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Understanding Search Results

Unlock search magic: maximize Knowledge Base results by strategically weighting tags, titles & content!

River Sloane
Updated by River Sloane

Our search algorithm is designed to deliver optimal results, and with a few simple tweaks, you can make it even more effective for your visitors! Let's explore how to maximize your search functionality and help your users find exactly what they need.

How Search Results are Weighted and Ranked

When someone searches your Knowledge Base, our system doesn't just locate articles containing those terms—it calculates a relevance score for each article to provide the most helpful results. This score is significantly influenced by where your search terms appear within the article.

Here's how the ranking system works:

Ranking Factor

Description

Field Priorities (Base Weighting)

Different parts of an article carry different weight in search results:


Highest Importance: Matches found in Tags receive top priority.
High Importance: Matches in the Title get second-highest priority.
Medium Importance: Matches in the Description contribute moderate weight.
Standard Importance: Matches in the main Body text, short version text, category titles, and URL slug have standard weight.

Scoring Boosts (Extra Relevance)

Articles can receive additional relevance boosts in specific situations:


Exact Phrase Bonus: When an exact search phrase appears in an article's Title or Tags, that article receives a significant boost.
Word Match Bonus: A smaller boost applies when individual words from the search query appear in the Title or Tags.

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