What is faceted search?

Question

What exactly is faceted search in the context of full-text search?

I even read about it from Wikipedia, but I couldn't completely understand the use/benefit of it. Hope the community can answer/expand and explain with some good examples.

NOTE: We're into the process of evaluating/researching different open search full-text search engine and mostly I'm seeing faceted search listed as one of the feature among others. So I'm trying to assess whether this would be helpful for our application requirement.

Answer 1

Faceted search is well-explained here and Lucene faceted through an example.

EXAMPLE:

Answer 2

Faceted (or navigational) search uses a hierarchy structure (taxonomy) to enable users to browse information by choosing from a pre-determined set of categories. This allows a user to type in their simple query, then refine their search options by navigating/drilling down. In reality, it's an advanced search going on in the background, but instead of the user having to think of the additional search categories, it's been made easier for them by the visible folder structure. Examples of this are eCommerce sites like Amazon and eBay.

Answer 3

Faceted search is technically a guided navigation which allows the users to narrow down their search results. It can be used in big directories (like an image library for example), but the most common use of this search feature is for eCommerce web shops / web stores. Here is a fresh and comprehensive article about what is faceted search and how it works - I hope it helps.