SearchStax Site Search release notes for October 16, 2025 include Smart Answers API endpoints, Discovery API visibility updates, and profile-level configuration.
Highlights
A brief summary of the most important updates in this release.
Added
- Smart Answers API: Get Smart Answers responses in JSON and XML format.
- Discovery API visibility: The Discovery API tab now appears when PDF Extraction or Geolocation are available in your plan.
Changed
- Profile-level configurations: Facets and Results Fields can now be configured at the Search Profile level. You can also apply changes across multiple Search Profiles at once.
- Promotions: You can now apply changes to Promotions across multiple Search Profiles at once.
Added
New features added in this release.
[API] Smart Answers JSON and XML Endpoints
You can now get Smart Answers responses in JSON and XML formats via the Smart Answers API.
Endpoints
-
/answer/json: Returns responses in JSON format -
/answer/xml: Returns responses in XML format
Both endpoints return the full response at once, rather than streaming it.
The JSON endpoint returns a structured response with the following format:
{
"success": true,
"question": "what is site search?",
"answer": "Site search refers to the functionality integrated into websites...",
"processing_time": 16.48,
"error_message": "Optional - only if there is an error"
}The XML endpoint returns a structured response with the following format:
<SmartAnswer>
<success>true</success>
<question>what is site search??</question>
<answer>**Site search** refers to the functionality on a website that allows users to search for specific content or information within that site. It provides visitors with relevant search results based on their queries, enabling them to quickly find what they are looking for. SearchStax offers a site search solution that enhances user experience through features like auto-suggestions, smart answers, and detailed analytics, which help optimize the search outcomes and improve content discovery [Site Search Solution | SearchStax](https://www.searchstax.com/site-search/).</answer>
<processing_time>0.0018157958984375</processing_time>
</SmartAnswer>Impact
These new formats give you more flexibility when integrating Smart Answers into your applications. You can now choose the format that works best for your system architecture.
Action
You can access these endpoints using your Discovery API Key. Go to the DISCOVERY tab under App Settings All APIs to find your authentication credentials.
The following example shows how to call the JSON endpoint:
curl 'https://search-ai-us-east.searchstax.com/api/v1/<YOUR_APP_ID>/answer/json/?q=what%20is%20site%20search&model=Main%20Profile&language=en' \
-H 'accept: text/json' \
-H 'authorization: Token <YOUR_DISCOVERY_API_KEY>'The following example shows how to call the XML endpoint:
curl 'https://search-ai-us-east.searchstax.com/api/v1/<YOUR_APP_ID>/answer/xml/?q=what%20is%20site%20search&model=Main%20Profile&language=en' \
-H 'accept: text/xml' \
-H 'authorization: Token <YOUR_DISCOVERY_API_KEY>'[Discovery] PDF Extraction and Geolocation Visibility
The DISCOVERY tab now appears when PDF Extraction or Geolocation are available in your plan. Previously, this tab only appeared if Related Searches or Popular Searches were available in your plan.
Within the DISCOVERY tab, the Related Searches or Popular Searches endpoints only appear when those features are available in your plan.
Impact
If PDF Extraction or Geolocation are available in your plan, you'll now see the DISCOVERY tab under App Settings All APIs, making it easier to use these features.
Action
None. This change takes effect automatically.
Changed
Details about changes to existing functionality.
[Search Profiles] Profile-Level Configuration
Facets and Results Fields are now available at the Search Profile level. Previously, these settings applied globally across all profiles. Additionally, Promotions can now be applied to multiple profiles at once.
These updates give you more control over how search works for different sites or audiences within a single Search App. They’re only available if your Search App has more than one Search Profile.
Configuring Settings for Multiple Profiles
When you have multiple Search Profiles, you can choose which profiles should use specific configurations.
- From the Dashboard, select one of the following:
- Faceting (under Basic Configurations)
- Promotions (under Optimizations)
- Results Fields (under Basic Configurations)
- Make your configuration changes.
- Click SAVE DRAFT or PUBLISH to open the profile selection window.
-
In the window, use the Select Profile(s) dropdown to choose which Search Profiles should receive your changes. You can select the current profile only, multiple specific profiles, or all profiles.
The window displays the current Search Profile selected by default. You can't unselect the current profile.
When you save or publish, your configuration applies only to the selected profiles. Other profiles keep their existing settings.
Impact
This gives you more flexibility in how you manage search experiences across different sites or audiences. For example, you can:
- Promote different products for different customer segments or regions
- Show different facets for an academic audience vs. a directory search
- Display different result fields for course listings vs. faculty profiles
All of this can happen within a single Search App.
Action
You can now configure Promotions, Facets, and Results Fields independently for each profile. Go to Configurations Basic Configurations (Facets, Results Fields) or Configurations Optimizations (Promotions) to get started.
Rollout
Details about the release schedule and scope.
- Target date: Thursday, October 16, 2025
- Scope: All SearchStax Site Search customers
- Expected issues: None expected
Known Issues
A list of any known issues in this release and any workarounds.
None expected.