Synonyms
Improve product discoverability by mapping similar, related, or alternate search terms using synonyms feature.
Overview
The Synonyms section in the Netcore Unbxd console helps ensure that shoppers find what they’re looking for—even if they use different words, regional terms, misspellings, or abbreviations in their search. By defining synonyms, you connect related or equivalent terms so that shoppers receive relevant results for a variety of query styles.
This is especially helpful in reducing zero-result searches, improving product discoverability, and ensuring a consistent search experience across different shopper intents.
When Are Synonyms Used?
Synonyms come into play in several everyday search scenarios:
- Terms with the Same Meaning Words like “ladies” and “women’s” or “graph paper” and “grid paper” refer to the same thing and should return the same products.
- Geographically Different Terms Shoppers in different regions may use different words for the same product. For example, “slippers” in India are often referred to as “flip-flops” in the US. Mapping these terms ensures search results remain relevant regardless of location.
- Related Terms Even if two terms are not exact synonyms, they may be closely related in context. A search for “paper plates” could also show “plastic plates” as relevant alternatives.
- Hyponyms A more specific term (like “desktop PC”) can be mapped to a broader category (“computers”) to expand results meaningfully.
- Spelling Variants Differences in dialect or preference can lead to spelling variants like “color” vs “colour” or “adapter” vs “adaptor”. These should be treated as equivalent.
- Common Misspellings Shoppers may frequently misspell brand names or product terms—e.g., “purel” instead of “Purell”. Adding such synonyms ensures they still see the right products.
- Spacing Variations Words like “WiFi”, “Wi-Fi”, and “Wi Fi” are visually different but semantically the same. Handling such variations is key to delivering consistent results.
- Abbreviations Shoppers may search using abbreviations like “MK” for “Michael Kors” or “NYC” for “New York City”. Mapping these helps return complete and relevant results.
By understanding these scenarios, you can set up synonyms that reflect how your customers actually search—making your on-site search smarter and more forgiving.
What should synonyms not include?
- Empty record: entry where there is no value entered (whitespace)
- Symbols: entries where only symbols are typed as the value. The following characters are not accepted by our system :
,( comma) ,\+(plus),{,}(curly braces),\*(Asterix),&(Ampersand) ,\\(backslash) - Alphanumeric: entries with only alphanumeric values. It should have text characters.
- Stopwords: entries that contain just words that add no value like of, for, the, or any such stopwords.
- Redundant Synonyms: entries that already exist. Don’t add two similar inputs.
- Multi-term Synonyms: Synonyms having more than 2 keywords should be avoided.
Types of Synonyms
These synonyms are bi-directional. When a shopper searches for any of the terms in the group, the search engine returns results for all related terms.
Example If “pants” and “trousers” are set as two-way synonyms, a search for either will return results for both.
These synonyms are bi-directional. When a shopper searches for any of the terms in the group, the search engine returns results for all related terms.
Example If “pants” and “trousers” are set as two-way synonyms, a search for either will return results for both.
These are uni-directional. A search for the primary keyword returns results for its synonyms, but not vice versa.
Example If “ivory” is a one-way synonym for “white”, then:
- Searching for “white running shoes” will return both white and ivory shoes.
- Searching for “ivory running shoes” will only return ivory shoes, not white.
Configure Synonyms
Now that we know various use cases and types of synonyms let us understand how to configure these synonyms using the Unbxd console.
To add synonyms (or a single synonym):
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Navigate to Content > Synonyms*.*
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Click Add a Synonym to configure your keywords along with the synonyms.
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Provide keywords for Synonyms in the Type Search Keyword section.
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Provide queries in **One-Way Synonyms **and Two-way Synonyms.
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Click **Proceed to **save the configure Synonyms.
Bulk Upload Synonyms
With the Bulk Upload Synonyms feature, you can upload a list of synonyms. You can browse on your computer or use drag-and-drop. The supported upload format is .csv*.*
It is advisable for first-time users to upload a list of synonyms already known to their previous search system so that they can handle all those instances in Unbxd search.
Once uploaded, you can see the number of synonyms added. Using the Bulk Download Synonyms feature, you can also bulk download all the synonyms you have configured. A .csv file is downloaded.
Delete a synonym:
- Navigate to Content > Synonyms.
- Search for the keyword and click the hamburger icon next to it.
- Click Delete, where you will receive a confirmation message for deletion.
- Click Yes if confirmed or No otherwise.
Index Time Synonyms
The Index Time Synonym feature is designed to improve search recall by adding synonym keywords to the search index during the full feed or re-indexing process. These synonyms help to map multiple terms with the same meaning, ensuring that users can find relevant products, even if they use different words in their search queries.
Prerequisites
Before using the Index Time Synonyms feature, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:
- Configure your synonym relationships in the dashboard.
- This feature is applied during the full feed or re-indexing process, meaning the system will only index synonyms when a feed is ingested or a re-indexing job is triggered.
How it works
This feature is accessible only to Unbxd Admin users. Log in to Netcore Unbxd Dashboard and navigate to Algorithm > Content> Synonym.
Below is step by step workflow on Index Time Synonym:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Synonym Mapping Input | Merchandisers define synonym relationships through the dashboard. Examples • Unidirectional Synonyms: "pants → trousers, slacks, long briefs"• Bidirectional Synonyms: "pants ↔ trousers ↔ slacks ↔ long briefs" These mappings are then passed to the backend system for indexing. |
| Building the Inverted Synonym Trie | During feed ingestion, the system constructs an inverted synonym mapping based on the configured relationships. Examples: • Unidirectional: "trousers → pants", "slacks → pants", "long briefs → pants" • Bidirectional: "trousers → pants, slacks, long briefs", "pants → trousers, slacks, long briefs", and so on. |
| Synonym Transformer Processing | The Synonym Transformer processes searchable fields (like product titles and descriptions) using a maximum window size of 3 words. Note: Only Single-token synonyms are indexed. Multi-word synonyms (e.g., "long briefs") are ignored. |
**Indexing into **syn_unx_tpm**and ** syn_unx_auto | Valid single-token synonyms are indexed into: • syn_unx_tpm → for search queries • syn_unx_auto → for autosuggest queries Example: If the product title is "slacks" and the mapping is "pants → slacks", then "pants" is indexed into syn_unx_tpmNote: Multi-word synonyms like "long briefs" are not indexed. |
FAQ & Troubleshoot
When should I use Index Time Synonym?
When should I use Index Time Synonym?
Index Time Synonym is best used when you have a large number of synonyms to be indexed (e.g., 25+). It’s particularly useful during the onboarding process as feeds are indexed regularly.
Can I index multi-word synonyms?
Can I index multi-word synonyms?
No, the system only processes and indexes single-token synonyms (e.g., “pants” → “slacks”). Multi-word synonyms like “long briefs” are not indexed to avoid noise in the system.
What happens if I add synonyms after the feed is ingested?
What happens if I add synonyms after the feed is ingested?
If you add new synonyms after a feed has already been ingested, they will be indexed only during the next full feed or re-indexing cycle.
How often should I refresh the synonyms?
How often should I refresh the synonyms?
Synonyms are typically refreshed during full feeds or delta feeds, which are indexed regularly. Ensure the feed is ingested at appropriate intervals to keep the synonym mappings up-to-date.