Search Mode decides which pages can appear in the results: pages that contain the visitor's words, pages close to what the visitor means, or both. Semantic ↔ Lexical Balance then decides their order.
The five modes
- Union, the default: the broadest. A page can appear because it has the words or because it is close in meaning, even without the exact words.
- Keywords Required (KW Required in the panel): every result has the words, and meaning improves the order. Good for product names and part numbers.
- Meaning Required (Meaning Req. in the panel): every result is close in meaning, and the words improve the order. Good for questions in plain language.
- Intersection: only pages that have the words and are close in meaning. The fewest results, the most precise.
- Lexical Only: the words alone. The meaning step is skipped for every search.
Change it
- Open Search Tuning in the settings of your index.
- Under Search Mode, click a mode. It is saved at once.
- To go back to Union, click Reset next to Search Mode.
Good to know
- Searches of one or two characters always run on the words alone.
- On the hosted search page visitors can switch AI off for their own searches: AI on or off for visitors. With Lexical Only that switch is hidden and every search runs on the words.
- Every plan includes 500 AI requests a month (Pricing, API Quota). When this month's AI requests run out, the panel says so, only Lexical Only can be chosen and your search page runs on the words until the allowance renews.
- Search Mode appears when your index can use AI search.