Global Search Platform
RediSearch implementation.
The problem
Search was slow and inconsistent, bolted onto the primary database. Every query competed with transactional traffic, and results felt stale.
Context
I designed a dedicated search platform so search became fast, relevant, and independent of the operational store — and reusable across teams.
Architecture
A clean indexing pipeline feeds RediSearch, which serves faceted, typo-tolerant queries in well under 50ms, fully decoupled from the transactional database.
- Indexing pipeline that keeps the search index fresh.
- RediSearch for typo-tolerance, faceting, and speed.
- Decoupled from the operational store to protect both.
- A reusable platform other teams index into.
Technical challenges
Index freshness vs. write load
Keeping the index consistent with a fast-moving source of truth without overloading either system required a carefully tuned pipeline.
Engineering decisions
RediSearch over bolting onto the DB
A purpose-built search engine gave relevance features and latency the primary database could never match.
Technologies
Results
Sub-50ms, typo-tolerant search at scale — and a platform other teams could build on. Part of the work recognised as Best Software Engineer of the Year.
Lessons learned
- Use the right tool; databases make mediocre search engines.
- Decoupling protects both systems and unlocks features.
What I’d improve today
- Semantic / vector search layered on top of keyword relevance.