What are synonyms?

Within the context of search, synonyms describe closely-related keywords which can ultimately return the same results. Have you ever searched a shopping website for 'shoes' and received results for boots, trainers and clogs even though there is no mention of the word 'shoes' in the product name or description? That is a result of synonyms at play in the search algorithm.

How can synonyms help me?

Prospectus Plus contains an option to add a search block to any personalisation step. In the case, for example, where you may be presenting users with 20+ course subject areas to choose from, a search block can help your users to find what they're looking for more quickly.

The problem is, search in this context is quite strict in how it matches a query to a result. It will return a result only if the exact wording matches the name of the term. So, if your user submits a search for the term 'painting', they may receive no results despite the fact that the subject area 'Art' will be very relevant to them.

Great! Where do I find this setting?

1. In the CMS, hover over 'Categories' and navigate to the settings for the term you'd like to add synonyms for. For example, Categories > Subject Areas > Art.
2. Scroll to the bottom of the settings page to find the 'synonyms' field.
3. Add however many synonyms you'd like, separated by commas. eg. painting, drawing, illustration
4. Click 'update'.

Updated on: 25/08/2023