper qqqqqq
&search_type=keyword

The value of the relaxed query can be viewed under metadata.

"relaxed.query": "paper", 
"metadata": { 
   "query": { 
      "modification": {
         "mode": "relaxedQuery", 
         "value": "paper"
       },
       "didyoumean": [ ]
   }
}

FAQs


1.Is there an additional charge for a customer to get the Query Relaxation feature?
No.

2.Can query relaxation be turned off?
Yes, you can turn off Query Relaxation. Queries will no longer be relaxed. If there are no matches for the search query in the product details, the search results will show zero results.

You can choose any of the following ways to turn off Query Relaxation:

  • Through the front-end API. Visit the Algorithm Controls guide to learn the process of modifying the Query Relaxation Algorithm.
  • Through Dashboard controls. Visit the Dashboard Controls guide to learn the process of modifying the Query Relaxation Algorithm.
  • Through the backend, with the help of Bloomreach Business Services.
  1. What happens if the query has a brand name and no product type?
    We have a feature (Query Relaxation to Brand Name) that addresses this use case. Read the article to learn more.