Search Functionality settings

[d2d2d2]

Not sure where to post this. Sorry if this is the wrong place. I am using Miva 10 admin but this is more of a general Miva functionality question.

I just discovered that our search functionality is not set up quite as I like it yet I can't seem to figure out where to fix my problem.

I have a vendor who requires use of registration and trademarks with product name. They are fanatics about this. However if I search our website for their very well-known office chair without the registration mark, I get no results. There is no way a customer would ever type in this chair's name with the proper registration mark.

Isn't there a setting for doing partial word search? I currently have search set to only look at product name and code. I also have Database Full-Text searching checked.

I do not like to search the product descriptions because it seems to add so much to results if the search term is too general.

Any suggestion for where I might be missing a setting?

[oliverands]

Much better to find a real solution for this, but in the meantime can you just insert a space between the name and the registration mark on your product page? It might fix the search issue.

[delcorsets]

You might find some useful suggestions in this thread:
https://www.miva.com/forums/forum/on...-product-field

We assign some custom product fields as searchable fields - this technique could possibly be used to add common search terms for your products.

[d2d2d2]

Thanks to both of you for the suggestions. My co-worker also suggested the space ® hack and she doesn't even work on the website. I just needed someone to look at it differently, I guess. I think I will do this as a quick fix and then explore the custom field option although that seems like a lot of work when considering the potential setup and number.

I am still rather surprised that Miva's default SEARCH is not as robust as I had assumed. Are there any modules or third party options to beef it up? Can it be modified with custom code or is it untouchable? I would consider paying to get functionality that does partial word searches but I don't even know if that is just too darn difficult and expensive.

[Rick Wilson]

Third party, I’d recommend SearchSpring. In order to get the next level of search, it’s almost always via a NOSql type database and offered as it’s own SaaS, although we do have some more database tweaks and settings on the roadmap for 2021 to improve our native MySQL based search.

[d2d2d2]

Thank you for recommendation, Rick. I will look into that. Can you divulge if a partial word search capability is part of those "tweaks?"

[VisHorizons]

I'm also experiencing some quirky searching. Things work differently when I have "Use Database Full-Text Searching" checked, but neither way is great.

When it is checked:

• Phrases do work, like "card caddy" and "file jacket." This is good.
• Partial words don't work. I have a line of products with a codes 1336A, 1336B, 1336C, etc. If I search 1336, nothing comes up. This is bad.

When it's not checked, the opposite is true.

[d2d2d2]

I did check into Search Spring and the budget for this, from our small family-owned business is just not going to happen. If only we could afford everything we want :)

VisHorizons. I just did a little checking and I experience exactly the same result. I am going to put my thinking cap on as to whether we really have more customers searching for partial names or for product numbers. I actually think turning off the "Database Full-Text Searching" is the better route for us and I thank you for that information!

[VisHorizons]

I contacted Miva support today, and they said it was a custom field problem.

As per this post, I created a new custom product field that I could use for adding keywords. In Search Settings, I assigned this new custom field. Well, that was the culprit. Miva support un-assigned that custom field and the search works properly now. The idea of a custom field for search keywords seems great, but for some reason, it's not functional when most of my products have that field empty.