Configure a result improvement rule to increase the relevancy scores of search results that satisfy a custom condition.
When a result improvement rule with a boost action activates,
AI Search modifies the relevancy scores for search results from an indexed source specified in the action. You can choose one of these boost types:
- Boost all search results from the specified indexed source.
- Boost only search results from the specified indexed source with a field value that matches a dynamically populated element of the searcher's user context.
- Boost only search results from the specified indexed source with a field value that matches a static string value specified in the action.
You can specify a boost weight for each boost action. This is an integer value that AI Search uses to alter the relevancy scores for search results affected by your boost action. Boost weights can be positive or negative.
Positive boost weights increase the relevancy scores for boosted search results. Each boost weight of 1 increases a boosted search result's relevancy score by 0.1% of its original value. For example, if you set a boost weight of 100, you increase each boosted search result's relevancy by +10%, so a search result with an original relevancy score of 60 gets a final relevancy score of 66. Setting a boost weight of 1000 adds +100%, doubling the relevancy scores for boosted search results.
Negative boost weights reduce the relevancy scores for boosted search results. Each boost weight of –1 reduces a boosted result's relevancy score by 0.1% of its original value. As an example, if you set a boost weight of –150, you reduce a boosted search result's relevancy by 15%, so a search result with an original relevancy score of 100 gets a final relevancy score of 85. Any boost weight of –1000 or lower reduces a boosted search result's relevancy score to 0, causing it to appear at the end of the search result list.
When a single search result is affected by multiple boost actions, AI Search adds the individual boost weights together to determine the total relevancy score modifier. For example, a search result boosted by three rules with boost weights 100, 150, and –25 has a total boost weight of 225, increasing its final relevancy score by 22.5% of its original value.
To make new or updated result improvement rule settings take effect, publish the search profile you edited. For details on publishing a search profile, see Publish a search profile.
