From Search & Navigation to Optimizely Graph: A Leap into the Future

Glenn Lalas
02 July 2025

If you're currently using Optimizely Search & Navigation (S&N), you might be wondering what's next in delivering faster, smarter, and more flexible digital experiences. Enter Optimizely Graph — the next-generation content API designed to elevate how you access and deliver content across channels. 

What is Optimizely Graph? 

Optimizely Graph is a headless, AI-accelerated content API built on GraphQL. Unlike Search & Navigation, which is page-centric and based on Lucene, Optimizely Graph is content-centric. It provides real-time, fine-grained access to your content, regardless of where or how it is used. Think of it as the connective tissue between your content and any digital interface: web, mobile, apps, kiosks, and more. 

Key Differences Between Optimizely Graph and Search & Navigation 

  • Technology Stack: 

    • S&N uses Lucene for full-text search. 

  • Graph uses GraphQL, enabling targeted and flexible content queries. 

  • Performance: 

    • Graph offers faster response times and scales better with large or complex datasets. 

  • Flexibility: 

    • Graph supports field-level querying, ideal for modern frontend frameworks like React or Next.js. 

  • Indexing: 

    • Graph can index all content types (not just published pages) and reflects updates almost instantly.
       

AI and Personalization Ready 

Optimizely Graph is designed with AI in mind. It enables smarter personalization by allowing you to filter and deliver content based on user behavior, segmentation, and context—in real time. 

Ideal Use Cases 

  • Complex content models with multiple types and relations 

  • Headless CMS implementations 

  • Sites needing fast and dynamic search/discovery features 

  • Front-end heavy applications
     

For Current Search & Navigation Users 

Optimizely Graph isn't a forced switch—it's a strategic upgrade. Many customers run both S&N and Graph in parallel during migration. If you're building anything new or performance-critical, Graph should be your go-to. 

Case Study:  American Retirement Association Site Search 

One recent implementation for the American Retirement Association (“ARA”) involved using Optimizely Graph to power their site search experience. When comparing to previous projects which used Search & Navigation, the development effort required was no greater than what would have been needed for S&N. In fact, our team appreciated how straightforward it was to write and update Graph queries—we were able to retrieve exactly the data we needed without over-fetching. 

The flexibility of Graph also made it easier to build robust filtering and faceting into the search experience. Compared to S&N, this process was far more intuitive and manageable. While co-development did require us to pay close attention to index synchronization across environments, the payoff was worth it. With semantic search enabled, ARA saw a marked improvement in the relevance of search results, leading to a better user experience. 

Final Thoughts 

As digital expectations evolve, so should your content strategy. Optimizely Graph offers the speed, flexibility, and future readiness needed to meet your users wherever they are. Now is a great time to explore what Graph can do for your next project. 

Interested in how Optimizely Graph can revolutionize your content delivery and enhance user engagement? Contact us for a comprehensive audit, including quick-win improvements you can implement immediately. Let's elevate your digital experience together! 

Glenn Lalas



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