Resolving Facet Functionality Issues in Search Integration with Sitecore XM Cloud

 During the integration of the Search application with Sitecore XM Cloud, we encountered an issue where facets functionality was not working as expected. While search results displayed correctly, the facets' checkboxes were unresponsive, and an error appeared in the console when attempting to interact with them.

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the problem and the steps taken to resolve it.

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Issue Overview

• Symptoms:
  • Facet checkboxes were displayed but were unresponsive to clicks.
  • Console error: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'facets').
• Environment:
  • Frontend: Next.js application.
  • API Endpoint: Sitecore Discover API.
• Observation:
  • The facets functionality worked perfectly during a proof of concept (POC) outside the XM Cloud environment with the same API and codebase.

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Investigation

1. Code Review:

   • The issue was identified in the SearchResultWidget.tsx component, particularly in the onFacetValueClick function.
   • An arrow function (onFacetValueClick={() => onFacetClick}) was used instead of directly passing the callback function.

2. Environment Consistency:

   • Verified that the API response was identical in both environments (POC and XM Cloud).
   • Compared configurations and ensured the same codebase was deployed.

3. Styled vs. CSS Components:

   • The demo site used styled components, whereas the integrated application used .css files. An attempt was made to replicate the behavior using styled components for troubleshooting.

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Solution

1. Fixing the Facet Click Logic:

   • Replaced the arrow function with a direct callback function.

   tsx
   <SearchResultsAccordionFacets
       defaultFacetTypesExpandedList={[]}
       onFacetValueClick={onFacetClick}
       className="sitecore-accordion-facets-root"
   />
   

2. Testing and Validation:

   • Updated the @sitecore-search/react package to version 2.2.3, resolving known bugs in earlier versions (2.1.1).
   • Validated the changes locally and deployed them to the XM Cloud environment.

3. Facet Behavior in URL:

   • For modifying the facet behavior in the URL (displaying facet value instead of ID), implemented the useSearchResultsSelectedFacets hook from the Search SDK.

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Key Findings

• The issue originated from a combination of incorrect function usage and a known bug in the older version of the @sitecore-search/react package.
• XM Cloud-specific configurations did not impact the functionality; the error was resolved by addressing code-level issues and updating dependencies.

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Conclusion

By fixing the callback logic and updating the relevant package, the facets functionality was restored. This experience highlighted the importance of:

1. Keeping dependencies up to date.
2. Ensuring code consistency across environments.
3. Validating functionality with minimal, reproducible examples.

If you encounter a similar issue, check your package versions, verify API responses, and thoroughly review component implementations. The above steps should help resolve most facet-related issues during Sitecore Search integrations.