Working with Synonyms in InSite Search for Ingeniux CMS

Synonyms in Ingeniux CMS’s InSite Search are an essential feature that helps improve the search experience by linking related terms to specific keywords. This allows users to find content even when they use different terminology or variations in their queries, broadening the scope of search results and making content more accessible.

How Synonyms Enhance Search

When configured, synonyms enable the search engine to consider both the keyword entered by the user and any associated synonyms, returning relevant results for both. This is particularly useful for overcoming the limitations of exact keyword matching, as it accounts for different ways users might phrase their searches. For example, if "car," "automobile," and "vehicle" are set as synonyms, a search for any of these terms will return results for all three, ensuring that users find what they’re looking for, regardless of the specific term they use.

Managing Synonyms

In Ingeniux CMS 10.6 and later, managing synonyms has been simplified through the CMS interface. Administrators can now configure synonyms directly from the Administration area, making it easier to maintain and update synonym lists. For those upgrading from earlier versions, existing synonyms stored in the synonyms.xml file can be imported into the new interface, preserving previous configurations.

Types of Synonyms

Ingeniux CMS supports two types of synonyms:

• Equivalents (Bidirectional Synonyms): These are interchangeable terms. When one term is searched, the system also returns results for all other terms in the group. This is useful for synonymous terms like "car," "automobile," and "vehicle."
• One-Way (Directional Synonyms): These synonyms link a lead term to related terms, but the relationship doesn’t work in reverse. For example, "buisness" could be linked to "business," ensuring that users who misspell the term are still directed to the correct results, while a search for "business" won't return results for "buisness."

Importing and Configuring Synonyms

Administrators can import existing synonyms from an XML file, particularly useful when migrating from earlier CMS versions. Once imported, synonyms can be managed directly through the CMS, allowing for easy updates and adjustments.

Custom synonyms can also be manually added or edited at any time through the CMS interface. This flexibility allows administrators to continuously refine search functionality, ensuring that it aligns with user needs and the evolving content on the site.

Enhancing Search Discoverability

Effectively configuring synonyms can significantly improve the discoverability of content, leading to a better user experience. By linking related terms and accounting for common variations and misspellings, the search functionality becomes more robust, ensuring that users can find the information they need quickly and efficiently.