Providing a search results document that includes a user interface for performing an action in connection with a web page identified in the search results document

Abstract

A computer device is configured to identify a document; determine that the document includes an annotation, the annotation describing a user interface that is to be visually displayed in connection with information identifying the document when the information identifying the document is included in a search results document, the user interface including a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed in connection with the document, and the action being performed without obtaining the document after the user interface element is selected; determine information relating to the user interface based on the annotation; and store, in a search index, the information relating to the user interface in association with the information identifying the document.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:
 identifying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a document;   determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, that the document includes an annotation,
 the annotation describing a user interface that is to be visually displayed in connection with information identifying the document when the information identifying the document is included in a search results document, 
 the user interface including a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed in connection with the document, and 
 the action being performed without obtaining the document after the user interface element is selected; 
   obtaining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices and based on the annotation, information relating to the user interface; and   storing, by at least one of the one or more computing devices and in a search index, the information relating to the user interface in association with the information identifying the document.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 where the user interface element corresponds to a second user interface element that is included the document, and   where the second user interface element causes the action to be performed when the second user interface element is selected while the document is displayed at a user device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , where obtaining the information relating to the user interface comprises:
 determining that the annotation includes a reference pointing to a second document,   obtaining, based on the reference, the second document from a server, and   extracting the information, relating to the user interface, from the second document.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , where obtaining the information relating to the user interface comprises:
 determining, based on the annotation, that the document includes a particular type of annotation,   extracting the annotation and one or more other annotations, of the particular type, from the document, and   determining the information relating to the user interface based on the annotation and the one or more other annotations.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a metric based on at least one of a source of the document or a type of the user interface element;   storing, in the search index, the metric in association with the information identifying the document; and   using the metric to determine whether the user interface is to be visually displayed when the information identifying the document is included in the search results document.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a query from a user device;   identifying a list of documents based on the query,
 the list of documents including the document; 
   obtaining, from the search index, the information relating to the user interface;   including, in the search results document, information for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document; and   providing the search results document to the user device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , where including the information for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document comprises:
 obtaining, from the search index, a metric that is stored in association with the information identifying the document,   determining whether the metric satisfies a threshold, and   including, in the search results document, the information for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document based on the metric satisfying the threshold.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a query from a user device;   obtaining a ranked list of documents results based on the query,
 the ranked list of documents including the document; 
   determining whether a ranking of the document, in the ranked list of documents, satisfies a threshold; and   including, in the search results document, information for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document based on the ranking satisfying the threshold.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-readable medium comprising:
 a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:
 identify a document; 
 determine that the document includes an annotation,
 the annotation describing a user interface that is to be visually displayed in connection with information identifying the document when the information identifying the document is included in a search results document, 
 the user interface including a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed in connection with the document, and 
 the action being performed without obtaining the document after the user interface element is selected; 
 
 determine information relating to the user interface based on the annotation; and 
 store, in a search index, the information relating to the user interface in association with the information identifying the document. 
   
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , where the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a metric, for the user interface, based on a measure of quality of the document; and   store, in the search index, the metric in association with the information identifying the document.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , where the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 receive a query;   identify a list of documents based on the query,
 the list of documents including the document; 
   obtain the metric based on the information relating to the document;   determine whether the metric satisfies a threshold;   include, in the search results document, information for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document based on the metric satisfying the threshold; and   provide the search results document to a user device.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , where the plurality of instructions further cause the at least one processor to:
 determine a second metric based on second information relating to a second document in the list of documents;   determine whether the second metric satisfies the threshold; and   include, in the search results document and based on the second information relating to the second document, information for causing a second user interface to be displayed in connection with the second information identifying the second document based on the second metric satisfying the threshold.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 ,
 where the document is a web page, and   where the user interface element is at least one of a button or a text entry field.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 ,
 where the document includes a second user interface element that corresponds to the user interface element,   where the action is performed when a second user interface element is selected while the document is displayed by a user device.   
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 a processor to:
 identify a document provided by a server, 
 determine that the document includes an annotation,
 the annotation identifying a user interface that is to be displayed in connection with information identifying the document when the information identifying the document is included in a search results document, 
 the user interface comprising a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed by the server, and 
 the action being performed without obtaining the document after the user interface element is selected, 
 
 determine information relating to the user interface based on the annotation, and 
 store, in a search index, the information relating to the user in association with the information identifying the document. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , where the information relating to the user interface specifies properties of the user interface element and one or more other possible user interface elements of the user interface. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , where, when storing the information relating to the user interface, the processor is to:
 determine a metric for the user interface,
 the metric relating to a source of the document or a type of the user interface element, 
   determine whether the metric satisfies a threshold, and   store the information relating to the user interface and the metric in the search index when the metric satisfies the threshold.   
     
     
         18 . A method performed by one or more computing devices, the method comprising:
 receiving, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a query from a user device;   identifying, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, a document based on the query;   obtaining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, user interface information and a metric associated with the document,
 the user interface information identifying a user interface that is to be visually displayed in connection with the information identifying the document when the information identifying the document is included in a search results document, 
 the user interface including a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed in connection with the document, 
 the action being performed without obtaining the document after the user interface element is selected, and 
 the metric reflecting a measure of quality of the document; 
   determining, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, that the metric satisfies a threshold;   including, by at least one of the one or more computing devices and based on the metric satisfying the threshold, particular information, in the search results document, for causing the user interface to be displayed in connection with the information identifying the document; and   providing, by at least one of the one or more computing devices, the search results document to the user device.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , where including the particular information in the search results document includes:
 determining a ranking of the document in a ranked list of document associated with the query,   determining whether the ranking satisfies a different threshold, and   including the particular information in the search results document when the metric satisfies the threshold and the ranking satisfies the different threshold.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , where including the particular information in the search results document includes:
 determining, when the metric satisfies the threshold and based on the metric, a maximum amount of space available for the user interface,   determining, based on the user interface information, a minimum amount of space requested for the user interface, and   including the particular information in the search results document when the minimum amount of space requested for the user interface is less than the maximum amount of space available for the user interface.   
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors to:
 receive a query from a user device, 
 determine a list of documents based on the query,
 the list of documents including first information that identifies a particular document; 
 
 obtain, based on the first information, second information and a metric relating to the particular document,
 the second information describing a user interface that is to be visually displayed in connection with the first information when the first information is included in a search results document, 
 the user interface including a user interface element that, when selected, causes an action to be performed in connection with the particular document, 
 the action being performed without obtaining the particular document after the user interface element is selected, and 
 the metric reflecting a measure of quality of the particular document; 
 
 determine that the metric satisfies a threshold; 
 include, based on the metric satisfying the threshold and in the search results document, third information that causes the user interface to be displayed in connection with the first information; and 
 provide the search results document to the user device. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , where, when including the third information, the one or more processors are to:
 determine, when the metric satisfies the threshold and based on the metric, a maximum number of elements to be included in the user interface,   select, based on the maximum number of elements, the user interface element and one or more other elements that are described in the second information,   generate the third information based on the user interface element and the one or more other elements, and   include the third information in the search results document.   
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 21 , where, when including the third information, the one or more processors are to:
 determine a ranking of all possible user interface elements described in the second information,   determine a quantity of user interface elements to be included in the user interface when the user interface is displayed in connection with the first information,   select, from the all possible user interface elements, the user interface element and one or more other elements based on the quantity and the ranking,   generate the third information based on the user interface element and the one or more other elements, and   include the third information in the search results document.