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Best Practices

Follow these guidelines to effectively manage acronyms and query expansions for optimal chatbot performance.

Acronym Best Practices​

1. Be Comprehensive​

Include all acronyms users might encounter:

  • Program abbreviations (HFIM, FACS)
  • Department codes
  • Common organizational acronyms
  • Role abbreviations (GA, RA, PI)

2. Use Accurate Definitions​

Definitions should be:

  • Complete: Full official name
  • Current: Updated when organizations rename
  • Consistent: Same format across entries

Good: "College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences" Bad: "Ag college" or "CAES college"

3. Organize with Categories​

Use categories to manage large lists:

CategoryUse For
DepartmentAcademic departments
ProgramDegree programs
CollegeColleges and schools
OrganizationExternal organizations
RolePosition abbreviations

4. Avoid Duplicates​

Before adding an acronym:

  1. Search to see if it exists
  2. Check for slight variations
  3. Update existing entry if needed

Query Expansion Best Practices​

1. Target Problem Areas​

Add expansions for:

  • Terms that consistently cause search misses
  • Domain-specific jargon
  • Role titles and organizational terms
  • Common synonyms in your field

2. Keep Expansions Focused​

Good expansion: "runs" → "director head coordinator" Too broad: "runs" → "director head coordinator manager supervisor lead chief boss"

More terms isn't always better - it can reduce result precision.

3. Test Before and After​

When adding expansions:

  1. Test a sample question WITHOUT the expansion
  2. Note what results are missing
  3. Add the expansion
  4. Reload cache and test again
  5. Verify improvement

4. Use Appropriate Types​

Type classification helps with:

  • Organization and filtering
  • Understanding expansion purpose
  • Future maintenance

General Guidelines​

Regular Maintenance Schedule​

Monthly​

  • Review recently added acronyms
  • Check for unused entries
  • Update outdated definitions

Semester​

  • Comprehensive acronym review
  • Check for organizational changes
  • Update Extension-specific terms

Reload Cache After Changes​

Always click Reload Cache after:

  • Adding new entries
  • Editing existing entries
  • Deleting entries
  • Any batch updates

Changes don't take effect until reloaded.

Document Your Decisions​

Use the Description field for expansions to note:

  • Why the expansion was added
  • What search problem it solves
  • When it was last reviewed

Common Mistakes to Avoid​

Mistake 1: Forgetting to Reload​

Problem: Changes appear saved but aren't working.

Solution: Always click Reload Cache after making changes.

Mistake 2: Over-Expanding​

Problem: Too many expansion terms dilute search relevance.

Solution: Limit expansions to 3-5 highly relevant terms.

Mistake 3: Inconsistent Categories​

Problem: Same type of acronyms in different categories.

Solution: Review existing categories before creating new ones.

Mistake 4: Ignoring Context​

Problem: Acronym has different meanings in different contexts.

Solution: Use the most common meaning for your domain. Add clarifying text if needed.

Mistake 5: Not Testing​

Problem: Added expansion but didn't verify it helps.

Solution: Always test with real questions before and after changes.

Integration with Other Features​

Acronyms + Cache​

When creating cache entries:

  • Users might ask with acronyms
  • Include acronym variations in your question variations
  • Test cache matching with acronym versions

Expansions + Popular Questions​

Review Popular Questions for:

  • Questions using terms you should expand
  • Missing results due to terminology gaps
  • Patterns suggesting new expansions needed

Analyzing Conversations​

Check Conversations for:

  • Questions with poor results (expansion candidates)
  • Acronyms users are using
  • Terminology patterns

Performance Considerations​

Memory Usage​

  • Each expansion adds to memory usage
  • Hundreds of entries are fine
  • Thousands may impact performance
  • Clean up unused entries periodically

Search Impact​

  • More expansions = broader search
  • Broader search = more results to rank
  • Balance coverage with precision
  • Test search quality after bulk additions

Measuring Success​

Signs of Good Configuration​

  • Users find answers regardless of terminology
  • Search results are relevant
  • Cache hit rates are high
  • Few complaints about "doesn't understand"

Signs of Problems​

  • Users re-asking with different terms
  • Search results seem random
  • Cache entries not matching similar questions
  • Feedback about chatbot "not understanding"

Checklist for New Acronyms​

  • Search for existing entry first
  • Use full official definition
  • Assign appropriate category
  • Click Save
  • Click Reload Cache
  • Test with sample question

Checklist for New Expansions​

  • Identify the search problem
  • Test query without expansion
  • Choose appropriate type
  • Keep expansion terms focused (3-5)
  • Add helpful description
  • Save and Reload Cache
  • Test query with expansion
  • Verify improvement

Related Resources:

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