Introduction
Elasticsearch is a powerful open-source search engine that can be used with many different applications. WooCommerce is one such application and is known as one of the most popular eCommerce platforms. By default, WooCommerce uses a relevance ranking system to sort the search results. However, sometimes businesses require different ranking systems, and hence, being able to implement a custom ranking system within Elasticsearch can be highly advantageous.
In this post, we will discuss how you can implement custom ranking in Elasticsearch for WooCommerce with PHP client. We will also talk about how WPSOLR, a popular WordPress plugin, can help with that.
Implementing Custom Ranking in Elasticsearch for WooCommerce
To implement a custom ranking in Elasticsearch for WooCommerce, we need to understand how Elasticsearch handles search results. Elasticsearch uses a scoring system to determine the relevance of a document, which is determined by the frequency and proximity of terms within the search query.
The scoring algorithm of Elasticsearch is complex, but it can be customized using scripts. A script can help to manipulate the score calculation process to better suit the business’s requirements.
We will take a look at a practical example of how you can do this with PHP client. In this example, we want to give higher relevance to products based on sales velocity.
To give higher relevance to products based on sales velocity in Elasticsearch, you can use a custom script to modify the product score by multiplying it with the sales velocity. Here’s an example of how you can achieve this:
1. Create a new field for sales velocity in your Elasticsearch index. This field should contain the sales velocity value for each product.
2. Install the Elasticsearch Ingest Attachment Processor plugin if you haven’t already. This plugin allows you to modify documents during ingestion.
3. Define a custom script that multiplies the product score by the sales velocity. You can use the Elasticsearch Painless scripting language for this. Here’s an example script:
{
"script": {
"source": "ctx._score *= params.salesVelocity",
"params": {
"salesVelocity": 1.2
}
}
}
In this example, the script multiplies the product score by a sales velocity factor of 1.2. You can adjust the factor according to your specific requirements.
4. Create an Elasticsearch pipeline that uses the custom script to modify the product score. You can create the pipeline using the following API call:
PUT _ingest/pipeline/sales-velocity-pipeline
{
"description" : "Adjust product score based on sales velocity",
"processors" : [
{
"script" : {
"source": "ctx._score *= params.salesVelocity",
"params": {
"salesVelocity": 1.2
}
}
}
]
}
Ensure that you replace `1.2` with your desired sales velocity factor in both the script and pipeline.
5. Index or update your products using the pipeline you created. When you index or update a product, the custom script in the pipeline will be executed, modifying the product score based on the sales velocity factor.
After following these steps, the products with higher sales velocity will have their scores boosted, resulting in higher relevance in search results.
In the above query, we have added a function_score, which allows us to customize the scoring algorithm. We have used the multi_match query to search for products based on the search query. We have also used the script_score field to include our custom script in the score calculation.
How WPSOLR Can Help
WPSOLR is a WordPress plugin that can help you customize the Elasticsearch search engine. With this plugin, you can add custom fields to index and search, use multiple search engines, manage your Elasticsearch cluster, and do much more.
WPSOLR can also help you with implementing custom ranking in Elasticsearch for WooCommerce. With WPSOLR, you can easily add your own custom scripts to the Elasticsearch index without having to write any code.
Here’s how you can add a custom script with WPSOLR:
1. Install and activate the WPSOLR plugin.
2. Go to the WPSOLR settings page and click on the Elasticsearch tab.
3. Click on the Scripts sub-tab and add your custom script.
4. Go to the Search Engines page and make sure that your custom fields are indexed.
5. Go to the WooCommerce search page and test your custom ranking.
Conclusion
Elasticsearch is a powerful search engine that can be customized to better suit a business’s needs. Implementing custom ranking in Elasticsearch for WooCommerce can help businesses improve their search results and, in turn, enhance the customer experience. With the help of WPSOLR, customizing Elasticsearch becomes easy and efficient.
