OPTASY: Drupal Web Development Agency Toronto
(416) 243-2431Drupal SupportRequest A QuoteQuote

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Services
    • Digital Strategy
    • Design
    • Web Development
      • Drupal
      • WordPress
      • Magento
      • Laravel
      • Shopify
      • Sharepoint
      • Contentful
      • Gatsby
      • Next.js
      • Node.js
      • React
      • AngularJS
    • Mobile & App
      • IOS
      • Android
      • Augmented Reality
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Virtual Reality
    • Maintenance & Support
      • Drupal Maintenance
      • Wordpress Maintenance
    • Staff Augmentation
  • Portfolio
    • Web
    • Mobile
    • Ar
  • About
    • Who we are
    • Values
    • Events
    • Awards
    • News
    • Careers
    • Partners
      • Acquia
      • Google
      • Pantheon
      • Shopify
      • Wordpress
  • Blog
    • Drupal
    • Drupal 8
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • Javascript
    • PHP
    • Microsoft
    • Web Design
    • Design
    • Tips
    • News
  • Contact
(416) 243-2431 Drupal Support Request A QuoteQuote

In light of the recent COVID-19 pandemic - OPTASY would like to offer DRUPAL website support for any Healthcare, Government, Education and Non-Profit Organization(s) with critical crisis communication websites or organizations directly providing relief. Stay Safe and Stay Well.

How to Configure Custom Search in Drupal 8: 8 Ways to Deliver More Relevant Search Results on Your Website
Drupal
Drupal 8
Tips

How to Configure Custom Search in Drupal 8: 8 Ways to Deliver More Relevant Search Results on Your Website

by Adriana Cacoveanu on Nov 08 2019

Let's say that you have a cleaning business. Once a user types “office cleaning” on your website, the search results that show up first are some blog posts on this topic instead of the page that you're actually targeting: the “Office & Workplace Cleaning” service page. So, you wonder: “How to configure custom search in Drupal 8?”

What are your options if you want to go beyond the default Drupal search?

How can you influence that search results ordering so that you:

 

  • improve the overall site search experience for your visitors?
  • push forward into the spotlight particular pages on your site, based on specific keywords?

     

We've done our homework, collected and then selected 9 different ways that you can upgrade the default search experience in Drupal so that it should fit your needs perfectly. From:

 

  • additional Drupal modules that you can enable
  • to effective search plugins that you can install
  • to brilliant configurations that you can set up

     

… you'll find a whole collection of options at hand for fine-tuning the search functionality on your Drupal website.

 

1. Enable the Drupal Search API Module

If you find the default Drupal search module a bit too... restrictive, consider Search API. 

It takes but 3 simple steps before you can leverage its flexibility to the fullest:

 

  • just install it and enable it, along with the Search API database module
  • add an index and an API server, as well

     

2. Integrate Your Drupal 8 Website with Apache Solr Search

The Java-based search platform is powerful enough to supercharge your website with tons of search capabilities:

How to Configure Custom Search in Drupal 8: Apache Solr

Source: Drupal.org

 

  • search for all attributes of Drupal nodes
  • ouline the search queries in the results
  • perform language stemming to return related results
  • search across multiple websites
  • index from... millions of nodes
  • overlook users' typos and provide proper suggestions
  • provide location-based search results
  • display the most relevant results on top of the list

     

In short: you're better off with a Solr back-end; it will always overstep a Drupal database search setup when it comes to returning relevant and intuitive results. Even in “keyword phrase search” scenarios.

 

3. How to Configure Custom Search in Drupal 8: Use ExpertRec

This search-as-a-service solution ships with a heavy load of useful features, such as:

 

  • manageable search ranking
  • typo tolerance
  • easy UI control
  • results as you type
  • custom facets

     

So, you might want to consider it for evaluation. Just put its robust set of features against your site search needs. 

 

4. Use the Cludo Site Search Solution

What if you could turn the site search on your Drupal website into a powerful “insights generator”? 

How to Configure Custom Search in Drupal 8: Cludo

Source: Drupal.org 

One that would provide you with valuable and, most of all, actionable insights on your users' search behavior. Just imagine turning all that powerful data into highly relevant site search experiences for your visitors.

Cludo's that fully customizable on-site search tool, that “spoils” you with unique features like:

 

  • semantic search
  • customizable index
  • machine learning-driven autocomplete

     

Find out more about this tool and what it can offer you from our post on Cludo as an alternative to Google Site Search.

 

5. Boost the “Title” Field to Improve Search Relevancy

Say you have a “How to speed clean a kitchen” page on your website (we're assuming that you run a professional cleaning business, remember?). 

Now, if a website visitor types “how to clean my kitchen quick” you most certainly want that specific page to show up first, right?

Well, to make that happen you simply boost the title field. Here's how:

 

  • go to /admin/config/search/search-api
  • click “Edit”, next to the index that you're targeting
  • click “Add Fields”
  • look for “Title”, under the “Content” heading
  • hit “Done”
  • look for your title field scrolling down your list of fields and replace its “Type” from “Strong” to "Fulltext"
  • configure the “Boost” dropdown that pops up: set the title, fill in the special keywords field...
  • click the “Save Changes” button

     

6. Configure the Search View to Your Needs

“How to configure custom search in Drupal 8?” You tweak the default search view...

The good news is that Search API connects with Views, “spoiling” you with loads of flexibility when setting the way your search results get displayed.

But the great news is that you can go even further:

 

Define a field-based view, add the title and excerpts fields so that your website returns a Google-like title and snippet to its users.

 

7. Enable the Indexer to “See” the Whole Node

Let me guess: you, too, are using Paragraphs on your Drupal site.

Who doesn't, right? All that flexibility that you get when putting together your web pages is just... irresistible.

Then, you must have already bumped into one “minor” issue:

Your search indexer can't “see” the entire content on a page, since the Paragraphs module breaks it into multiple little pieces.

Luckily, Search API comes to the rescue! 

Just add the “Rendered HTML Output” field to your index and you'll enable the indexer to “see” the whole content on a page. Just like your website visitors see it: with references, paragraph entities and all that...

And here's how you incorporate this field:

 

  • go to /admin/config/search/search-api
  • click “Edit”
  • click “Fields” on top of the page
  • click “Add Fields”
  • look for “Rendered HTML Output (rendered_item)” under “General”
  • click “Add” 

     

Word of caution: you'll then need to select a view mode for all the content types that your search index can access. Make sure you go with the “default” mode (unless you've set up a custom mode of your own) and not the “search results highlight input”. 

 

8. Add a Custom “search_keywords” Field to the Targeted Content Types

Remember the example at the beginning of this post (the one with the “office cleaning” search phrase)?

Now, it's about time we found an answer to this question:

How can you give your content team more control over the returned search results? Over the results ordering...

You set up a new field called “search_keywords” and integrate it with every content-type/bundle that you're targeting:

 

  • go to /admin/config/search/search-api
  • click “Edit”
  • click “Fields”
  • click “Add Fields”
  • look for your newly created “Search Keywords”, under “Content”
  • click “Add”
  • look for your new field in the fields list
  • change its type from “String” to “Fulltext”
  • configure the “Boost” dropdown showing up (consider setting it to 21...)
  • click “Save Changes”

     

The END!

Here are no less than 9 different solutions to your “How to configure a custom search in Drupal 8?” type of dilemma.

Which one would you go with? And why?

Give us a clue in the comments here below.

Image by Republica from Pixabay  

Share the article

Development

We do Web development

Go to our Web development page!

Visit page!

Do you want a website

or app developed?

 

Get a Free Quote

and let's make it work!

Get a Quote

Recommended Stories

DrupalTips
Top Drupal Debugging Techniques

Top Drupal Debugging Techniques

  Debugging is an essential part of developing any website, and Drupal is no exception. Debugging in Drupal can be a complex process due to the complexity of the system and its many components. However, with the right techniques, it is possible to identify and resolve issues quickly. In this article, we will discuss some of the top debugging techniques for Drupal that can help you troubleshoot your website more efficiently. We will cover topics such as using the Devel module, using Xdebug, and other helpful tips and tricks. With these techniques in hand, you'll be able to recognize and repair any problems on your Drupal site quickly.     Using the Devel Module for Debugging The Devel module is a powerful tool for debugging Drupal websites. It provides a suite of tools to help you quickly identify and resolve issues. The Devel module includes features such as the ability to view database queries, generate dummy content, and debug PHP code. It also has an API that allows developers to create custom debugging tools. Using the Devel module can be helpful when trying to identify the source of an issue. It can also be used to generate dummy content for testing purposes.     Utilizing Xdebug for Troubleshooting Xdebug is a powerful debugging tool that can be used to troubleshoot issues on Drupal websites. It provides detailed information about the code execution, including stack traces and variable values. This can help developers quickly identify the source of an issue and resolve it more efficiently. Xdebug also has features such as breakpoints, which allow developers to pause the execution of code at certain points to inspect the application's state. This can be helpful when trying to identify and fix complex issues.     Leveraging Drupal's Logging System Drupal's logging system is a powerful tool for debugging websites. It provides detailed information about the events that occur on the website, including errors and warnings. This can be helpful when trying to identify the source of an issue. The logging system also allows developers to set up custom log levels, which can be used to filter out unnecessary information and focus on specific types of events. This can help developers quickly identify and resolve issues.   Using the Drupal Console for Debugging The Drupal Console is a command-line interface that can be used to debug Drupal websites. It provides commands for inspecting the database, generating dummy content, and running tests. This can be helpful when trying to identify and fix issues quickly. The Drupal Console also has an API that allows developers to create custom commands for debugging purposes.   Have You Completed Your Drupal 10 Migration? The release of Drupal 10 marks a major milestone for the platform, and it is important to ensure that your website is up-to-date with the latest version. Migrating to Drupal 10 can be a complex process, but it is essential for ensuring that your website remains secure and performs optimally. When migrating to Drupal 10, it is important to test the website thoroughly and use debugging techniques to identify and resolve any issues. The Devel module, Xdebug, and Drupal's logging system can all be used to troubleshoot any problems that may arise during the migration process. Don't forget to ensure that all of the modules and themes used on the website are compatible with Drupal 10. It is recommended to use the Update Status module to check for any available updates and apply them before migrating to Drupal 10. Additionally, it is a good idea to create a backup of your website before beginning the migration process in case something goes wrong. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your website is properly migrated and running smoothly on Drupal 10.     Conclusion Debugging in Drupal can be a complex process, but with the right techniques, it is possible to debug your website faster and easier. If you need more advice on your next web development project or on your Drupal 10 migration, our team of experts is here to help you. Contact us for more details.   Photo credit: Unpslash.... Read more
Raluca Olariu / Jan 16'2023
DrupalTips
Troubleshoot Your Website in 8 Easy Steps

Troubleshoot Your Website in 8 Easy Steps

  Having a website that runs smoothly is essential for any business. Unfortunately, website issues can arise from time to time and can be difficult to troubleshoot. The good news is that there are some simple steps you can take to identify and resolve common website problems. In this article, we'll discuss eight easy steps you can take to troubleshoot your website quickly and efficiently. With these tips, you'll be able to get your website back up and running in no time. 1. Check Your Server Status. The first step in troubleshooting your website is to check the status of your server. If your server is down or experiencing issues, it could be the cause of any problems you're having with your website. You can check the status of your server by accessing the control panel for your hosting provider. This will give you an overview of any issues that may be affecting your server and allow you to take the necessary steps to resolve them. 2. Review Your Website Logs. After checking your server status, your next step is to review your website logs. Logs are a great way to identify any errors or issues that may be occurring on your website. Reviewing the log files lets you pinpoint the exact source of the problem and take steps to resolve it quickly. Logs can also provide valuable insights into how visitors interact with your website, which can help you optimize your website for better performance. 3. Test Your Website Performance. The third step in troubleshooting your website is to test its performance. This can be done by using a tool such as Google PageSpeed Insights or WebPageTest. These tools will analyze your website and provide you with detailed information about its loading speed, page size, and other performance metrics. This will allow you to identify any areas of improvement that could help improve the overall performance of your website. 4. Inspect Your Code for Errors. If you've tested your website performance, your next step is to inspect your code for errors. This can be done by using a tool such as Firebug or Chrome DevTools. These tools will allow you to view your website's HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code and identify any errors that may be causing issues. Once you have identified the errors, you can take steps to fix them and ensure that your website is running smoothly. 5. Check for Broken Links. The fifth step in troubleshooting your website is to check for broken links. Broken links can cause a variety of issues, such as slow loading times and poor user experience. Various tools can help you identify any broken links on your website, such as Screaming Frog or Xenu Link Sleuth. Once you have identified the broken links, you can take steps to fix them and ensure that your website is running smoothly on all platforms, including mobile devices. 6. Ensure You Have the Latest Updates Installed. Ensuring that you have the latest updates installed is imperative if you want a highly performant website. Outdated software can cause a variety of issues, such as security vulnerabilities and compatibility problems. It's important to keep your website up-to-date with the latest versions of any software or plugins you may be using. You can check for updates by accessing the control panel for your hosting provider or by using a tool such as WP Updates Notifier. 7. Analyze Traffic Patterns to Identify Issues. You should also analyze traffic patterns to identify any issues that may be causing your website to perform poorly. Analyzing traffic patterns can help you identify any areas of your website that may be causing problems, such as slow loading times or high bounce rates. You can use tools such as Google Analytics or Hotjar to track and analyze user behavior on your website. This will allow you to identify any potential issues and take steps to resolve them. 8. Monitor Your Website Regularly. Finally, remember to monitor your website regularly, as it will allow you to identify any potential issues before they become serious problems. You can use tools such as Uptime Robot or Pingdom to monitor your website's uptime and performance. In this way, you can ensure that your website is running smoothly and that any potential issues are identified quickly so that they can be addressed promptly.   Drupal 10 for High Website Performance Drupal 10, launched last month, is the latest version of one of the most powerful content management systems that can help you achieve high website performance. Drupal 10 offers a range of features designed to improve the speed and efficiency of your website, such as caching, minification, and optimization.  Among the best features we can find: Symfony 6 compatibility. Site owners and module developers will benefit from as much Symfony 6 compatibility as possible, and Symfony 4 deprecations in Drupal 9 for Symfony 5 will be resolved. Supported solutions for rebuilding jQuery UI functionality by using either vanilla JavaScript or frameworks like React. jQuery UI components used by Drupal core will be removed. Best practices for deprecating modules. Users will be able to use a proper mechanism for naming, versioning, deprecating wrappers, etc. A 'lifecycle' - property can be used in info.yml files for themes and modules. Better decoupled developer and site builder experiences, especially for menu and URL handling. Introduction of CKEditor 5 with better authoring experience and more modern editing (replacing CKEditor 4). PHP 8.1 compatibility for Drupal 9 and Drupal 10. Theme Starterkit tools for bespoke theme creation. You can learn more about how Drupal 10 can take your website to the next level in this article. Drupal 10 Migration If you're considering migrating to Drupal 10, we can help. Optasy's team of highly skilled developers can help you migrate your website to Drupal 10 quickly and efficiently. We can also provide ongoing support and maintenance for your website, ensuring it runs smoothly and optimally. Contact us today to learn more about our Drupal 10 migration services.   Photo credit: Pixabay.... Read more
Raluca Olariu / Jan 11'2023
DrupalNews
Why You Should Choose Drupal 10 in 2023

Why You Should Choose Drupal 10 in 2023

  As technology continues to evolve, it is important for businesses to stay ahead of the curve and choose the right platform for their website. Drupal 10 was released in December 2022, and it promises to be a powerful and reliable content management system (CMS). With its advanced features, scalability, security, and flexibility, Drupal 10 is an ideal choice for businesses looking to build a modern website. In this article, we will discuss why you should choose Drupal 10 for your next web development project. Advanced Features of Drupal 10 Drupal 10 comes with a range of advanced features that make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to build a modern website. These features include: Automatic Updates: Drupal 10 offers automatic updates, so you can keep your website up-to-date without having to manually update the software. This ensures that your website is always running the latest version of Drupal and is secure from any potential security threats. Responsive Design: Drupal 10 comes with a responsive design that ensures your website looks great on any device, from desktop computers to mobile phones. This makes it easier for users to access your website from any device and helps to improve user experience. Accessibility: Drupal 10 is designed with accessibility in mind, making it easier for people with disabilities to access your website. This helps to ensure that your website is accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. Multilingual Support: Drupal 10 supports multiple languages, so you can easily create a multilingual website that caters to a global audience. This makes it easier for businesses to reach out to a wider range of customers and expand their customer base. SEO Optimization: Drupal 10 comes with built-in SEO optimization tools that help to improve your website’s visibility in search engine results. This makes it easier for customers to find your website and helps to increase traffic and conversions.   Scalability and Flexibility  Drupal 10 is highly scalable and flexible, making it easy to customize your website to meet your specific needs. You can easily add new features and functionality to your website without having to start from scratch. This makes it easier for businesses to keep up with changing customer demands and stay ahead of the competition. Additionally, Drupal 10 is built on a modular architecture that allows you to easily add and remove modules as needed. This makes it easy to customize your website and keep it up-to-date with the latest features.   Security Benefits Drupal 10 is built with security in mind, making it one of the most secure content management systems available. It comes with a range of security features that help to protect your website from potential threats, such as SQL injection attacks and cross-site scripting. Additionally, Drupal 10 is regularly updated with the latest security patches to ensure that your website is always secure.   Cost-Effectiveness Cost-effectiveness is another major benefit of choosing Drupal 10 for your next web development project. Drupal 10 is an open source platform, meaning that it is free to use and customize. This makes it a cost-effective solution for businesses looking to build a website without breaking the bank. Additionally, Drupal 10 comes with a range of features and functionality that can help you save time and money when building your website.   Why Choose Drupal 10 in 2023? Selecting Drupal 10 in 2023 is a great choice for businesses looking to build a website that is secure, reliable, and cost-effective. Drupal 10 offers automatic updates, responsive design, multilingual support, SEO optimization, scalability and flexibility, and security benefits.  Migrate to Drupal 10 If you’re currently using an older version of Drupal, you can easily migrate to Drupal 10. The migration process is straightforward and can be completed quickly with the help of a professional web development team like Optasy. This will ensure that your website is up-to-date and secure, so you can continue to provide customers with the best possible experience. Contact us for more information about your migration process. Learn more about Drupal 10 by reading this blog post.   Photo credit: Unsplash.... Read more
Raluca Olariu / Jan 05'2023

Browse cities

×

Toronto

WordPress Development Services in Toronto
iOS App Development Services in Toronto
Drupal Development Services in Toronto
Magento Development Services in Toronto
Laravel Development Services in Toronto

Montreal

WordPress Development Services in Montreal
iOS App Development Services in Montreal
Laravel Development Services in Montreal
Drupal Development Services in Montreal
Magento Development Services in Montreal

Vancouver

Magento Development Services in Vancouver
iOS App Development Services in Vancouver
Drupal Development Services in Vancouver
WordPress Development Services in Vancouver
Laravel Development Services in Vancouver

New York

WordPress Development Services in New York
Laravel Development Services in New York
iOS App Development Services in New York
Drupal Development Services in New York
Magento Development Services in New York

Need a new Project?

Dare us to shape and boost your idea(s)!

Start a Project

(416) 243-2431

Contact

(416) 243-2431

contact@optasy.com

Toronto Downtown

First Canadian Place,
100 King St. W. Suite 5700, Toronto

Toronto West

2275 Upper Middle
Rd. E, Suite 101
Toronto

New York

1177 Avenue of the
Americas, 5th Floor,
New York

Newsletter

Get the latest OPTASY news, tips and how-to’s on the go, right in your inbox!
OPTASY
clutch
Pantheon Premier Partner
  • Drupal 8
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • Partners

  • Drupal
  • Google
  • Magento
  • Shopify
  • Wordpress
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Drupal
  • Cities
  • Support

© 2023 All Rights Reserved. Built with Drupal