Documentation > Errors

My search query does not return the correct results

Errors

The Short Answer

If your search query is not returning the results you expect, the issue is almost always in how your search is configured — your schema, your query parameters, your analyzer chain, or your application code. Opensolr provides the Solr hosting platform; the search behavior is determined by your configuration.

Think of it this way: Opensolr is like a library building — we provide the shelves, the lights, the heating. But how the books are organized on those shelves (your schema), and how you search for them (your queries) — that is your setup.

Common Reasons Results Look Wrong

WHY SEARCH RESULTS MAY LOOK WRONGWrong Field SearchedQuery hits field A butyour data is in field BAnalyzer MismatchIndex-time and query-timeanalyzers disagreeMissing DataDocuments were notindexed or committedFilter Queries (fq)Hidden filters silentlyexclude matching docsRelevancy ScoringResults exist but rankedtoo low to appear on page 1Stopwords / SynonymsCommon words removedor synonyms not configuredAll of these are controlled by your schema and query setup — not by Opensolr.Opensolr runs the engine. You control what it finds.

How to Debug Search Results

1. Use the Solr Admin Query Panel

Your Opensolr Index control panel has a Query tab where you can test queries directly against Solr. Add &debugQuery=true to see exactly how Solr scored each result and why.

2. Check Which Fields Are Being Searched

Make sure your query is hitting the right fields. The default search field (df parameter) might not be the field that contains your data.

// Search a specific field
q=title:your search term

// Search multiple fields with boosting
q=title:your search term^2 OR content:your search term

3. Check Your Analyzer Chain

Use the Analysis tab in the Solr Admin UI to see how your text is being processed at index time vs query time. If the index analyzer produces ["running"] but the query analyzer produces ["run"], they will not match.

4. Verify Documents Are Indexed

Run a simple q=*:*&rows=0 query to check your total document count. If it is 0 or lower than expected, your data was not indexed or committed properly.

Where to Get Help

Resource Best For
Apache Solr Reference Guide Query syntax, analyzers, schema design
Drupal Search API Solr Docs Drupal-specific Solr integration
Opensolr Support Platform issues, server errors, index health
Your Opensolr Error Log Server-side exceptions and warnings

Quick Checklist

  • Check which field your query is searching (df parameter or explicit field queries)
  • Add &debugQuery=true to see Solr's scoring explanation
  • Run q=*:*&rows=0 to verify your document count
  • Check the Analysis tab to compare index-time vs query-time processing
  • Review your schema.xml analyzer chain for the fields you are querying
  • Check for hidden fq (filter query) parameters in your application code

If you suspect a platform-level issue (server errors, timeouts, connection problems), reach out to us at support@opensolr.com — we will check your Opensolr Index health directly.