Step by Step to Setup SearchStax with Sitecore

In this article, We will do setup SearchStax with running Sitecore Instance. 

Setup Prerequisites

• Sitecore Instance must be up and running (where we will be setting up SearchStax)

• Check compatibility for SearchStax package with Sitecore Instance from below URL https://www.searchstax.com/docs/searchstudio/sitecore-module/ 

• Before Installation, please collect SearchStax's Credentials for 
• SearchStax Portal
• Collect Search and Suggest API URL from https://searchstudio.searchstax.com/apps-management Search API Section
• Solr read-only and Admin (Username/Password) from below Location
• To get Index Core Name - Go to Search URL from https://searchstudio.searchstax.com/apps-management Search API Section. For example: https://xxxxxxx.searchstax.com/solr/Index-Core-Name/emselect

Steps to Setup Searchstax

• Login to Sitecore Instance

• Install Searchstax module as per compatibility (Can take reference from above Prerequisites)

• Once package installation done, configure Searchstax index from Launchpad View or by URL https://YourInstance/searchstax/configuration

• Once clicked on Sitecore Module Configuration, will see below screen. After this click on Create An Index and fill all details (As per mentioned, in above Prerequisites)

• Once Index creation done, Go to Control Panel and trigger below action
• Click on Populate Solr Managed Schema (select only SearchStax Index)
• Index Managed (select only SearchStax Index)

• After that click on https://searchstudio.searchstax.com/apps-management/ Search API section. Click Reload Schema.
• Now will do Search configuration from https://searchstudio.searchstax.com/search-configuration and will add below entries if not there. After change - Click Save and Publish.

• From Relevance modeling https://searchstudio.searchstax.com/relevance-models will Select Default Model and then add fields where search will happens. For example

• Now From Searchstax setup is done. To verify with Sitecore will add Search Page Item and then Publish Search Page.

Hope this was easy and helpful to you. Please share if face any challenge during Setup.

Note:

• Please make sure to save and Publish after every Change.
• All above Steps must need to be done sequentially.
• After Every Changes in configuration File, Need to Click Reload Schema from Searchstax Portal.

Introduction to SearchStax - Search with Sitecore

There are various providers to implement Search with Sitecore Instance. Today's article will help to understand about Searchstax with Sitecore.

Currently we have options as provider to implement search like - Lucene, solr, azure. Also tools that makes search Implementation easy, fast and with analytics features - Coveo & Searchstax.

But with my experience on Searchstax there are below points as feature which makes it unique and reason to use Searchstax.

1. Readymade Search (ready to use with any Sitecore project in next 10 mins) with Multi-site options - with no code change required.

2. Easy interface to manage analytics and only Integration activity from Sitecore CMS.

3. Custom Search Page Implementation (Can change any existing Custom search page provider connection from existing to SearchStax search API)

There are also list of features with SearchStax to use for Search analytics

facet, sort, hit highlighting

Stop words, synonyms, spell check and auto-suggest

Field boosting, rules and Promotions

Reporting options on Search analytics

Readymade search page theming, Preview feature on Search page.

Benefits to use Searchstax for search

High availability, no field limits

Search item's click or searched key level tracking

No-additional pre-requisites skill required for developers

 

There is no change for below points

for computed index, there is no change in code/configuration to implement.

Field/Template include/exclude configurations are same as with other providers.

Connect to any environment search index from developer's machine.

From developer's machine - index setup and code debugging as very easy [bcz of search endpoint API].