The AI Switch
Next to Fresh, the hosted search page can show an AI switch. On, the search matches both the words and the meaning of what the visitor typed (hybrid search). Off, it matches the exact words only, which some visitors prefer for part numbers and codes.
How it behaves
- It starts in the position that matches the Search Mode you chose in Search Tuning: on for every hybrid mode (Search Mode).
- A visitor's click changes only that visitor's searches. Your settings do not change.
- The choice stays in the address of the page, so it can be shared, and it stays through paging, the two tabs, Did you mean, filters and new searches.
- A visitor who turns it off and on again gets the standard hybrid search, where a result may match by words or by meaning, even if you chose a stricter hybrid mode.
- Search operators such as quotes,
+and-work the same with the switch on or off.
When the switch is hidden
The switch shows only where AI can run. It is hidden, and every search uses exact words, when:
- your Search Mode is Lexical Only. This always wins: a link that asks for AI is ignored;
- the plan of the index owner has no AI;
- the index owner has used the AI requests of the month. The switch comes back when there are requests again (API Quota, plans).
One more case: a search by photo where Opensolr read the text on the picture runs on exact words, because it is usually a code or a product number. The visitor's own choice comes back with the next search they type (Search by image).
On your own website, the embed code can set the starting position with data-ai="yes" or data-ai="no", under the same rules (Embed code options).