Target transitioned from their previous search platform to using Solr. Some benefits they found included the speed of importing data into Solr and the ease of adding additional data signals to improve relevancy. However, they had to start from scratch on their relevancy strategy in Solr and found facets worked differently between the platforms. Target also discussed how they were able to improve relevancy by incorporating guest activity data on their website to surface more viewed and ordered items.

1. Target.com Search + LucidWorks
#TargetSearch

2. 2
Change is constant…but we always reflect on our core culture

3. work & think
different
bring your skills not your title
be accountable
be transparent
progress over perfection

4. Setting sail with Solr…

5. 5
We have left port…
Solr POC
Production

6. 6
What we have learned so far…
Went Well Not so Well
• Transforming data into Solr • Facets are different between the
platforms
• Loading data to Solr using Dynamic
Fields
• Grouping and pagination
• Speed of importing data • Start from scratch on relevancy
• Relevancy strategy management
• Ease of adding additional data signals

7. <RECORD>
<PROP NAME="recordType">
<PVAL>Product</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="productTitle">
<PVAL>Converse® One Star® Men's Short Sleeve
Henley - Dog Bone L</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="listprice">
<PVAL>14.99</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="saleprice">
<PVAL>14.99</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="partNumber">
<PVAL>14930617</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="InvStatus">
<PVAL>0</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="categoryName">
<PVAL>short sleeve tees</PVAL>
</PROP>
<PROP NAME="categoryName">
<PVAL>shirts</PVAL>
</PROP>
Data Conversion
7
Catalog Feed
Solr
<doc>
<field name="D_Marketing">New</field>
<field name="D_Categories">4919|short sleeve
tees|Y|NOLEAF</field>
<field
name="D_Categories">4921|shirts|Y|NOLEAF</field>
<field name="D_Nav">0|4919</field>
<field name="D_Nav">1|4919|4921</field>
<field name="P_Record_Type">Product</field>
<field name="P_ListPrice">14.99</field>
<field name="P_OfferPrice">14.99</field>
<field name="D_PriceRange">B ($10 - $15)</field>
<field name="P_Inv_Status">0/field>
<field name="D_Inv_Status">0</field>
<field name="P_ProductInfoTitle">Converse® One
Star® Men's Short Sleeve Henley</field>
<field name="P_DefinedAttributes">Size</field>
.
.
.

8. <dynamicField name="D_*" type="text_en_splitting" stored="true"
multiValued="true"/>
<dynamicField name="*_facet" type="string" indexed="true"
stored="true" multiValued="true"/>
.
.
.
<copyField source="D_*" dest="*_facet"/>
Dynamic Fields
8
In Solr Schema:

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Signals = Relevancy
Basic Question: How do you take basic information from activity on your website and use it
to make results more relevant? Example: Hello Kitty

10. Solr’s default strategy finds what it
“thinks” is most relevant
Untuned results
10

11. Once Solr is told to look at the most
viewed/ordered items… voila!
Results with guest data
11

12. Questions?