> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Enable real-time personalization

> Enable real-time personalization to adapt search results to users' in-session behavior, including first-time visitors with no history.

export const Affinity = () => <Tooltip tip="Affinity is a preference score that Algolia calculates for each user based on their behavior. It reflects how likely a user is to prefer a specific facet-value pair and helps personalize their search results." cta="Affinity" href="/doc/guides/personalization/advanced-personalization/configure/prerequisites/consider-requirements-limits#affinities">
    affinity
  </Tooltip>;

<Callout icon="credit-card" color="#c084fc">
  This feature isn't available on every plan.
  Refer to your [pricing plan](https://www.algolia.com/pricing) to see if it's included.
</Callout>

[Real-time personalization](https://dashboard.algolia.com/advanced-personalization/configuration/real-time) adjusts search results based on signals from the current session.
As users interact with your website or app,
it adapts results to their changing intent.

Real-time personalization:

* Provides coverage for all users, including first-time visitors.
* Happens in real-time as users interact with your website.
* Adapts as user intent changes during a session.
* Complements historical personalization for returning users.

<Note>
  Real-time personalization applies to new users.
  Historical personalization applies to returning users.
</Note>

Real-time personalization responds to signals from the current visit.
It adapts search results as the user browses.
This makes results more relevant.
It works even without past visit history.

To compare the two approaches,
see [differences between real-time and historical personalization](/doc/guides/personalization/advanced-personalization/what-is-advanced-personalization/in-depth/real-time-personalization-and-historical-personalization).

## Enable real-time personalization

Before you begin, set up [Advanced Personalization](/doc/guides/personalization/advanced-personalization/what-is-advanced-personalization).

In the Algolia dashboard, [enable real-time personalization](https://dashboard.algolia.com/advanced-personalization/configuration/real-time).

<Frame caption="Dashboard interface enabling real-time personalization">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/aN8Lr52w2iijNnTe/images/guides/advanced-personalization/enable-real-time-personalization.jpg?fit=max&auto=format&n=aN8Lr52w2iijNnTe&q=85&s=020cc798d533af276768a2fa33cde4a1" alt="Dashboard interface for enabling real-time personalization" width="1003" height="587" data-path="images/guides/advanced-personalization/enable-real-time-personalization.jpg" />
</Frame>

## Troubleshooting

Use the Advanced Personalization [user inspector](https://dashboard.algolia.com/advanced-personalization/user) to review each user's <Affinity />.
A badge shows if real-time affinities apply.

<Frame caption="Dashboard interface for inspecting user affinities">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/aN8Lr52w2iijNnTe/images/guides/advanced-personalization/real-time-personalization-user-badge.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=aN8Lr52w2iijNnTe&q=85&s=a1605e29674e20fff2f35e39171cbf50" alt="Screenshot of a user's real-time affinities list showing categories like 'Electronics' and 'United States' with scores." width="814" height="654" data-path="images/guides/advanced-personalization/real-time-personalization-user-badge.png" />
</Frame>