Query Expansions

Query Expansions add related terms to user searches to improve result quality. This is different from acronyms - expansions handle synonyms, role titles, and domain jargon.

Understanding Query Expansions

An expansion entry consists of:

Field	Required	Description
Term	Yes	The word/phrase to detect (e.g., "runs")
Expansion	Yes	Terms to add (e.g., "director head coordinator")
Type	Yes	Category of expansion
Description	No	Admin notes about this rule
Active	Yes	Whether the expansion is enabled

Expansion Types

Synonym

Word equivalents that mean the same thing:

Term	Expansion	Purpose
program	program department	Find both "program" and "department" documents
course	course class	Match "course" or "class" terminology
faculty	faculty professor instructor	Find all teaching staff references

Role

Leadership and position titles:

Term	Expansion	Purpose
runs	director head coordinator	"Who runs...?" finds director listings
head of	director chair head coordinator	"Head of department" expands to all titles
in charge	director manager supervisor	Leadership queries

Unit Type

Organizational unit terminology:

Term	Expansion	Purpose
office	office department	Find office or department references
unit	unit department division	Organizational structure queries
center	center institute program	Research center queries

Extension

Extension-specific terminology:

Term	Expansion	Purpose
agent	county extension agent	Extension service queries
specialist	extension specialist	Subject matter experts
4-H	4-H youth development	Youth program queries

Managing Expansions

Viewing the Expansions Tab

Click the Query Expansions tab to see:

• Term: The trigger word
• Expansion: Added search terms
• Type: Category badge
• Status: Active/Inactive badge
• Description: Admin notes
• Actions: Edit and Delete buttons

Filtering Expansions

Use the controls above the table:

1. Search box: Filter by term or expansion text
2. Type dropdown: Filter by expansion type
3. Status dropdown: Show active, inactive, or all

Adding an Expansion

Step-by-Step

1. Go to the Query Expansions tab
2. Click + Add Expansion
3. Fill in the form:
   • Term: The word to detect
   • Expansion: Terms to add to search
   • Type: Select the appropriate type
   • Description: (Optional) Admin notes
   • Active: Check to enable
4. Click Save
5. Click Reload Cache

Form Fields Explained

Term Field

• The word or phrase that triggers expansion
• Case-insensitive matching
• Examples: "runs", "head of", "program"

Expansion Field

• Space-separated terms to add
• These supplement the original search
• Examples: "director head coordinator"

Type Field

Choose the most appropriate:

• Synonym: Word equivalents
• Role: Job titles and leadership
• Unit Type: Organizational terms
• Extension: Extension-specific

Active Checkbox

• Checked: Expansion is applied to searches
• Unchecked: Expansion is stored but not used

Editing an Expansion

1. Find the expansion in the table
2. Click the Edit button
3. Modify fields as needed
4. Click Save
5. Click Reload Cache

Deleting an Expansion

1. Find the expansion in the table
2. Click the Delete button
3. Confirm deletion
4. Click Reload Cache

Activating/Deactivating Expansions

Instead of deleting, you can deactivate:

1. Edit the expansion
2. Uncheck the Active checkbox
3. Save

This preserves the rule while disabling it.

How Expansions Work

Example Flow

User question: "Who runs the HFIM program?"

1. "runs" detected → Expansion adds: "director head coordinator"
2. "program" detected → Expansion adds: "department"
3. Enhanced query: Searches for documents containing any of these terms
4. Better results: Finds the "HFIM Program Director" page

Multiple Expansions

Multiple expansions can apply to the same query:

• Each matching term adds its expansion
• The combined terms improve search coverage
• Order doesn't matter

Best Practices for Expansions

Do's

• Be specific: Target terms that cause search misses
• Test changes: Verify improvements after adding
• Use types correctly: Helps with organization
• Document purpose: Use the description field

Don'ts

• Don't over-expand: Too many terms reduce precision
• Don't duplicate: Avoid redundant expansions
• Don't expand common words: "the", "is", "what" etc.
• Don't forget to reload: Changes need cache refresh

Common Expansions to Add

Essential Role Expansions

Term	Expansion
runs	director head coordinator manager
leads	director head chair
in charge	director manager supervisor head
manages	director manager coordinator

Essential Synonym Expansions

Term	Expansion
classes	classes courses
teacher	teacher professor instructor faculty
job	job position employment career

Troubleshooting

Expansion Not Working

1. Verify the entry exists and is Active
2. Click Reload Cache
3. Test with a sample question
4. Check for typos in the term

Too Many Results

If expansions return too much:

1. Review the expansion terms
2. Remove overly broad terms
3. Consider splitting into multiple specific expansions

Wrong Results

If expansions cause irrelevant matches:

1. Check which expansion is causing issues
2. Edit or deactivate it
3. Test with sample questions

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Next: Best Practices - Guidelines for effective configuration.