Next queries are suggestions given to shoppers as ideas on what to look for next. After searching for “jacket”, subsequent search suggestions such as jeans, tops, or dresses keep the discovery experience smooth.

Next queries are generated organically based on the collective search experience of previous shoppers who already searched those terms and what they searched next. Besides, you can create curated next queries to inspire shoppers with alternative purchase ideas to their initial intention.

interact

Unsure about the difference between curated and organic next queries? See Next Queries overview.

The Next Queries management tool is one of the Experiences controls that the Empathy Platform Playboard includes. It lets you customize the next queries experience offered to your shoppers based on marketing strategies. You can preview organic next queries that are displayed in the commerce store for a query and decide to hide or show them. You can also add curated next queries and arrange them to determine their order of appearance, listing them before any organic next queries.

Getting started with the Next Queries management tool

You create a next query configuration to decide which next queries (curated & organic) to display in the commerce store after shoppers perform a search using a query.

Configurations are set up by query context: query and segments, if applicable. Segments refer to the product catalog and language, as well as any other filters, such as the store, device, etc. that you may specify during your implementation—for example, English as language or desktop as device. There can only be one configuration per query context combination. However, you can create multiple next query configurations.

When accessing the Next Queries management tool, you see a list of all existing next query configurations for the instance. If you have not created any configurations, the list doesn't contain any rows.

List view of the Next Queries management tool - (A) Filters and search box, (B) Action tools, (C) Next queries configurations, (D) Row selector, (E) Page navigation options.

The next queries list (C) displays the details of the configurations:

• Query: the initial query that shoppers must use to search before the next query is displayed.
• Segments: the values selected for one or several filters based on your implementation, if applicable.
• Curated: top five next queries created for the query.
• Hidden organic: organic next queries hidden in the store.
• Updated on/by: the date and time when the last changes were made to the configuration and the person who performed these changes.
• Status: the status of the configuration. It shows whether the next queries configuration is on or off.

Use the filters and search box (A) of the configuration list view to find the next query configuration you need. Results can be sorted by query or date. When using the search box, you can search for strict matching results to get results that match exactly the query you entered. You can choose to have non-strict matching results, including either the configurations whose name matches exactly or partially your query terms.

You can select the number of configurations to be displayed in the list with the row selector (D) and navigate to other pages in the configuration list using the page navigation options (E).

To add a new configuration from the list screen, select the + NEW button. To edit an existing configuration, click its row and the edition screen will open. To edit or clone one configuration, or delete, turn on or off several configurations, select the checkbox next to the corresponding configurations and use the action tools (B) or the options displayed on the three-dot icon on the left.

Tip

Hover over the values in the Curated and Hidden organic columns to view the complete list of curated and hidden organic next queries.

Creating a next query configuration

To add a new configuration from the list screen, click the + NEW button.

Next Queries management tool - (A) Details, (B) Filters, (C) Settings, (D) Search box, (E) Preview, and (F) Organic next queries.

The Details (A) section is used to set up whether the configuration is on and running for the segments you are establishing.

Segments of the Filters (B) section are used to create a specific query context for your configuration. Imagine that you want to suggest different next queries depending on the store your shopper is visiting. In this case, you can set up different configurations to make the search and discovery experience more granular and adjust it to your business needs.

The search box of the Settings (C) section is used to define the initial query associated with the configuration. Shoppers must use this query before the next queries are displayed. If you change the query in the search box, any unsaved changes for the configuration are lost.

The preview (E) shows the product results that are returned by the search engine for the query to identify what next queries shoppers might associate with the results. It displays a thumbnail of the product, the product name, and the product ID.

The list of organic next queries (F) associated with the initial query is shown below the preview of the first one to four products, if any, or below the search box when there are no results. You can use the left and right arrows to scroll through the organic next queries available. Organic next queries are displayed in this list as tags.

To create a configuration:

1. Decide whether the configuration you're creating will be turned on or off with the switch toggle button in the Details section.

2. Select the segments you want to apply to your configuration in the Filters section.

3. Enter a query in the search box of the Settings section and press Enter.

   warning

   Once you've entered the initial query, it's normalized. Normalization means that your configuration applies to the shopper's query despite being written in upper or lowercase, in plural or singular, misspelled, including stop words, with a different order of words, and with or without accents (e.g., "Salads" is normalized to "salad"). This is done because, when the shoppers interact with your commerce store, the system applies a normalization process to adapt the configuration to all the query's possible variations.

4. Add curated next queries, or hide or show organic next queries as appropriate.
   You can create a configuration that contains only organic next queries, a combination of organic and curated next queries, or only curated next queries (hiding all organic next queries).

5. Click Save.

Creating a curated next query

You can customize the next query experience by adding curated next queries (G) that are displayed before any organic next queries (F) in the commerce store.

Edit view of the Next Queries management tool - (A) Details, (B) Filters, (C) Settings, (D) Search box, (E) Preview, (F) Organic next queries, (G) Curated next queries, and (H) Hidden organic next queries.

Rules for curated next queries

• Curated next queries must not contain the same term as the initial query.
• Curated next queries cannot be duplicated.
• Curated next queries must have results.

To prevent shoppers from being redirected to a page with no results for the next query, every time you create a new curated next query, a request is sent to the search engine to check whether there are results in the product catalog. If there are no results, you cannot save it.

Since organic next queries may change over time depending on shopper behavior, you can choose to create a curated next query that is identical to an organic one. A warning message appears to indicate that an organic next query already exists, but you can save the curated next query (the organic one will disappear from the panel).

Similarly, if you edit an existing configuration containing curated next queries and these have become organic next queries thanks to shopper interaction, a warning message appears to help you identify the curated next queries so you can choose to delete them or hide the organic next query instead.

Curated next queries have an icon to identify them (G). All curated next queries are listed before any organic next queries.

Tip

To feature an organic next query higher in the list, you can drag and drop its pill wherever you want. It then becomes a curated next query. A blue icon is displayed to identify the originally organic, now curated, next query. This way, the next query always appears in the same position on the list despite any changes in shopper behavior.

To add a curated next query:

1. Click + New or select a configuration to edit.

2. Select the segments that apply to your configuration and enter the initial query.

3. Click the + icon next to the list of next queries.

4. Enter the new query you want to use as a next query in the text box and press Enter.
   The curated next query appears at the beginning of the list.

5. Click Save.

still don't see the use of curated next queries?

Check a use case about a celebrity working on a jewelry new campaign.

Changing the order of next queries

Curated next queries always appear before organic next queries. You cannot alternate curated and organic next queries in the list. The order of organic next queries cannot be changed as it's determined by the volume of shopper searches.

You can change the order in which curated next queries appear to shoppers:

1. Drag and drop the curated next query in the next queries carousel to the corresponding position.

2. Click Save.

Hiding and showing next queries

In addition to changing or rearranging the position of your curated next queries, you can decide which organic next queries to hide or show.

To hide an organic next query:

1. Scroll to the organic next query you want to hide in the next queries carousel.

2. Click the X icon on the right of the query string in the organic next query tag.
   All hidden organic queries appear as the last items in the next query carousel.

3. Click Save.

Tip

Too many organic next queries to hide? Click the Hide all organic next queries switch toggle button in the setting section to hide them all at once. Click again to show them.

To show a hidden organic next query (F):

1. Scroll to the end of the next queries carousel to locate the organic next query you want to show again.

2. Click the return arrow icon to the right of the query string in the organic next query tag.
   The newly activated organic next query moves to its organic position in the list.

3. Click Save.

Tip

Distracted by so many next queries? Click the Don't show hidden next queries button in the configuration section to hide them. Click again to show them.

design tip

As well as determining the number of next queries you display in your commerce store, you can choose to differentiate between curated and organic next queries. Shoppers can distinguish clearly between next queries created to customize the search experience and those organically generated based on collective behavioral patterns. For more information, see Next Query UI.