Implement multi-language search in a single store

A step-by-step guide on how to perform a search in several languages simultaneously on a single store view using Algolia’s extension for Magento.

By default, the extension places each store view’s data in a separate index: each store view has a dedicated index in a specific language. For example, searching for Hemd in an English store won’t return any results. To show the correct results when searching for Hemd, customize the extension to merge those indices.

Examples of default records

• Index name: magento2_products_en

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  {
    "name": "Shirt"
    "description": "Very nice blue shirt",
    // ... other attributes
  }
  

• Index name: magento2_products_de

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  {
    "name": "Hemd"
    "description": "Sehr schönes blaues Hemd",
    // ... other attributes
  }
  

• Index name: magento2_products_es

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  {
    "name": "Camisa"
    "description": "Muy bonita camisa azul",
   // ... other attributes
  }
  

Implement multi-language search

The records must contain values in all supported languages to search on one store view in those languages.

Create a record in the extension

1. Create a custom extension, which lets you listen to the extension’s custom events.
2. Create an event listener for the algolia_after_create_product_object event, the same way as written in the custom event extension algolia_products_index_before_set_settings.

3. From the $observer variable passed to the execute() method, fetch:

   • custom_data
   • productObject
   • subProducts
4. The Algolia record is an array in the custom_data object and can be modified like any other PHP array.
5. Fetch searchable attributes, such as name, description, or manufacturer, in all other languages and add it to the record in custom_data. Structure the data according to the example record.

Example of an observer’s execute() method

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public function execute(Observer $observer)
{
    /* @var \Magento\Catalog\Model\Product $product */
    $product = $observer->getData('productObject');

    /*
     * Fetch language-specific values based on $product
     */

    $productRecord = $observer->getData('custom_data');

    $originalName = $productRecord['name'];
    $originalDescription = $productRecord['description'];

    $productRecord['name'] = [
        'en' => $originalName,
        'de' => $germanName,
        'es' => $spanishName,
    ];

    $productRecord['description'] = [
        'en' => $originalDescription,
        'de' => $germanDescription,
        'es' => $spanishDescription,
    ];
}

Index settings

If your records are structured like the example record, you don’t need to send specific settings to Algolia because you only need to make parent attributes, such as name, description, or manufacturer, searchable. You can do this in the Magento Admin.

Showcase record

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{
    "name": {
        "en": "Shirt",
        "de": "Hemd",
        "es": "Camisa"
    },
    "description": {
        "en": "Very nice blue shirt",
        "de": "Sehr schönes blaues Hemd",
        "es": "Muy bonita camisa azul"
    }
    // ... other attributes
}