1. When do you use this?
Aiden's recommendations algorithm is based on scoring and weighing each individual product in your catalog. The score of each product is determined by you when you link the products to the answers in Matching.
💡 Want to know more about the advice logic? Read: Define the advice logic in Matching
Products that are marked as a "bad match" (X) to a particular answer normally receive a lower score but are not excluded from the results. After all, a customer may still find the product suitable if it perfectly matches all his other preferences.
However, advice may improve when "bad matches" are completely excluded from the results.
Suppose you work for a web shop that sells hiking boots. Some of your customers will be looking for hiking boots for children. Hiking shoes for adults are irrelevant to these customers, so you don't want to see them in the advice. In the example below, the result on the right gives the best advice for a customer looking for hiking boots for children.
And so at Concert product finder , you can exclude adult concerts from the recommendation if a customer says they are looking for a concert for children.
To get this done, you can set a question as a hard requirement instead of a preference. This ensures that products with a "bad match" (X) are not shown to your customer in the recommendation.
❗️ Note: with a multiple answer question you can only use a filter if you are sure that answers are not mutually exclusive. In Test & Tweak, select several answers at once to see if this leads to an empty advice.
2. How do you set a question as a filter?
1. Set your matching so that the products you want to exclude in a given query are given a "bad match.
2. Go to Settings (in the Matching section ) and select Filter questions on the left side.
3. Turn on the filter by clicking the "slider" behind the desired question, as done for the "How challenging will your hikes be?" question. Click Save to save your settings.
4. Go to Test & Tweak or use the Preview to check the result!
❗️ Note: Make sure your clients don't see advice without results.
💡 Good to know: Do you want to turn on a filter for a numeric question and use secondary sorting in the recommendation? In case of equal matching scores, we will first show the products closest to your customer's entered numerical value. And within that we use the secondary sorting set by you.
Tips & Trics
Normally, the default weighted algorithm in Aiden ensures that customers never see an empty advice page. They always see an advisory with all available products sorted from best match to worse matches. Even if the best match does not fully meet their preferences.
By excluding bad matches, you set certain answers as a "hard requirement" rather than a "preference. Technically, this can result in an "empty advice," an advice page with 0 results. And you're not helping anyone with that.
So test your product finder thoroughly to ensure that each combination of answers results in a recommendation with products. Are you getting an empty recommendation? Read these tips to avoid an empty advisory.
Are you trying this feature in a published product finder? If so, first make a copy of your product finder to try out setting a filter. Are you satisfied with the adjustment? Then modify it your published product finder. And don't forget to republish your product finder!