The answer to common questions regarding the company search bar in the "search" tab.
How can I use the search bar?
In the main search bar (not advanced search), you can find a company via their name or company number - we do this via a prefix search.
How does the prefix search work?
The prefix search, also known as a "starts with" search, matches entries that begin with the inputted characters. This ensures that the search results are more precise and relevant to what you are typing.
Is the search case-sensitive?
No, the search is case-insensitive, meaning it does not differentiate between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Why might I get unexpected results or miss some expected results?
Due to the exact nature of prefix searches, variations or abbreviations might not be matched. For instance, searching for "Ltd" won't return results for "Limited".
What happens behind the scenes during a search?
When a search is performed, the system generates a query using GraphQL. This query is then processed by Elasticsearch, which uses a multi-field property to match the search terms exactly as entered.
By using Elasticsearch's efficient querying capabilities and limiting data retrieval to only the necessary fields, the search performance is significantly enhanced. This has resulted in much faster search times, even for large datasets.
Why do we use a prefix search instead of other search types?
Prefix searches are used because they provide a good balance between performance and relevance. Other types of searches, like term-based or fuzzy searches, can return results that are less precise, and more confusing for users. It can also take longer to yield results.
For further details or specific issues, please contact our support team.