Search Index Settings

The Search Index plays a key role in displaying items in Commerce web stores and in SCIS. Items published to your web store are first indexed, and after the search index process is complete, data on the item records can be queried using the Item Search API.

While setting up your item records for the Search Index, you may have to create additional custom fields in addition to the standard fields. For example, two facets that are commonly used on e-commerce sites are price and brand. In NetSuite, price is a standard field on item records. Brand would be a custom field that you create. You can then include both fields in the field sets so that price and brand information can be displayed in your Commerce web stores and in SCIS. For more information, see Custom Fields.

To set up item records for the search index:

Go to Lists > Web Site > Items.
Determine which standard fields you want to use as search fields, facet fields, and sort fields.

Note:
Search fields, facet fields, sort fields, and field sets exposed to your website can be any combination of standard item record fields and custom item record fields. But only certain field types are supported as search fields, facet fields, sort fields, and field sets. For more information, see Field Set Reference.
Determine the fields on the item record that you require to create field sets.

For example, for SEO purposes, you can use descriptive URL components in an item template. To do this, you must enter a value in the URL Component field on item records, and then include the URL Component field in a field set.
Ensure that there is data in each of the fields you plan to access with the Item Search API.

For information about supported API parameters, see Item Search API Input Parameters.

Note:
Ensure that data is also populated for Matrix Child items.
Create custom fields for use as search fields, facet fields, sort fields, and field sets.

For example, you can create a custom item field named Brand.
Enter data in the custom fields you created. For example, if you created the custom field Brand, enter the value for brand on each item record for display on your site.
Check the Display in Web Site box on the item record.
Clear the Inactive box. Items marked Inactive are not included in the search index.
You can index all item records in NetSuite by using the Show Uncategorized Items option, or you can individually select the item records you want indexed. For more information, see Including Item Records in the Search Index.

Including Item Records in the Search Index

The following conditions must be met for an item to be included in the Search Index:

The Display in Web Site box must be checked on the item record.
The item must be active. Therefore, the Inactive box must not be checked on the item record.
The Show Uncategorized Items box must be checked on the Web Site Setup page, or the item should be assigned to a Site Builder Category or a Commerce Category.

When you check the Show Uncategorized Items box, all items that are active and have the Display in Web Site box checked are indexed. This option enables items to display in search results, even if the items are not published to a category. But the Show Uncategorized Items option might not be appropriate for all scenarios. For example, you may want to display only selected items when you have multiple sites with distinct item sets.

Alternately, you can clear the Show Uncategorized Items option, and configure the item records individually. In this case, only item records that are assigned to a Site Builder Category or a Commerce Category are indexed. You must add each item to a category on the site where you want it to appear. You can do this on the item record, or use the content manager.

Note:

When you change the Show Uncategorized Items setting and save the Web Site Setup record, the Search Index Rebuild process is triggered. You are then redirected to the Job Status page, which shows the running Search Index process.

To index all the item records:

Go to Commerce > Websites > Website List.
Click Edit next to your SuiteCommerce Advanced site.
On the Setup subtab, check the Show Uncategorized Items box.
Click Save.

To index individual item records:

Go to Commerce > Websites > Website List.
Click Edit next to your SuiteCommerce Advanced site.
On the Setup subtab, clear the Show Uncategorized Items box.
Click Save.
Go to Lists > Web Site > Items.
Click Edit next to an item record.
On the Web Store subtab, select a Site and Site Category for this item.
Click Save.
Repeat Steps 6 through 8 for item record you want to index.