Custom Settings for InSite Search in Ingeniux CMS

InSite Search within Ingeniux CMS is a robust tool that enables users to locate content efficiently. While the default settings cater to general needs, custom settings allow administrators to fine-tune search functionality to better match specific requirements. These custom settings can influence everything from which documents are indexed to how search results are ranked. This article explores key custom settings available in InSite Search, explaining what they do and why you might want to configure them.

Example Custom Settings

Setting: IndexingControlField

• Name: IndexingControlField
• Value Type: String
• Default Value: -empty-
• Example Value: NoIndex

Description

This setting controls whether specific pages are included in the search index. By defining a particular element name (such as NoIndex), you can instruct the search indexer to skip certain pages. This is useful for excluding content like utility pages, outdated information, or draft content that should not be searchable by the general user.

Why You Might Use It

If your site includes pages that should not be indexed for search (such as internal documentation, thank-you pages, or error pages), setting up IndexingControlField helps maintain a clean and relevant search experience for users.

Setting: documentComponents

• Name: documentComponents
• Value Type: String
• Default Value: -empty-
• Example Value: BinaryDocument, Block

Description

This setting specifies which schema components should be included in the content indexing process. Multiple components can be listed, separated by commas.

Why You Might Use It

If your website leverages modular components or blocks of content that are reused across multiple pages, indexing these components ensures that the content is searchable, even when it doesn’t reside on a standard webpage.

Setting: documentLocations

• Name: documentLocations
• Value Type: String
• Default Value: -empty-
• Example Value: documents, code/documentation, qa/instructions/processes

Description

This setting defines the paths to folders containing documents (e.g., PDFs, MS Word files) that should be indexed. If not configured, the indexer defaults to indexing all files in the documents folder.

Why You Might Use It

To streamline the search index and improve performance, you might want to index only specific directories where important documents reside, rather than indexing all available files indiscriminately.

Setting: OnlyIndexSearchables

• Name: OnlyIndexSearchables
• Value Type: Boolean
• Default Value: false
• Example Value: true

Description

This setting instructs the indexer to include only those fields marked with the Searchable attribute in the search index.

Why You Might Use It

This setting is beneficial when you want to restrict the search index to the most relevant fields, minimizing unnecessary data and improving search performance by excluding non-essential content from the index.

Setting: IFilterTimeOut

• Name: IFilterTimeOut
• Value Type: Integer
• Default Value: 30
• Example Value: 40

Description

This setting determines the maximum time (in seconds) the indexer waits for a response when indexing documents through iFilter.

Why You Might Use It

Adjusting the timeout value can help manage performance, especially if you are indexing large or complex documents that may require more time to process. Increasing the timeout ensures that important documents aren’t skipped due to timeouts.

Setting: IncludeComponentContentInPage

• Name: IncludeComponentContentInPage
• Value Type: Boolean
• Default Value: false
• Example Value: true

Description

This setting re-indexes pages whenever content components included in those pages are changed. Search results will return the parent page's ID instead of the component’s ID.

Why You Might Use It

If your site heavily utilizes reusable content components, enabling this setting ensures that updates to those components are reflected in the search index, thereby keeping search results up-to-date.

Setting: ExcludeDocumentExtensions

• Name: ExcludeDocumentExtensions
• Value Type: String
• Default Value: -empty-
• Example Value: xml, css, js

Description

This setting allows you to exclude certain file types from being indexed, such as technical files (xml, css, js) that are not relevant for end-user search results.

Why You Might Use It

Excluding non-relevant file types helps focus the search index on meaningful content, improving the quality and relevance of search results while reducing index size and processing time.

Setting: ExcludeDocumentPaths

• Name: ExcludeDocumentPaths
• Value Type: String
• Default Value: -empty-
• Example Value: IntranetDocs, MyDocs/Private, Do/Not/Index

Description

This setting specifies folder paths that should be excluded from the search index, ensuring that content within these paths does not appear in search results.

Why You Might Use It

Use this setting to prevent internal or sensitive documents from being indexed and accidentally made searchable by users who should not have access to this content.

Setting: EnabledDepthBoostFactor

• Name: EnabledDepthBoostFactor
• Value Type: Boolean
• Default Value: true
• Example Value: true

Description

This setting applies a boost factor based on the depth of the page within the site structure. Pages closer to the root receive a higher score.

Why You Might Use It

Prioritizing content closer to the site root can be useful for emphasizing main pages or sections of your site in search results, making them more accessible to users.

Setting: DocumentIndexingBoost

    Name: DocumentIndexingBoost

    Value Type: Integer

    Default Value: 0.25

    Example Value: 1.0

Description

This setting allows you to apply a boost factor to document indexing, influencing how highly these documents rank in search results.

Why You Might Use It

Boosting document indexing can help prioritize important documents, such as key policy PDFs or user guides, ensuring they appear higher in search results when relevant terms are queried.

Other Settings

As you build out your InSite Search implementation, you may discover the need for additional settings. Custom settings offer the flexibility to add any configurations necessary for your specific requirements.

By configuring custom settings in InSite Search, you can fine-tune the search experience to align with the unique needs of your website and its users. Thoughtfully choosing which content to index and adjusting boost parameters can greatly enhance search relevance, performance, and overall user satisfaction. Always test custom settings in a staging environment before applying them to your live site to ensure smooth implementation and avoid any unintended issues.