Synonym Groups for Article Searches

A search for one term in a synonym group returns results for all terms in the group. For example, if you define a synonym group with these synonyms:

CRM, customer relationship management, Salesforce

then a search for customer relationship management matches articles that contain customer relationship management and articles that contain CRM or Salesforce.

To create a custom synonym group, from Setup, enter Synonyms in the Quick Find box, then select Synonyms. An org can create up to 10,000 synonym groups with up to six terms in each group.

Synonyms affect search behavior in these ways.

• Priority

  If a search term is part of a synonym group, the search results list items that contain the search term, followed by items that contain other terms in the synonym group.

  For example, if this synonym group is defined:

  fruit, oranges

  Then a search for oranges matches a list of items containing oranges, followed by items containing fruit.

  

  Note In the Article Management tab, if you sort the list by clicking a column header, the sort order, not priority, persists in the current and additional searches.
• Wildcards

  If a wildcard is used in a search, the wildcard expands the search term, but the search doesn't match any synonyms, even if the search phrase contains a defined synonym.

  For example, if these synonym groups are defined:

  fruit, oranges, apples

  cabbage, lettuce

  Then a search for orang* lettuce matches items that contain orange and oranges, but doesn't match items that contain fruit, apples, and cabbage.

• Operators

  If a search phrase contains an operator (AND/OR/AND NOT), synonym matches are returned only if the entire search phrase is a defined synonym.

  For example, if these synonym groups are defined:

  fruit, oranges and apples

  vegetables, carrots

  Then a search for oranges and apples returns matches for all items that contain the literal string oranges and apples and items that contain the term fruit.

  However, if the search phrase is fruit and vegetables, which is not a defined synonym, the search matches only those items that contain both the terms, fruit and vegetables.

  In this case, AND functions as an operator and synonym matches are not returned in the search results. In terms of this example, items that contain a synonym of either fruit or vegetables (items that contain the term carrots or the phrase oranges and apples) are not returned.

• Exact phrase matches

  If a defined synonym is within an exact phrase search, using quotation marks, the search doesn't treat it as a synonym.

• Lemmatization

  Synonyms aren’t lemmatized in search results; instead, they are matched as an exact phrase. However, the search term is lemmatized.

  For example, if this synonym group is defined:

  quench, drink orange juice

  Then a search for quench matches items that contain quench, quenched, quenching, and drink orange juice, but doesn't match items that contain drinking orange juice.

• Ignored words

  Words that are normally ignored in searches, such as the, to, and for, are matched if the word is part of a defined synonym.

  For example, if this synonym group is defined:

  peel the orange, cut the apple

  Then a search for peel the orange matches items that contain the exact string peel the orange.

• Overlapping synonyms

  If a search term consists of overlapping synonyms from different groups, the search matches synonyms in all the overlapping synonym groups.

  For example, if these synonym groups are defined:

  • orange marmalade, citrus
  • marmalade recipe, sugar

  Then a search for orange marmalade recipe matches items that contain orange marmalade, citrus, marmalade recipe, and sugar.

• Subsets

  If one synonym group includes a synonym that is a subset of a synonym in another group, a search for the subset term doesn't match items that contain synonyms from the subset synonym group.

  For example, if these synonym groups are defined:

  • orange, apple
  • orange marmalade, citrus
  • marmalade, jam

  Then a search for orange marmalade matches items that contain orange marmalade and citrus, but doesn't match items that contain apple or jam.