Understanding SearchJet Concepts
Learn the key concepts that make SearchJet powerful and easy to use. Understanding these terms will help you configure and optimize your search experience.
Records
A record is any piece of content you search through. This includes blog posts, pages, products, custom post types, and taxonomy terms. Each record contains multiple fields like title, content, excerpt, categories, tags, and custom fields. SearchJet indexes all of these fields so visitors can find content by searching any relevant term.
Indexing
Indexing is the process of scanning your WordPress content and building a search-optimized database. When you install SearchJet, indexing happens automatically in the background. You can trigger a reindex at any time from the dashboard when you add or update content.
The index stores processed versions of your content optimized for fast retrieval. This is different from your WordPress database. SearchJet queries the index, not your database, which is why searches are so fast.
Relevance
Relevance determines which results appear first when a visitor searches. SearchJet uses AI-powered ranking that considers keyword match quality, content freshness, popularity signals, and user engagement. The engine learns from search behavior over time, automatically boosting content that visitors click on most.
Performance
SearchJet processes searches on dedicated infrastructure, not your WordPress server. This means your site stays fast while visitors get results in under 200ms. The search widget loads asynchronously and does not block page rendering.