Auto-Suggest

    
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Problem Summary

Auto-suggest offers search term suggestions while the user types into a search box. The suggestions made can be metadata tags or facet values that apply to the records, terms that appear within the content, or a combination of both. Auto-suggest can provide assistance by:              

  • Guiding the user to valid or more productive search terms.
  • Mapping the user’s keyword to a facet value, leading to a more focused set of results.
  • Suggesting corrected spelling before the search request has been submitted.
  • Suggesting the correct formatting for non-standard language when a specific format is needed to return accurate results (e.g., part numbers, location codes, etc.).
  • Suggesting terms that give clues about the structure and categories of the records before the user submits a search query.





Usages

  • When there is a limited number of predictable searches that can return a valid set of results — such as a search of a list of cities or a set of product categories.
  • When specific formatting is required to return accurate results — such as part numbers or document codes.
  • When a user may benefit from matching terms from within the content of the records being searched.

Constraints and Challenges

  • Response time is critical to auto-suggest. For auto-suggest to be effective, suggestions must appear in real time and update as the user is typing. Limiting the scope to a specific set of facet values or to terms from a relatively small set of records facilitates this.

Solution Elements

  1. As the user is typing, display matching items/entries beneath the search box in a dynamic panel.
 
  1. Invoke the auto-suggest panel only after a minimum of three characters has been entered.
 
  1. Initiate an auto-suggested search by allowing the user either to: 1) select one of the suggestions, or 2) select a “Submit” button.
 
  1. Display a limited number of options in the auto-suggest list.
 
  1. Auto-suggest should highlight the matching substring within each of the suggestions.
 
  1. Consider implementing a spell-correction feature into the auto-suggest panel.
 
  1. Optional: Matching items in the auto-suggest panel should be segmented into groups to help users focus on the relevant information being returned.
 

Accessibility Considerations

  1. Allow the user to navigate up and down through the list of suggestions by using arrow keys.
 
  1. Pressing the “Enter” key should submit the search based on the current focus.
 

Cautions

Avoid returning items in the auto-suggest list that are solely merchandised content or that do not match the terms that the user is typing.
 

Rationale

Auto-suggest is intended to work in conjunction with the user’s typing actions to make relevant suggestions as the user is typing.
 

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