Query Rewriting Using Session Information

A system comprising:

• a user device;
• and
• one or more computers configured to interact with the user device and to perform operations comprising:
• receiving a search query from a user of the user device during a user session;
• obtaining a plurality of prior search queries by the user received during the user session;
• generating a plurality of candidate query rewrites, wherein the candidate query rewrites are derived from the search query and the plurality of prior search queries by the user;
• scoring each candidate query rewrite, wherein scoring each candidate rewrite includes determining a quality of each candidate query rewrite based on an analysis of search results responsive to the candidate query rewrite;
• selecting a candidate query rewrite having a score that satisfies a threshold value;
• and
• providing search results responsive to the selected candidate query rewrite to the user device.

One or more computer-readable storage media encoded with instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a search query from a user during a user session;
• obtaining a plurality of prior search queries by the user received during the user session;
• generating a plurality of candidate query rewrites, wherein the candidate query rewrites are derived from the search query and the plurality of prior search queries by the user;
• scoring each candidate query rewrite, wherein scoring each candidate rewrite includes determining a quality of each candidate query rewrite based on an analysis of search results responsive to the candidate query rewrite;
• selecting a candidate query rewrite having a score that satisfies a threshold value;
• and
• providing search results responsive to the selected candidate query rewrite.