Smart Search
The Smart Search feature improves the relevance of search results by ranking records so that the best matches appear at the top. Rather than returning results in an arbitrary or purely alphabetical order, Smart Search analyses how closely each record matches your search terms and presents results accordingly.
How Smart Search Works
When you type into the Search box in the toolbar, xAssets evaluates every matching record against your search text and assigns a relevance score. Records are then sorted by this score, highest first, so the most relevant results appear at the top of the list.
The ranking algorithm considers several factors:
| Factor | Effect on Ranking |
|---|---|
| Exact match | A field that matches the search text exactly scores highest |
| Starts with | A field value that begins with the search text scores higher than one that contains it in the middle |
| Multiple field matches | A record that matches the search text in more than one field (e.g., both description and location) scores higher than a record that matches in only one field |
| Primary fields | Matches in primary fields such as asset description and computer name are weighted more heavily than matches in secondary fields |
Smart Search vs Exact Match
In earlier versions of xAssets, search returned results that contained the search text anywhere in any searchable field, with no particular ordering. Smart Search adds intelligent ranking on top of this behaviour:
| Behaviour | Exact Match (Legacy) | Smart Search |
|---|---|---|
| Results included | All records containing the search text | All records containing the search text |
| Result ordering | No relevance ordering (typically database order) | Best matches first |
| Partial matches | Included but not distinguished from exact matches | Included but ranked lower |
| Performance | Fast | Fast -- ranking is computed during the existing search query |
Smart Search does not exclude any results that would have appeared previously. It only changes the order in which they are displayed.
Tips for Getting Better Results
Be specific. A search for "Dell Latitude 5520" will rank exact model matches above other Dell products. A search for just "Dell" will return many results with less differentiation.
Use multiple words. Searching for "London Server" will rank records that match both "London" and "Server" above records that match only one of those words.
Use the asset reference number. If you know the exact asset reference (e.g., "A-001234"), type the full reference for the fastest single-record result.
Check the search type. The search box supports multiple search types (Assets, IP Address, Custodians, etc.). Make sure you are searching the correct type for what you are looking for. See Finding Assets for details on search types.
Tip: Smart Search ranking is automatic and requires no configuration. It works with all search types and with custom search queries created by administrators.
Tip: If you are searching for a computer by IP address, switch to the "IP Address and Computer Name" search type for better results. The default asset search does not include IP address fields.
How Administrators Can Influence Search
Administrators can influence which fields are included in the search by editing the underlying search query. Fields added to the search query become searchable and contribute to the relevance ranking. See the Configuration Guide for details on editing queries.
The ranking algorithm itself is built into the system and does not require configuration.
Related Articles
- Finding Assets -- all methods for locating assets
- Search Results -- understanding the results screen
- Selecting Assets -- selecting records from the results for further actions