SearchAF Logosearchaf
← Back to Guides
Quickstart

Setting Up Product Indexing

Configure and optimize how your products are indexed for search

Learn how to configure product indexing in SearchAF to ensure your catalog is searchable and optimized for intelligent answer generation.

What is Product Indexing?#

Product indexing is the process of organizing and structuring your product data so SearchAF can efficiently search and retrieve relevant results. Think of it as creating a comprehensive map of your entire catalog.

Automatic vs Manual Indexing#

Automatic Indexing#

For integrated platforms (Shopify, WooCommerce), indexing happens automatically:

  • Products are indexed when first imported
  • Updates sync in real-time via webhooks
  • Deletions are reflected immediately
  • No manual intervention required

Manual Indexing#

For custom integrations, you control the indexing process:

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "id": "prod_12345",
    "title": "Women'\''s Running Shoes",
    "description": "Lightweight running shoes with superior cushioning",
    "price": 89.99,
    "sku": "WRS-001",
    "tags": ["shoes", "running", "women"],
    "variants": [
      {
        "id": "var_123",
        "size": "7",
        "color": "Blue",
        "inventory": 15
      }
    ]
  }'

Essential Fields to Index#

Required Fields#

These fields must be included for every product:

  • id: Unique product identifier
  • title: Product name
  • price: Current price (for sorting and filtering)

Include these for better search results:

  • description: Full product description
  • images: Product image URLs
  • sku: Stock keeping unit
  • brand: Product manufacturer
  • categories: Product categorization
  • tags: Searchable keywords
  • inventory: Stock count

Custom Fields#

Add custom metadata for advanced filtering:

{
  "custom_fields": {
    "material": "synthetic",
    "sustainability_score": 8.5,
    "eco_friendly": true,
    "made_in": "USA"
  }
}

Batch Indexing#

For large catalogs, use batch operations:

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products/batch \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{
    "products": [
      { "id": "1", "title": "Product 1", ... },
      { "id": "2", "title": "Product 2", ... },
      { "id": "3", "title": "Product 3", ... }
    ]
  }'

Best Practices:

  • Batch up to 100 products per request
  • Use gzip compression for large payloads
  • Implement retry logic for failed batches

Indexing Variants#

Handle product variants properly:

Option 1: Index as Separate Products#

Best for products with distinct variants:

[
  {
    "id": "shoes-blue-7",
    "title": "Women's Running Shoes - Blue - Size 7",
    "parent_id": "shoes-base",
    "variant": { "color": "blue", "size": "7" }
  },
  {
    "id": "shoes-red-8",
    "title": "Women's Running Shoes - Red - Size 8",
    "parent_id": "shoes-base",
    "variant": { "color": "red", "size": "8" }
  }
]

Option 2: Index with Nested Variants#

Best for products with many similar variants:

{
  "id": "shoes-base",
  "title": "Women's Running Shoes",
  "variants": [
    { "color": "blue", "size": "7", "sku": "WRS-B-7" },
    { "color": "red", "size": "8", "sku": "WRS-R-8" }
  ]
}

Updating Products#

Single Product Update#

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products/prod_12345 \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X PUT \
  -d '{
    "price": 79.99,
    "inventory": 10
  }'

Partial Update#

Update only specific fields:

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products/prod_12345 \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X PATCH \
  -d '{
    "inventory": 5
  }'

Deleting Products#

Remove products from the index:

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products/prod_12345 \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -X DELETE

Monitoring Index Status#

Check indexing progress and health:

curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/index/status \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Response:

{
  "total_products": 1523,
  "indexed_products": 1523,
  "pending_updates": 0,
  "last_sync": "2025-10-21T14:30:00Z",
  "health": "healthy"
}

Optimization Tips#

1. Use Meaningful Titles#

Good:

Women's Waterproof Trail Running Shoes - Blue

Bad:

Product #12345

2. Write Rich Descriptions#

Include keywords naturally:

  • Features and benefits
  • Use cases
  • Materials and specifications
  • Who it's for

3. Leverage Tags Strategically#

{
  "tags": [
    "running",
    "women",
    "waterproof",
    "trail",
    "athletic",
    "outdoor"
  ]
}

4. Keep Inventory Current#

Update inventory in real-time to:

  • Prevent searches for out-of-stock items
  • Enable accurate filtering
  • Improve user experience

Troubleshooting#

Products Not Appearing#

  1. Verify product was successfully indexed:
curl https://searchaf-api.antfly.io/api/v1/products/YOUR_PRODUCT_ID \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY"
  1. Check for indexing errors in dashboard
  2. Ensure required fields are present
  3. Verify API key has write permissions

Slow Indexing#

  1. Use batch operations instead of single updates
  2. Reduce payload size (remove unnecessary fields)
  3. Index during off-peak hours
  4. Contact support for rate limit increases

Next Steps#

Need Help?#