Equalize is the Empathy Platform Playboard tool that allows you to modify the order in which your search results appear on the search engine results page (SERP) by changing the weighting of your product catalogue attributes. You can determine the relevance and importance of the searchable fields of your product catalogue with different scoring criteria such as textual match, global business rules, and function score.

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Still not clear on how your product catalogue attributes are weighted? See Equalize overview.

With Equalize, you have granular control and visibility over how product results are ranked in your commerce store and the ability to adapt them quickly. So, you meet your business intentions and give shoppers the most relevant results.

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Use Equalize to reshape the overall importance of the product attribute in calculating the product scoring. Use Query Ranking tool to rank products and product groups based on specific attribute values on the SERP and on the product category pages (PCP).

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Understand what, why, and how affect to your commerce store search results with Explain.

Getting started with the Equalize management tool

The Equalize management tool encompasses two functionalities in one, Equalize and Multiequalize. As one or another functionality is set up through the Playboard's Instance Management tool during implementation, contact your Key Account Manager to choose the one that meets your needs best.

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Refer to the Equalize overview to see the main differences between the Equalize and the Multiequalize functionalities.

When accessing the Equalize management tool, within the Play section of the Playboard menu, you see a list with the existing configurations for the instance. You can create, edit, delete, or even temporarily disable an equalize configuration without having to delete it.

Before you begin

As Equalize and Multiequalize are slightly different functionalities, the content is focused on Multiequalize. Relevant differences will be indicated per functionality.

If you have created no configurations yet, the configuration list shows only the EQ Default configuration when working with Multiequalize. This configuration is a starting point to begin with the weighting of your product catalogue attributes.

Where to start?

EQ Default configuration for Multiequalize is set up through the Instance Management during implementation and it cannot be disabled nor modified via the Equalize management tool. This default setup affects the results scoring when there isn’t another equalize configuration for the same context. Contact your Key Account Manager if any changes must be made.

List view of the Multiequalize - (A) Action tools, (B) Equalize configuration list, (C) Row selector, and (D) Page navigation options.

The Equalize configurations list (B) displays the details of the multiequalize configurations:

• Name: the identifying name for the configuration.
• ID: the identifier automatically assigned to the configuration created. You can use the ID for A/B test different equalize configurations with your preferred A/B testing tool. Click the ID or hover over it and click the copy icon to copy it to clipboard.
• Language: the language set up for your implementation.
• Filters: the values selected for one or several segments based on your implementation to customize different scenarios, if applicable.
• Modified: the scoring criteria set up for the equalize configuration—textual match, global business rules, and function score. Criteria are highlighted in bold when used.
• Updated on/by: the date and time when the last changes were made to the configuration and the person who performed these changes.
• Enabled: the status of the configuration. It shows whether the equalize configuration is active or inactive.

Using basic Equalize?

For the basic Equalize functionality, the details shown are Name, Enabled time, Updated on, and Enabled. Remember that only one equalize configuration can be active at a time for this functionality.

You can select the number of configurations to be displayed in the list with the row selector (C) in the bottom left corner of the screen. You can navigate to other pages in the configuration list using the page navigation options (D) in the bottom right corner of the screen.

To add a new configuration from the list screen, select the + NEW button. To edit, delete, and enable or disable a configuration, select the corresponding checkbox next to the configuration you want to modify or select its row and use the action tools (A).

Creating a Multiequalize configuration

You create a multiequalize configuration from the Equalize list screen. Select the + NEW button.

Edit view of the Multiequalize functionality - (A) General Information, (B) Filters, (C) Equalize settings, and (D) Preview.

The general information (A) area is used to set up whether the configuration is enabled and running for the filters and settings you are establishing. As well, you define a name for your equalize configuration, and add notes relative to the settings or changes made, if desired. After setting up the configuration, you find its ID also included in this section, previous to the notes.

The filters (B) allow you to set the specific context for your configuration. Depending on your implementation, you have different segments to filter by such as language, country, store, device, etc.

The Equalize settings (C) is where you can weight the product catalogue attributes using the three scoring criteria to affect the position of product results list: textual match, global business rules, and function score.

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Find more information about the scoring criteria in the Equalize overview.

The preview (D) area presents a visualization of the product results that are returned by the search engine once you enter a query, allowing you to check instantly the outcome while you fine-tune one or more of the scoring criteria. The history of queries is displayed too. The preview displays a thumbnail of the product, the product name, and, when hovering over, the product ID. You can use preview filters to check how shoppers see the products in the results grid with those filters applied.

Using basic Equalize?

For the basic Equalize functionality, the ID is not shown in the general information area and there is no filters section. Moreover, the settings section is called "configuration" and only allows to set up the product attributes where textual matching scoring criterion can be applicable. Consider that you must give some weight to any of the attributes for products to be displayed in the preview area.

To create a multiequalize configuration:

1. Decide whether the configuration is turned on or off (A). Toggle the Enabled button off if you want the equalize configuration to be temporarily disabled.

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   If you disable the configuration, you can enable it later on using the action tools in the equalize list screen.

2. Enter a name (A) for your configuration. As this field is mandatory, filters and settings are inactive until you fill it in. Add your comments in the notes text box if needed, for example, to differentiate similar configurations or to describe its purpose.

3. Select the filters (B) to customize the scenario for your equalize configuration (for example, desktop or mobile devices, specific divisions only, language, etc.). Filters are determined by your implementation.

4. Define the equalize options in the Settings section (C). Expand and modify any of the three scoring criteria—textual match, global business rules, and function score— based on your business strategy preferences.

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   When you create a new configuration, the EQ Default configuration is inherited for the three scoring criteria. However, you can modify their values to affect the products’ results ranking on the SERP. You can go back to the inherited default configuration by clicking the so-called button.

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   To go deeper into the different controls you can apply, check the Equalize overview.

5. Type a query in the Preview section (D) and check in real time the position of the products in the results list based on the criteria you configured. You can adjust the weights of product attributes to fine-tune their relevancy; results are reordered accordingly.

6. Click Save.

Using basic Equalize?

When working with the Equalize functionality, you follow the same steps above. Note that only textual match scoring criterion applies and no filters are supported.

Disabling a Multiequalize configuration

You can configure a multiqualize configuration and disable it temporarily, without having to delete it. This way, you can reuse it on future occasions, for example, during sales season.

To disable an existing configuration:

1. Check the configuration you want to disable in the Equalize configuration list screen.
2. Click the disabled icon in the actions tool menu to deactivate the selected configuration. A confirmation message appears at the button of the sreen.

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You can disable an existing equalize configuration using the Enabled toggle switch on the Edit equalize screen. Use the pencil icon on the Equalize list screen to start editing the configuration. You can directly create a disabled configuration. See the Creating a Multiequalize configuration section.

Using basic Equalize?

With the Equalize functionality, only one configuration can be active at a time. To disable a configuration, enable another configuration and the previously active configuration will be disabled automatically.