Aglet

Prioritize product search intent drift with a clear tradeoff

Intent drift is a queue decision because one ranking change can improve one search job while making another less visible. Prioritize the query families that create the most consequential mismatch, using representative journeys and evidence quality rather than a memorable phrase or an unsupported reach estimate.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Name the costly mismatch

    Describe what people were trying to do, what the results invited them to do, and where the journey stopped. Compare shopping, support, and navigation outcomes by query family. Keep a small confusing query distinct from a broad scope failure.

  2. Compare intervention sizes

    Set the narrow options beside a wider index change: copy, a scope hint, an intent-specific rule, or a separate result section. Consider reversibility and the risk that a broad rule will move relevant products or help content for unrelated terms.

  3. Choose a queue position

    Record whether to investigate, test a limited adjustment, or defer for more evidence. Name the owner, the query family in scope, and the observation that would move the item. Preserve the tradeoff so the queue decision can be revisited.

What to carry forward

The decision should identify one intent mismatch, its user consequence, and a proportionate next move. Prioritize a bounded experiment when the result type is wrong but reach is uncertain; prioritize broader work only when several representative query families show the same scope boundary.

Technical background: Digital.gov 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.

Create an account See the product workflow