What is a search query and how is it processed? | Algolia

Search queries are the strings of words people use to ask questions or seek information on search engines like Google. There are three types of search queries: navigational, informational, and transactional. Navigational queries aim to find a specific website, while informational queries seek general guidance or facts. Transactional queries have the intent to buy something. When processing a search query, search engines parse it and send it to an index server for matching with relevant web pages. The results are ranked based on relevance, taking into account factors such as user intent, typos, synonyms, and custom ranking criteria.