Adding Rules to Search

Rule Types

There are two types of search rules:

• Global Rules: Apply across all search experiences regardless of the search term entered.
• Search Term Rules: Apply only when a user searches for a specific keyword or phrase.

You can manage both rule types directly within the Playground or via the Rules tab in the main navigation.

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Merchandising Controls

Each Rule applies one control type that determines how matching products behave within the strategy.

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Application Scope

These controls can be applied to a wide variety of data points, including:

• Catalog Attributes: Themes, margins, inventory levels, or star ratings.
• Specific Identifiers: Individual Product IDs (SKUs).
• Business Logic: Any custom attribute defined in your product feed.

Note: If a product is targeted by both an Only Show rule and a Hide rule, the Hide rule takes precedence and the product will be removed.

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Advanced Customization: Adding Rules & Conditions

Search strategies use a Rules → Conditions hierarchy to determine exactly which products surface to your customers.

Conditions

A Condition is a single, atomic check against your product catalog.

• Examples: Price < $50, Category = Jackets, or Margin > 20%.

Rules

A Rule acts as a container for one or more Conditions.

• Conditions within a single Rule can be combined using AND / OR logic.

Multiple Rules

Rules themselves can also be combined with AND / OR logic. This flexibility allows you to build everything from simple filters to complex, multi-layer logic trees.

Logic Summary

To help visualize the hierarchy:

• Condition = Atomic check
• Rule = Logical group of conditions
• Multiple Rules = Your full search strategy

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Condition Examples by Attribute

Below are common configurations for applying merchandising logic across different product attributes.

Price & Margin

• Price
  • Only Show Price < $50 → Only budget products appear.
  • Hide Price > $200 → Luxury items are removed from view.
  • Bury Price > $150 → Higher-priced items sink to the bottom.
  • Promote Price < $40 → Entry-level items rise to the top.
• Margin
  • Only Show Margin > 20% → Focus exclusively on profitable inventory.
  • Hide Margin < 5% → Automatically remove unprofitable items.
  • Bury Margin < 15% → Reduce visibility for thin-margin products.
  • Promote Margin > 35% → Aggressively boost high-profit items.

Collection & Product ID

• Collection (Taxon)
  • Only Show Taxon = Men’s Jackets
  • Hide Taxon = Clearance
  • Bury Taxon = Accessories
  • Promote Taxon = New Arrivals
• Product ID (SKU)
  • Only Show Product ID = 123456
  • Hide Product ID = 789101
  • Bury Product ID = 222333
  • Promote Product ID = 999888

Theme

• Only Show Theme = Summer Collection
• Hide Theme = Holiday Specials
• Bury Theme = Flash Sale
• Promote Theme = Limited Edition

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Precedence Order

Eligibility is always evaluated before ranking.

1. Hide (Highest priority - if it's hidden, other criteria will not apply).
2. Pin (Overrides other criteria besides Hide).
3. Only Show (Filter logic).
4. Promote / Bury (Final ranking adjustments).

[!IMPORTANT] A product must pass both the Hide and Only Show logic checks before Promote or Bury ranking changes are applied.

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Grouping Rules & Conditions — Examples

The power of the strategy engine lies in combining multiple rules and conditions. Here is how logic translates to results:

Simple AND Rule

• Rule 1 — Only Show
  • Conditions (AND): Category = Women’s Accessories AND Price < $100
• Result: Only women’s accessories under $100 are eligible.

OR Conditions Within One Rule

• Rule 1 — Promote
  • Conditions (OR): Theme = New Arrival OR Margin > 40%
• Result: Either new arrivals or very high-margin items receive a boost.

Multiple Rules with AND (Eligibility + Blocking)

• Rule 1 — Only Show (AND): Category = Men’s Jackets, Price < $180, Inventory > 0
• Rule 2 — Hide (OR): Theme = Clearance, Margin < 8%, Product Rating < 3 Stars
• Result: Only in-stock men’s jackets under $180 are eligible; however, any items that are clearance, low-margin, or poorly rated are removed entirely.

Mixed Eligibility + Ranking (Layered Strategy)

This approach separates hard eligibility gates from soft ranking influence.

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Creating & Testing Rules

Create a Rule

Navigate to the Rules tab in the left sidebar, then select the rule type you want to configure:

• Global Rules: Click to add new or existing rules to your global configuration, then click Save.
• Search Term Rules: View your active rules in the overview table. Click Create Rule, define your rule logic, and click Save to apply the changes.

Test Your Rules

Before publishing to production, open the Playground to test, preview, and validate your rule logic against live data in a safe sandbox environment.