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SKU Searchability

This guide introduces you to the SKU Searchability feature and illustrates how it can be used to retrieve a more precise recall for SKU attribute queries.

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SKU Select enables you to optimize your product recall set at the variant level. SKU Searchability feature further allows you to display a more precise recall for SKU-attribute-related search queries.

With this feature, you can make variant attributes searchable at the variant level only. This enables you to show shoppers matching products and their variants when they search with specific variant attribute values.

In the example below, suppose you set the variant attributes “dress_color” and “dress_size” searchable at the variant level only. If the shopper searches for Purple maxi dress, we match on the variant attributes (dress_color in this case) and fetch the precise product. If the product has variants, then we fetch all the variants upon search.

Feature Details

You can make an attribute searchable at the product level or at the variant level. The details about each searchable field are mentioned in this section.

1. Product-level searchable field

If you mark an attribute as a product attribute and make it searchable, then the attribute will be searchable at the product level.

Suppose we have the below feed data:

Product: P1product-title: bed sheet
product-brand: IKEA
Variant 1material: cottonsheet_size: single
Variant 2material: viscosesheet_size: Double

If product-brand is marked searchable at the product level in Catalog Management, then:

  • For the query “IKEA bed sheet” - product P1 will be returned with all variants.
  • For the query “cotton IKEA bed sheet” - product P1 will be returned with all variants.
  • If a filter is applied on IKEA and when searched for “bed sheet”, the product P1 will be returned.

2. SKU-level searchable field

If you mark an attribute as a variant attribute and set it searchable, then the attribute will be searchable at the variant level only. We currently support the below configuration for SKU-level searchable fields:

Suppose we have the below feed data:

Product: P2product-title: gucci lace dress
Variant 1
  • dress_title: gucci small lace dress for formal party
  • dress_size: small
  • dress_color: Green
Variant 2
  • dress_title: gucci medium lace dress for formal party
  • dress_size: medium
  • dress_color: Red

And Attribute Configurations in Catalog Management are:

product-title: searchable at the Product level

dress_title, dress_color, dress_size: searchable at the Variant level

  • If the query is “small dress” - P2 is returned with all SKUs
  • If the query is “small red dress” - P2 is not returned.
  • No change in any merchandising behavior for any product or SKU-level attributes.
product-title: drillsProduct: A
  • size - 4.0
  • length - 6m
Variant 1
  • size - 5.0
  • length - 5m
Variant 2

Attribute Behavior as per Integration (Indexer version)

Please note that the behavior of reserved and custom attributes might differ based on your integration (Indexer version). This section covers these differences.

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You can determine the indexing system version by checking the job details of the most recent index job in Catalog Management. Go to Setup > Catalog management > Jobs. Click on an Index job for the indexer version.

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Indexer v3 catalogs

The behavior of reserved and custom attributes is captured below.

Reserved Attributes Behavior

  • The reserved fields color, color_group, and size are searchable.
  • If the above-mentioned fields are present in the variant section of the feed, then they will be searchable at the variant level.
  • If these fields are present at the product level in the feed, then they will be searchable at the product level.
  • If these fields are present both in the product and the variant section, the variant data will be variant searchable.

Custom Attributes Behavior

All custom attributes — whether product or variant custom attributes — can be searchable. The following table summarises the searchability behavior when the custom attribute is sent at different levels in the feed with different configurations:

Level in the FeedAttribute ConfigurationSearchability
Variant levelSet to variant and searchableThe data will be searchable at the variant level
Product levelSet to product and searchableThe data will be searchable at the product level
Both product and variant levels in the feedSet to variant and searchableAttribute will be searchable at the variant level.
Both product and variant levels in the feedSet to product and searchableAttribute will be searchable at the product level.

Indexer v2 catalogs

This section applies to those customers who migrated to SKU indexing and made changes to their SKU data as detailed here. This can also include custom attribute configurations for reserved attributes which can be defined for a product or a variant.

Reserved Attributes Behavior

The flowcharts below summarize the searchability behavior when eligible reserved attributes (color, color_group, size) are sent at different levels in the feed with different configurations.

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Understanding the flowcharts

  • The header specifies the level at which attribute data is sent.
  • Attribute configurations refer to the existing custom settings of the reserved attributes.
  • Reserved Attributes Searchability settings allow you to override the existing reserved attribute settings and make the attribute data searchable or non-searchable.
  1. When the attributes are sent at the Variant level
  1. When the attributes are sent at the Product level
  1. When the attributes are sent both at Product and Variant levels

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Kindly configure the Reserved Attributes Searchability settings using the dedicated module in Catalog Settings.

Custom Attributes Behavior

All custom attributes — whether product or variant custom attributes — can be searchable. The following table summarises the searchability behavior when the custom attribute is sent at different levels in the feed with different configurations:

Level in the FeedAttribute ConfigurationSearchability
Variant levelSet to variant and searchableThe data will be searchable at the variant level
Product levelSet to product and searchableThe data will be searchable at the product level
Both product and variant levels in the feedSet to variant and searchableVariant data will be searchable at the variant level, and product data will not be searchable at the product level.
Both product and variant levels in the feedSet to product and searchableProduct and variant data will be rolled up together and searchable at the product level.

Feature Access

SKU Searchability is available for all SKU Select customers — new or existing.

Updated 9 months ago