Aglet

Prioritize noisy autocomplete suggestions with clear scope

A noisy suggestion list competes with other search work according to how often it redirects or slows a query and how safely it can be narrowed. Compare representative prefixes and accepted edits. A modest scope or label change may beat a broad popularity-model adjustment.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Rank the interruption

    Describe whether people select an irrelevant suggestion, ignore the list, or type past it. Compare a high-value prefix with a long-tail prefix and keep query counts tied to known evidence. Do not infer harm from appearance alone.

  2. Compare candidate changes

    Set prefix matching, suggestion grouping, recency limits, category labels, and ordering adjustments beside one another. Consider whether suppressing a suggestion removes a useful recent search. Prefer a reversible rule that preserves typed intent.

  3. Choose a bounded move

    Record owner, prefix family, experiment scope, and revisit signal. State whether the next action is evidence collection, a list change, or copy adjustment. Keep a successful suggestion set attached so the change can be judged against a control.

What to carry forward

Prioritize autocomplete work where suggestions redirect a meaningful query or create repeated confusion across a prefix family. The decision should name the suggestion scope and reversible next move. If the list is merely unfamiliar, prioritize labeling or grouping before suppressing useful options.

Technical background: W3C guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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