Smart Ranking Setup Guide

9min
This guide is designed to help you implement and understand the Smart Ranking feature of NoChannel Search.
Smart Ranking is an advanced search functionality that dynamically adjusts the order of search results to provide the most relevant products to your customers. It uses machine learning techniques, specifically Learning to Rank (LTR), to analyze user behavior and improve search results over time.
The Smart Ranking service in NoChannel Search consists of several key components:
API Key Authentication: For secure access to the system
Index Creation and Management: To organize your product data
Data Capture for Smart Ranking: The API should be set up for the front end.
Learning to Rank (LTR): The core of the Smart Ranking functionality
Query Pipelines: For advanced search processing
This guide will walk you through the process of setting up these components, from generating your API key to monitoring your Smart Ranking performance. By following these steps, you'll be able to enhance your ecommerce platform's search capabilities, potentially increasing customer satisfaction and conversions.
Remember, while this guide provides the basic setup, Smart Ranking is an ongoing process that continually learns and improves based on user interactions. Regular monitoring and optimization will help you get the most out of this powerful feature.
Let's start setting up Smart Ranking for your NoChannel Commerce platform!
1. Generating an API Key
First, you need to create an API key to access NoChannel's features:
Option A: Through the NoChannel Commerce Portal
Log in to the NoChannel Commerce Portal
Click on your username and select "Details"
Scroll to the "API Key" section and click "GENERATE KEY"
Provide a name for your key and set an expiration date
Click "GENERATE KEY" again
Copy and securely store the key that appears
Option B: Using the API
Obtain a Tenant ID and Session ID
Use these to make an API call to generate a new API key
Store the returned apiKey and apiKeyId securely
Remember: Your API key is crucial for accessing NoChannel features. Keep it safe and never share it publicly.
For a detailed overview, go to our API Key guide.
2. Creating an Index
An index is where your searchable data will be stored:
1. Use your API key to send a POST request to create a new index:
POST https://api.upstartcommerce.com/v1/search/index/your_index_name
2. Define the index settings and mappings in your request body:
JS
{
  "data": {
    "settings": {
      "index": {
        "final_pipeline": "search_pipeline"
      }
    },
    "mappings": {
      "properties": {
        "name": { "type": "text" },
        "type": { "type": "keyword" },
        "size": { "type": "keyword" },
        "color": { "type": "keyword" }
      }
    },
    "aliases": {
      "sample-alias1": {}
    }
  }
}
{
  "data": {
    "settings": {
      "index": {
        "final_pipeline": "search_pipeline"
      }
    },
    "mappings": {
      "properties": {
        "name": { "type": "text" },
        "type": { "type": "keyword" },
        "size": { "type": "keyword" },
        "color": { "type": "keyword" }
      }
    },
    "aliases": {
      "sample-alias1": {}
    }
  }
}
﻿
3. Adding Items to the Index
Populate your index with product data:
1. Prepare your product information in JSON format
2. Use the bulk API to add multiple products at once: 
POST https://api.upstartcommerce.com/v1/search/index/bulk
JS
{
  "data": [
    { "index": { "_index": "your_index_name" } },
    {
      "name": "Red Dress",
      "type": "Dress",
      "size": "M",
      "color": "Red"
    },
    { "index": { "_index": "your_index_name" } },
      "name": "Black T-Shirt",
      "type": "T-Shirt",
      "size": "L",
      "color": "Black"
    }
  ]
}
{
  "data": [
    { "index": { "_index": "your_index_name" } },
    {
      "name": "Red Dress",
      "type": "Dress",
      "size": "M",
      "color": "Red"
    },
    { "index": { "_index": "your_index_name" } },
      "name": "Black T-Shirt",
      "type": "T-Shirt",
      "size": "L",
      "color": "Black"
    }
  ]
}
﻿
4. Setting Up Data Capture
Data Capture is crucial for Smart Ranking as it provides the necessary user behavior data. To set it up:
1. Implement event tracking on your website for:
Session events (when users start browsing)
Navigation events (user movement through the site)
Search events (user queries and results)
Cart events (cart creation and modifications)
Promotion events (application of promotions)
Order events (final purchase details)
2. Use the NoChannel API to send these events:
POST https://api.upstartcommerce.com/v1/data-capture/capture
3. Ensure each event includes necessary details like session ID, timestamp, and relevant action information.
For a comprehensive guide on implementing Data Capture, refer to the Data Capture Flow document, which provides detailed information on event structures and API calls.
The LTR Feature Engineering Service runs every 5 days, using the past 90 days of data collected by the Data Capture API.
﻿
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