Multi-Configuration on XO Search

Introduction

Multi-configuration in XO Search is a powerful feature that allows you to create different configurations for different use cases and scenarios within a tenant.

Boost or bury seasonal products or prepare for periods with higher traffic or revenues; tweak each one to be exactly how you want it. Plan ahead, test your configurations, and set one as the default once ready.

Instead of manually activating and deactivating individual rules for a new sales event, you can switch the default configuration. Multiple configurations can be active at a given time for greater flexibility and customisation.

What you can do with multi-configurations:

• Create a new configuration

• Duplicate an existing configuration

• Change part of (or all of) the duplicated configuration

• Manage a configuration library in each tenant

• Monitor and compare each configuration with Insights

How to set up multi-configurations:

1. Go to the Search tab in the XO Console.

2. Click "Create new configuration" on the right side of the page, then either select "Create from scratch" or "Create based on existing configuration".

3. If you're using an existing configuration, you will be prompted to select the configuration to copy, and a name for the new one.

4. Click Apply and the new configuration will appear in the Configurations library.

5. Once you’ve completed the customisation and tests are complete, you can set it as the default configuration by clicking on the three dots and clicking "Set default".

After that, you're ready to customise your new configuration!

Note that the maximum number of configurations in a tenant is limited to 5. After that, you won't be able to create any new configurations, but you can edit existing ones as much as you'd like, or delete a configuration if you want to create a new one from scratch.

Monitoring

This is where you can track and compare multiple configurations to improve performance and conversion.

Go to Insights > Search statistics. Here you’ll see statistics for your default configuration. Follow these steps to view multiple configurations:

1. Choose the period to view statistics.

2. Select the configurations you would like to compare. Each configuration will have a colour to easily view the differences via the graph.

Step-by-step guide

In this scenario, we will be looking at how to use multi-configuration for an upcoming summer sale.

In the Search tab, you can view your current default configuration. We will use that as the base, and tailor the second configuration based on the default one.

Step 1

Create a duplicate of the default configuration. Click "Create new configuration" on the right side of the page, and select "Create based on existing configuration."

Step 2

Select the configuration you would like to copy. In this case, it’s “Default - config.” We will also be naming the your new configuration. We are calling ours “Summer Sales.” Then click Apply.

Be sure to check out our XO user guides for more ways to customise your configurations.

Now it’s time to edit the new configuration.

Step 3a - Activate existing rules

In the Configurations library, you’ll see the Summer Sales configuration. Click Configuration. You may already have rules for the summer period deactivated, which you can now activate. This will be done only once, as once the summer period is over you can switch the default configuration so that the rules are no longer active.

Step 3b - Create new rules

In our case, we have to create new rules. Knowing that during the warmer period customers will want to buy swimwear, we will be boosting those products.

Go to the Rules tab under the Summer Sales configuration, click “Add a rule,” and on the left column, select “Boost & bury.”

In the Tag list, search for Swimwear, and increase the number on the boost bar to 10. This will boost all swimwear products to the top of the PLP. Click Apply and view your changes.

We will go ahead and create more rules and customise the configuration for this sales event.

Step 4

For the rules to activate, we need to make this the default configuration.

In the Configurations library, click on the three dots next to the original “Default - config” configuration, then click “Set default”. Now the new rules we created are active, and we’re ready for the summer sales.

Step 5

The summer sales are over, and we no longer want to boost swimwear products or sell discounted items. Instead of manually deactivating all of our rules, all we need to do is switch the default configuration back to “Default - config.”

That’s all it takes! When summer rolls again next year, do the same to the Summer Sales configuration and set it as default. You can also create new configurations for other sales events and change the default configuration as needed.