Uniform resource identifier encoding

One or more non-transitory storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, by a search engine and from a user, through a first interaction between the user and one or more controls on a graphical user interface of the search engine, a first search parameter sent to the search engine over a network by a client device of the user;
• in response to the search engine receiving the first search parameter from the user:
• generating, by a uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a first natural language representation that represents the first search parameter;
• and
• encoding, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a first uniform resource identifier in a format that is interpretable by a results generator of the search engine, wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a path, and wherein the first uniform resource identifier includes the first natural language representation as a portion of the path of the first uniform resource identifier;
• identifying, by the results generator of the search engine, a first search result that satisfies the first search parameter based on comparing the first search parameter to data stored in a search index;
• transmitting, by the search engine and to the client device over the network, the first search result that satisfies the first search parameter and the first uniform resource identifier for display;
• displaying in the graphical user interface (1) the first search result that satisfies the first search parameter, and (2) the first uniform resource identifier;
• receiving, by the search engine and from the user, through a subsequent, second interaction between the user and one or more controls on the graphical user interface, a second search parameter that is not represented in the first uniform resource identifier, the second search parameter being sent to the search engine over the network by the client device of the user;
• in response to the search engine receiving the second search parameter from the user:
• generating, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a second natural language representation that represents the second search parameter;
• determining, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, an ordinal position in which the second natural language representation is to be added as a new portion of the path relative to a position of the first natural language representation in the first uniform resource identifier according to respective ranking scores of the first and second natural language representations, wherein the ranking scores of some types of search parameters are ranked before other types of search parameters;
• and
• encoding, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, an updated uniform resource identifier in the format that is interpretable by the search engine, wherein the updated uniform resource identifier comprises an updated version of the path, and wherein the updated uniform resource identifier includes a the new portion of the path for the second natural language representation placed in the ordinal position relative to the portion of the path for the first natural language representation;
• identifying, by the results generator of the search engine, a second search result that satisfies the second search parameter and the first search parameter based on comparing the second search parameter to the data stored in the search index;
• transmitting, by the search engine and to the client device over the network, the second search result and the updated uniform resource identifier for display;
• and
• displaying in the graphical user interface (1) the second search result that satisfies the first and second search parameters, and (2) the updated uniform resource identifier that includes the portion of the path for the first natural language representation and the portion of the path for the second natural language representation.

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, by a search engine and from a user, through a first interaction between the user and one or more controls on a graphical user interface of the search engine, a first search parameter sent to the search engine over a network by a client device of the user;
• in response to the search engine receiving the first search parameter from the user:
• generating, by a uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a first natural language representation that represents the first search parameter;
• and
• encoding, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a first uniform resource identifier in a format that is interpretable by a results generator of the search engine, wherein the uniform resource identifier comprises a path, and wherein the first uniform resource identifier includes the first natural language representation as a portion of the path of the first uniform resource identifier;
• identifying, by the results generator of the search engine, a first search result that satisfies the first search parameter based on comparing the first search parameter to data stored in a search index;
• transmitting, by the search engine and to the client device over the network, the first search result that satisfies the first search parameter and the first uniform resource identifier for display;
• displaying in the graphical user interface (1) the first search result that satisfies the first search parameter, and (2) the first uniform resource identifier;
• receiving, by the search engine and from the user, through a subsequent, second interaction between the user and one or more controls on the graphical user interface, a second search parameter that is not represented in the first uniform resource identifier, the second search parameter being sent to the search engine over the network by the client device of the user;
• in response to the search engine receiving the second search parameter from the user:
• generating, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, a second natural language representation that represents the second search parameter;
• determining, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, an ordinal position in which the second natural language representation is to be added as a new portion of the path relative to a position of the first natural language representation in the first uniform resource identifier according to respective ranking scores of the first and second natural language representations, wherein the ranking scores of some types of search parameters are ranked before other types of search parameters;
• and
• encoding, by the uniform resource identifier constructor of the search engine, an updated uniform resource identifier in the format that is interpretable by the search engine, wherein the updated uniform resource identifier comprises an updated version of the path, and wherein the updated uniform resource identifier includes a the new portion of the path for the second natural language representation placed in the ordinal position relative to the portion of the path for the first natural language representation;
• identifying, by the results generator of the search engine, a second search result that satisfies the second search parameter and the first search parameter based on comparing the second search parameter to the data stored in the search index;
• transmitting, by the search engine and to the client device over the network, the second search result and the updated uniform resource identifier for display;
• and
• displaying in the graphical user interface (1) the second search result that satisfies the first and second search parameters, and (2) the updated uniform resource identifier that includes the portion of the path for the first natural language representation and the portion of the path for the second natural language representation.