In this article, you can learn how to search for content in Happeo.
(December 14th, 2023): Search Analytics calculation improvements
This year, we introduced a new Search experience in Happeo, improving the overall search experience for users and making it easier to find results. Now, we have fine-tuned the Search Analytics calculations to align with the evolving search patterns of our users. Further details can be found in the “How Search Analytics are calculated” section of this article or in this blog post.
Happeo's Search is extremely powerful. It searches from:
- Channels
- Posts
- Organization users
- Pages
- Google Drive
- Google Sites
- Google Calendar
- Gmail
- Microsoft OneDrive
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Calendar
- Federated Search Connectors
When you need to find specific information or content, Happeo's Search is a great tool to use!
Admin Settings: Search
When you navigate to your Admin settings and click on Search, you will find the default Happeo apps and the Connectors you have authenticated to see Search Results and Predictions. Please see this article for more information on how to authenticate Search Connectors.
By clicking on the downward pointing arrow next to a Search Connector, you can toggle on or off Search or Predictions.
- Search refers to content being shown from Search Connectors in the full Search Overview
- Predictions refer to content being shown from Search Connectors based on Search Predictions (search bar autocomplete)
For more information about Admin Settings: Search, please see this article.
Beginning the search process
To get started, you can start by clicking the Search Bar at the top center of the platform.
You will first be presented with Quick Filters. Quick Filters help you search faster, showcasing Search Connectors such as:
- Channels
- Posts (Posts, Articles, and Announcements)
- Pages
- People
- Launcher
- Sites
- Hashtags
- Integrations
- Federated Search Connectors
You can click Show more / Show less to adjust your Quick Filter view.
To customize your quick filters, please see the article “Admin Settings: Search.”
You will also be presented with a list of your most recent searches.
If you want to declutter the results for your most recent searches, you can click the X next to one of your searches or click Clear all at the top of your recent searches.
When you begin to type, Happeo will automatically display Search Predictions. If you wish to manage which Search Connectors yield Search Predictions, you can do so in the Admin Settings > Search.
If you wish to reorder the appearance of the Quick Filters, you can also do so in Admin Settings > Search.
If you are unhappy with what you initially typed, click Clear at the right of the Search Bar.
Alternatively, if you want to stop the search process, you can click the X at the right of the Search Bar.
Wide Search
Type something into the Search Bar and press Enter to perform a wide search. This will show you the top results.
You can find filters on the left side of the page, specifically section filters and app filters such as Happeo’s Search Connectors and other Search Connectors (integrated apps) you’ve installed from the App Marketplace.
By default, you will be presented with the All Results filter, but you can click one of the filters to reorganize your search results.
Search Results within Happeo can be found in one unified list on the center-left of the page. These results include Happeo Channels, Pages, People, Posts, and Launcher items.
You can find search results for Integrations, Apps, and hashtags on the right side of the page. You can click View all to view all results for one of the aforementioned.
By clicking any of the Search Results, you will be taken to the destination to which the Search Result belongs, whether it’s within Happeo or another location such as Google Drive or Slack.
Other actionable items
When you hover over a search result, you can find a set of actions depending on the content type.
Happeo action items
- Pages
- Open in new tab
- Bookmark
- Share
- Channels
- Join or request to join (if you are not a member)
- The action of joining or requesting to join works in the same way as in Discover Channels. This means that we will not make any additional requests for calendar / folder access
- Open in new tab
- Bookmark
- Share
- Join or request to join (if you are not a member)
- Posts
- Open in new tab
- Bookmark
- Share
Different Search Sections
Pages
Searches through Happeo Page content that you have access to view. The search will index all content within Widgets on Pages and any hashtags added to Pages.
The filtering options include:
- Page Group
- Page author
- Page language
- Updated
Channels
Searches through all Happeo Channels that you are either a Participant of, can join, or can request to join. From the search, you can go to the Channel, join a Channel, or request to join a Channel.
The filtering options include:
- Visibility
- Open for everyone
- Needs access request
- Restricted
People
Searches through all People and Groups within Happeo.
The filtering options include:
- Department
- Title
- Location
Posts
Searches through all Posts and Comments within Happeo Channels. Search Results are based on the Channels that you are a Participant of.
Filtering options include:
- Search for (posts, comments, announcement, or article)
- Published
- Author
- Channel
- Attachments (with or without attachments)
- Suggestions: True or false
Launcher
Searches through your Launcher items and provides you with results from those items.
Filtering options include:
- All (all apps or favourites only)
- Sort by (alphabetical A-Z or Z-A)
How search results are indexed
The score of a search query is determined by its keyword match. We use Elastic search to assign these scores. The weight of each result type is not the same, and are weighted in the following order (Page Groups having the most weight and Posts having the least):
- Page Groups
- Pages
- Channels
- People
- Articles
- Posts
Scoring of search queries
Specific results will be boosted depending on where the search query appears. Boosts can be interpreted from a 1-3 scale, with 1 being the lowest boost and 3 being the highest. We use the following boosts:
- 1
- 1.3
- 1.5
- 2
- 3
For instance, if you search for ‘Sales’, Page Groups including the word ‘Sales’ will appear first, whereas Posts will appear last. Below, you can find content elements that affect the content scoring:
- Boost 3
- Page name – The keyword is included in the Page title
- User name – The keyword is included in the user’s name
- Boost 2
- Page Group (collection) – The keyword is included in a Page Group
- Channel name – The keyword is included in the Channel’s name
- Boost 1.5
- Page Group description – The keyword is included in the Page Group description
- Page description – The keyword is included in the Page description
- Channel description – The keyword is included in the Channel description
- Article title – The keyword is included in the Article title
- Boost 1.3
- Article subtitle – The keyword is included in the Article subtitle
- Hashtags – The keyword is included in hashtags (Pages, Channels, Articles, Posts, Comments- anywhere hashtags are used)
How are the results sorted?
In the Elasticsearch cluster, the search query is parsed into terms and then queried to a relevant index, such as Posts.
Documents (in this index, Posts) are given scores by algorithms and sorted based on the scores.
These algorithms take into account:
- Term match in the document
- Term frequency in the document
- Term frequency overall
- Term importance in the document (is it once in a 300-word document, or once in a 10-word document?)
- Term location in the document
- Partial searches/matches
- Document age (older documents are less relevant) - this is used more heavily in the case of Posts and comments, less in the case of Pages, and not used at all in the case of users and groups)
How results are ranked
Happeo results are ranked by 3 elements:
- Keyword relevance (simplified) – The number of times the search terms appear in the overall text matters. If you search for “product” and find a post with the word “product” listed twice in a total of 20 words, relevance will be 2/20 = 10%
- Custom attributes weighting – Search terms are more relevant depending on where they appear in the content, like Page titles. If the keyword you search is in a Page title, multiply relevance by 2
- Search logic – We use logic equations to apply additional relevance modifiers based on other conditions to the content. For instance, the relevancy of posts in results decrease by 50% if they are over a year old
Partial searches and suggestions
Partial searches
Typing part of a word or sentence correctly will show a correct result. However, misspelling a word or a sentence will show no results.
Suggestions
"Suggestion" means that the search suggests tags that were found by the search term and you can click on one of the suggested tags. In other words, it suggests hashtags related to the search by matching hashtags to the keyword.
Example case
Below, you can find an example using the keyword Sales.
- First, the algorithm will look if there are any Pages, Channels, or Users / Groups that match the keyword Sales. If there is any Page Group using the keyword Sales, that Page Group will appear first due to Page Groups having the most weight
- Then, if multiple Page Groups, Pages, Channels, or Users / Groups have the keyword Sales in their title, the algorithm will look at the description of Channels, Page Groups, and Pages. If any Page or Channel has the keyword Sales in its description, those results will be prioritized over other Pages and Channels without the keyword
- It’s important to note that Pages have a slightly larger weight when it comes to the description, so Pages will likely be prioritized if the keyword Sales appears in both a Channel and Page description
- If multiple Channels and Pages have the keyword Sales in their description, we will look at hashtags to break the tie
- And if hashtags also make a tie (i.e. two Pages have one single hashtag called Sales) then we will look at the content of that Page, Channel, Article, or Post and how many times the keyword is mentioned
- Users and Groups don’t have descriptions or hashtags, so naturally, they will not be prioritized over Pages and Channels if there is a tie between them. This is because Happeo’s Search is intended for content, whereas Happeo’s People Directory can be used to search for people instead
How to promote your content
Based on our search algorithm, the following include the best methods to ensure your content appears highest in the Search Results:
- Include keywords in the:
- Content title
- Content description
- Content hashtags
- For Pages: Page Hero title and Page Widgets
- More keywords include higher visibility. That’s why we recommend that you include a specific keyword multiple times throughout a content’s elements
- Longer descriptions ensure a greater boost, so we recommend that you write a moderate description (e.g. 1-2 sentences)
Other tips and tricks
Best practices for preserving important information
To ensure that important information shared in Channel Posts, Articles, and comments is not buried or lost, it is crucial to consider the display order of Posts
Currently, the display is based on recency, meaning that newer Posts appear higher than older ones, regardless of keyword usage. Given this arrangement, we highly recommend implementing a process to transfer essential information to a more permanent location, especially as time passes and more Posts are shared.
Best practices for maximizing visibility and long-term accessibility: Utilizing Articles for important information
To optimize the visibility and accessibility of important information, it is advisable to leverage the ranking system within the platform. Considering that Articles are ranked higher than Posts, we suggest creating an Article instead of a Post for such crucial information. Doing so ensures that the content will appear prominently in the Search Results, increasing its discoverability.
Moreover, opting for an Article over a Post ensures that the information can be easily resurfaced in the future. Articles hold a higher ranking, so they are more likely to be prioritized and remain accessible over time.
Best practices for content with multiple keywords
Happeo performs keyword-specific searches. In case you’re looking for content that’s specific to multiple keywords. Let’s take as an example a search for “Product Roadmap.”
We recommend you hashtag expected two-word search terms it so it’s #productroadmap. You can also search for just “roadmap,” as scrapping the adjective will make the search more effective–if you include “product,” it will search for other content that just has "product" in it. Users can search one word at a time to keep things simple.
Improve Happeo search functionality for embedded documents
To ensure that embedded documents, such as those using the Google Folder Widget, appear in Happeo's Search Results, please keep the following considerations in mind:
Document Name – The document must be named appropriately and should be included as any of the following:
- Part of the Page description or the Page name
- Written as the header of the Document Widget
- Included within the content of the Page using Text Widgets
- Utilized as a hashtag somewhere on the Page
Our search algorithm is designed to prioritize relevance and importance when displaying results for keywords in Pages, Channels, Posts, Articles, and People. However, if the keyword you are searching for exists solely within a document's name and is displayed within a third-party tool's widget (such as an embedded document or a Google Folder), Happeo can only locate the document within Google Workspace, OneDrive, etc. In such cases, you would need to navigate to, for example, the Google Workspace filter to find the document.
Nevertheless, adding a header to the Google Document Widget will make the Page containing the document visible in the Search Results, enhancing the overall search experience.
How Search Analytics are calculated
How they were calculated in the past
Our Search Analytics categorized user searches into three main groups: successful, failed, and refined. These categories accounted for 100% of all user interactions with our search system.
However, upon the release of the new search experience, how we defined failed and refined searches led to:
- Refined searches being classified as failed
- And successful searches as refined
This is why you might have seen your search success percentage decrease. In reality, some of those searches that were initially labeled as failed were actually successful when you consider the refined searches that followed.
For example:
- Changing “Produkt” to “Product” would be a failed search. This should have been a refined search
- Changing “Product” to “Product Roadmap” would count as a refined search
- If you start typing "Pro," see some results, get distracted for 5 seconds, and then continue by adding "duct" to form "product" and click on a result, it would be counted as two separate searches. One is a refined search, and the other is a successful search session rather than just one successful search
How they are calculated now
- Success and failure together make up 100% of total searches. Refined searches are calculated separately
- The concept of a refined and gave up query was redefined according to the current behavior
- Refined – This means that a user started a query and then changed that query. If you change the query to a different word completely, it won’t count as a refined search
- Gave up – This means that a user opened the search bar, typed in the query, did not click on any results, and left. It can also mean the user did nothing for 2 minutes or longer
- The Overview section in search analytics is based on Search Sessions
- Terms are based on Search Queries
- This means the average time to search increases, in some cases rather dramatically. However, this adjustment leads to greater accuracy, as a search session encompasses all the queries a user employed to reach their final result
You can still access your old search logic data. In the Search Analytics, a drop-down menu will be available until the 1st of April 2024. This allows you to see the data from before the introduction of the new calculation process, although the old logic cannot be applied to new data.
After the 1st of April, you can still access that data, but it will have to be through a CSV report which you can download.
Glossary
Search session – One search session can have multiple queries in it. When a user opens the search bar, a search session is started.
- Success – A user typed a query (or multiple) into the search bar, found what they were looking for, and clicked on the result
- Failure – A user typed a query (or multiple) into the search bar, didn’t find what they were looking for, and left
Search query – Any term that you look for in the search.
- Success / opened item – A user typed one query and clicked on the result
- Refined query – A user typed a query into the search bar, didn’t find what they were looking for, and changed the query (following an algorithm to determine the similarity of the queries)
- Failed / gave up query – A user typed a query and left the Search without clicking on anything or didn’t do anything for 2 mins
Q&A
Why are Search Results in “All Results” showing Posts made many years ago?
You might be seeing Posts from many years ago in the "All Results" section of Happeo's Search Results because the Search Results are sorted based on relevancy rather than recency. This means there may be cases in which older Posts deemed more relevant to your search query will be displayed higher in the results.
If you would like to ensure that specific results appear at the top, you can follow the instructions provided under the "How search results are indexed" section, specifically the guidelines on how to promote your content.
Why are the Search Results showing Posts made by removed users?
You may come across Posts made by removed users in the Search Results because when a user is removed from Happeo, the Posts and Articles they published are not automatically deleted. Instead, they are retained within the Happeo system. As a result, these Posts can still appear in Search Results even though the user who created them is no longer active or present on the platform.
Why are Posts and Articles being shown in a different order between “All Results” and “Posts?”
The reason for the difference in the order of Posts and Articles between the "All Results" and "Posts" sections is the sorting criteria used for each section. In the "All Results" section, the results are arranged based on relevancy, meaning that the most relevant Posts and Articles to your search query will be displayed at the top, regardless of their recency.
On the other hand, the "Posts" section specifically focuses on recency, prioritizing the most recent Posts and Articles to appear first in the results.
Why don’t Channels I am not a member of appear in Search?
Our current approach prioritizes search relevance and aims to provide a focused set of results, which is why Channels you are not a part of are not displayed in Search when filtered by Channels. This decision helps avoid confusion or unexpected results when users encounter Channels they are not a member of.
On the other hand, "Discover Channels" is specifically designed for exploration and discovery, and therefore, you can find Channels you are not a part of there since you are actively seeking new Channels and Channel content.
Why is information from drop-down menus on a Page not visible in the Search Results?
The reason information from drop-down menus on a Page is not visible in the Search Results is that content from these drop-down menus, specifically those from the Accordion Widget and most other Widgets (except Text Widgets), is not searchable. As a result, any content contained within these drop-down menus is not indexed or considered for inclusion in the Search Results.
Troubleshooting
Why isn’t the Page name shown using the Search in: [Page name] function?
The reason behind this issue lies in the capabilities of Admin mode. When you are an Admin with Admin mode activated, you can view and edit Pages that haven't been explicitly shared with you. In cases where a Page isn't shared with you, but you still possess the ability to view and edit it, the effectiveness of the "Search in" function gets compromised.
To resolve this matter, you can take the following steps:
- Navigate to the specific Page in question
- Click on the edit icon located at the upper right corner of the Page
- Access the Page Group settings through the sidebar, identifiable by the file symbol
- Select Share Page Group
- In this step, add yourself as either a Viewer or Editor of the Page
- Configure the permissions as required
- Confirm your changes by clicking Save Changes
By adhering to these steps, you'll be able to address the issue and ensure the accurate functionality of the "Search in" feature.
Unseated and unassigned users are appearing in the People Search
To ensure that unseated / unassigned users are not visible in Happeo's People Directory, People Search (or Org Chart), as a Google admin, you can follow any of the following steps:
- You can disable directory sharing for each unassigned / unseated user individually through their Google admin panel. However, this approach has a downside: it also hides these users in Google, which may or may not be desired. Additionally, this process is quite manual
- Alternatively, you can first suspend the unassigned / unseated user in Google and then move them to a Google Organizational Unit (OU) that is not synced or within the scope of Happeo. It is crucial to follow this specific order to avoid the need for an orphan scan
- If the users are moved to an un-synced OU and then suspended, you will need to request an orphan scan
- In the event that the suspension of users in the Google platform is not preferable, and there exists a requirement to prevent the visibility of specific employees or former employees within Happeo, a course of action would involve transferring them to an Organizational Unit (OU) that is unsynchronized or lies outside the scope of Happeo's synchronization. Subsequently, it is advised to submit a support ticket to Happeo and request an orphan scan. This scan, once executed, will automatically suspend all users who no longer fall within the synchronized scope but have yet to be designated as suspended
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