Manage Synonyms

    Synonyms are interchangeable search terms or replacement search terms that Site Search uses, based on what the user types and the defined synonyms. For example, by making vacation and holiday interchangeable synonyms, then a search for one will find documents that match the other.

    A synonym definition can specify:

    • A set of interchangable terms (A,B,C,D…) – A, B, C, and D… are all synonyms of each other. If a user searches for any of the terms, then results for searches for each of the terms individually appear in the result list.

    • A set of replacement terms (A=>B,C,D…) – B, C, and D… are synonyms of A. With A as the search term, Site Search searches for documents that contain B, C, and D…, but not documents that contain A. To also search for documents that contain A, include A in the list after the =>, that is, A=>A,B,C,D…. To highlight the difference with a set of interchangeable terms, if a user searches for B, then Site Search doesn’t also search for A, C, and D.

    Note
    		 Separate synonyms with commas, ⇒, or ⇒ and commas. Don’t include any spaces in the list of synonyms. For example enter whisky,whiskey,scotch, not whisky, whiskey, scotch. You can include spaces in multiword terms without needing quotation marks, for example, PTO,personal time off,time off,vacation.

    If synonyms overlap, Site Search combines them. For example, if the synonym mappings contain the synonym mappings A=>A,B and A=>A,C, then the result is the same as A=>A,B,C; when the user searches for A, Site Search returns the results for A, B, and C.

    Add Synonyms

    Add synonyms to improve the quality of search results.

    To add synonyms

    1. Open the Site Search menu – In the upper left corner of Site Search, click Edit.

    2. In the left menu, click Synonyms.

      Add synonyms

    3. In the synonym table, enter a Mapping, and then click Create New Synonym.

      You can also leave synonyms defined, and include or exclude them from use. To use a synonym, click Use synonym. To not use the synonym, unselect the checkbox.

    Languages and synonyms

    Synonyms can be in any of the supported languages. At the moment, you define them all in any order in the Site Search Admin UI.

    Edit Synonyms

    Edit synonyms that you want to adjust.

    To edit synonyms

    1. In the Site Search menu, click Synonyms in the left menu.

    2. For the synonyms you want to edit, click in the Mapping fields and edit the synonyms. To change the synonym type, click the button under Type.

      Synonyms you edit move to the bottom of the synonym table.

    3. After making your last edit, click outside of the Mapping field for that synonym, or on a different item in the main menu.

    Change the synonym type

    It’s unlikely you would want to change the synonym type, but if you do want to, this is how.

    To change the synonym type

    1. In the Site Search menu, click Synonyms in the left menu.

    2. In the Synonyms UI, click the button to the left of a synonym definition to toggle between the two types of synonyms:

      • Interchangeable synonyms indicates a set of interchangeable terms. Click this button to toggle the synonym to be a set of replacement terms.

      • Replacement synonyms indicates a set of interchangeable terms. Click this button to toggle the synonym to be a set of interchangeable terms.

    Remove Synonyms

    Remove synonyms that aren’t needed.

    To remove synonyms

    1. In the Site Search menu, click Synonyms in the left menu.

    2. In the synonym table, hover over the synonym you want to delete, and then click Delete Delete.