Exact match searches sometimes return no results even if results exist

Truism

Sometimes searches that contain only an "exact match" operation return no results even if matching pages exist.

For example "JD-3" returns no results, but many pages include the term. Swapping to "JD-3" laser makes it work. Setting a region for the search but leaving the term "JD-3" also makes it return results, but then it no longer strictly enforces an exact match.

Terms like "F-15" or "Su-25" work fine. The failures I don't recall the specifics of other terms where I've seen the failure previously, but I've definitely seen it. The "JD-3" term replicates on Desktop and Mobile.

Example of behaviour:

Pages matching an exact search term should returned without hacky workarounds, and results without it should not.

RichardBean

I'm getting this for lots of cases, and unfortunately have to fall back to Google.

Specifically Australian mobile phone numbers in the form "04XX XXX XXX" give zero results in Kagi and give what I want in Google. The work around is take the quotes out and go to Options Verbatim, then it gives me some of the Google results.

Truism

Any update on this? In general search results seem to have sharply degraded, and using exact matches was a good way of regaining some usefulness, but they're now even worse.

Ewing

I have been noticing this a lot recently with unpopular or exact searches and it is so annoying that I have started going back to Google even though I pay for Kagi Ultimate.

Interestingly if you press Retry it tends to work but it's frustrating having to hit retry on nearly every search. The developer in me makes me suspect that popular queries are cached, but new ones are sent upstream. If the upstream doesn't respond quick enough then the end-user gets the No Results message.

Hit Retry and the response from the upstream has probably come back and populated the cache so you get results the second time around.

I do a lot of stuff with older retro tech so many of my searches probably aren't that popular but that's also the reason why I decided to subscribe to Kagi because it's becoming increasingly difficult to get the mainstream search engines to return what you're after rather than what it "thinks" you want.

If what I suspect is the cause is correct can the upstream timeout be increased please or even made into a user preference? I'd much rather wait an extra couple of seconds than have to hit retry all the time...

RichardBean

a particular example

https://kagi.com/search?q=%22welcome+the+chance+to+be+relocated%22&%3Br=no_region

"welcome the chance to be relocated"

should bring up an ABC 7.30 transcript, social media discussion, 2010 telegraph article, architecturelive.

As with Ewing, I unfortunately find (right now) that playing with verbatim settings, hitting reload etc gives me different subsets of these results while google does give me those results and is deterministic.

For my use case I usually do need all the results rather than just some.

FredNet

The search has been bad for me for the last couple of days. And of course it happens right after I convinced my wife to switch. Here’s an example from today. Note I got the same results as she did.

LC

Thank you for reporting this - it’s genuinely helpful. Taking the time to document issues and share feedback helps the Kagi’s team improve the tool for everyone.

A relevant discussion can be found here: https://kagifeedback.org/d/11354-double-quotes-not-working-properly

I’m bumping this in the hope that the developers can provide an update or respond soon. 🙂

RichardBean

Another just then.

"a drag on the whole community"

Zero results from Kagi. International Lens, Options is Personalized rather than Verbatim, but I have the double quotes in the search so I'm looking for the exact phrase. This is my understanding of how it works.

Google... SMH 2008, reddit 2008 and 2021 at least, Nine 2008, appliance retailer 2008, Hansard 2021, solidarity 2008, Facebook Larissa Waters 5 years ago, IsaacKremer.com Theodore Roosevelt address in 1908.

That's just the first page. on e.g. the fourth page I see NZ PapersPast 1931.

This isn't working as intended?