What's the search results order in a Frameless Output in Robohelp 2020

[Nikki Chapman UK]

I'm trying to work out what order the search results display on a Frameless Output in Robohelp 2020.  I've searched the documentation but can't find the answer.  Can anyone help please?

[Amebr · Accepted solution]

See if this post helps.

https://community.adobe.com/t5/robohelp/rh2020-browser-impact-on-search/m-p/11600322

There's some light information about ranking according to title etc and a link to developer heavy doco for the js library used.

[Nikki Chapman UK]

Well that post doesn't really help.  This answer here:

Search algorithm has changed since 2017, so you will see different results for the same project in both versions. Now apart from taking term location (e.g. title, heading, keywords, etc.) into account, we also consider their frequency, length of the topic, number of topics, etc. Also in case the search query contains more than one term, we also take into account their closeness in the topics, so a topic in which search terms appear very close will be ranked higher than other topics. For more technical and in-depth details please refer to https://lunrjs.com/ .

It still doesn't actually tell me what the ranking is.  I don't understand what "closeness" means.  What is that actual ranking.  I looked at the link, but it just seemed to take me to lots of code.  I'm not a developer, so this doesn't help me.  When a search result produces over 600 results I need to know the most relevant are near the top, so I would like to understand exactly what the ranking is.  What would come in the top 10, for example, if I searched for one word, what if I searched for 2 words, what if I searched for an exact match.  I have customers asking me these questions and I can't give them answers.

[Peter Grainge · Accepted solution]

Now apart from taking term location (e.g. title, heading, keywords, etc.) into account, we also consider their frequency, length of the topic, number of topics, etc. Also in case the search query contains more than one term, we also take into account their closeness in the topics

Let's break that up a bit and explain as best I can. 

• Now apart from taking term location (e.g. title, heading, keywords, etc.) into account

Is the term in the title of a topic, the heading or its keywords? That starts the ranking process.

• we also consider their frequency, length of the topic, number of topics, etc.

That is a statement these things are taken into account but I don't know how.

• Also in case the search query contains more than one term, we also take into account their closeness in the topics

Are the two terms next to each other or is the first word some way from the second. Closeness is how close they are together. Search on "first document" will give a higher ranking if the two words are together than when both terms are in the topic but separated by other words.

Search nowadays is a complex algorithm so there is no simple answer and can probably only be truly understood by a developer.

Certainly the first part will give your customers better results but beyond that it's like trying to get Google to give you what you want rather than how Google thinks it should work generally.

I think you may do better to come up with cases where the process is not giving what is required and why you think it is wrong. Then there is something concrete to investigate.

Hope that helps.

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[Nikki Chapman UK]

Thanks Peter.  Those explanations have helped.  A lot easier to understand when I'm not a technical person.