Return the right products even when the query is misspelled
A transposed-letter typo still returns correctly matched products, with the query itself corrected in the results heading, instead of a false zero-result dead end.
What it is
The search index matches queries against a fuzzy, corrected interpretation, not just an exact string. A misspelled or transposed-letter query still returns the products and text suggestions that the correctly spelled term would have, and the results heading resolves to the corrected term.
Why it works
Typos are routine on both mobile keyboards and quick typing, and a search box that treats a misspelled query as simply having no matches punishes a mistake that has nothing to do with whether the shopper knows what they want. A shopper who sees zero results for their own typo has no way to know whether the product does not exist or they just fat-fingered a letter, and many will not bother retyping to check. Matching the intended word instead of the literal string removes that dead end entirely.
How to test it
- Hypothesis
- Making search typo-tolerant will lift search-to-purchase conversion rate, because shoppers who misspell a query still reach the right products instead of hitting a false zero-result dead end.
- Primary metric
- Search-to-purchase conversion rate
- Guardrail metric
- Search result relevance measured by click position on the first result, which could fall if broader fuzzy matching starts surfacing less precise matches alongside the intended correction
Related ideas
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