Text search: how to use the exact and semantic search box

Exact text search is used to search by measurement, ID, or other part attributes, and semantic text search is used to input functions, attributes, or descriptions of the part.

Find parts using text search

A major aspect of any search is the text search. Users can input any term that they know about the part in question. However, this input can vary heavily in its source or confidence. This is why Partium offers two text search modals: exact text search to search by any keywords available in the master data and semantic text search to search with a description. 

Here are some examples of different text searches:

  • some information can be printed or engraved into the part e.g.: technical specifications such as voltage or amperage [exact];
  • the user might know the part's brand [exact];
  • the user might know exact technical terms such as part measurements with high certainty [exact]; or
  • the user knows the ID or fragments of the ID [exact].
  • the user can describe the part visually e.g.: rotating silver disk with hole [semantic];
  • the user might know the function or category of this part [semantic];
  • the user has some knowledge about the part but it's stored with a different name in the master data e.g.: the search query is 'fan' but it's stored as 'ventilator' [semantic];

With the Partium Search Engine 2022 you will find the two text boxes as shown below (1) and (2):

Exact text search-1

Semantic text search

1. Search with exact terms box: use this box to trigger an Exact Text Search.

2. Search with a description box: use this box to trigger a Semantic Text Search.

Exact text search to filter with part IDs, measurements, or other searchable part attributes

The exact search compares the search query with available data in the parts. This search acts as a filter because the engine will exclusively show parts where the master data matches the query.  

This search is built for users who know IDs, measurements, manufacturer brand names, or any other searchable attribute available in the master data.

Semantic text search

The Partium Search Engine finds parts that are semantically related to the text query by translating a textual description into concepts. With the semantic text search, users can search for visual descriptions, functions, categories, or synonyms.

The search engine will compute and suggest tags based on the semantic text query. A click on one tag will add it to the semantic text search box. Thereby, the user can iterate and refine the search to get faster to the correct part.

The semantic text search supports users who do not know the exact technical terms of the part to execute successful searches.

Get the best search results by combining different input forms

The Partium Search Engine 2022 supports different input forms to search for parts. All forms can be combined as desired. Although the engine produces good results with one input form, we highly recommend combining image and text input to get the best results. 

See Get started with Partium Find to learn more about how to find parts faster using Partium Find functionalities.