Collect/analyze search terms from portal searches

[geoffluk]

Hi all,

We've recently deployed the Service Portal to replace our previous CMS portal, and we've made a push for people to begin using the search widget. We are finding that people seem to be using the typeahead search widget to either find a record producer or a knowledge base item, but we'd like more insight about this use.

We've tried scouring for places where the search terms might be recorded, but we've only been able to find tables that store research terms/results of the global search in the main UI. For example, there are ts_search_summary.list, text_search.list, ts_query_kb.list, and so on. These are specific to the other tables and knowledge bases at large, and not specific to search terms typed in by our users into our typeahead search widget.

Has anyone found a way to run a report or pull up a list of just the search terms users have typed into their portal search? It's OK if it also includes search results, but what we're really interested in is seeing people's search trends over time, and how we can adapt our portal to these trends.

Thanks!

[geoffluk]

Yes, we've been using the ts_query_kb table for our reports, and it's basically as "clean" as we can be without having to do a lot of other digging around. It's not capturing everything typed into the global search in the typeahead widget, but it's enough for us now.

Thank you!

[Michael QCKM]

While the ts_query_kb does show those searches, it doesn't allow you see WHERE the searches were done (an Native UI Knowledge Base (and which one?), from a Task, from a Portal (which one?) 

As previously noted, with type-ahead on, you'll see many, many rows for one single users search.  This is because it logs every 500 milliseconds (1/2 second) instead of only logging a completed search when the user presses Enter.
This "feature" makes it near impossible to gain understanding of what users are actually searching for because you must wade through row after row of useless mid-searches.

This same data feeds the Top Searches widget, so anywhere you have type-ahead turned on will show silly results like the letter "u" as a top search (because users begin searches with "u" as in u, un, able to lo, gin to laptop - depending on how fast they type.

[KatL]

Hi Kim,

This was very helpful, thank you. I am hoping you could clarify where to find this home page that shows "top searches"

[gputker]

This was really helpful - thank you.