Answers: Stop Word Customization (Fall '20 Release)

Additional stop words can now be added to further refine search quality. Stop words are words that the Answers algorithm treats differently in order to deliver more accurate results to the user.

The Answers algorithm already has a built-in list of stop words that streamlines a query at the time of the search. This list includes words such as of, the, in, among others, which can distract from the important components of a query. For example, the query “best doctors in the tri-state area” becomes “best doctors tri-state area,” thereby focusing on the entity, the rating, and the location.

With this release, you can now add additional custom stop words specific to the needs of your business. This user-defined list tells the Answers algorithm which additional words should be treated as stop words in a query.

To learn more about Stop Word Customization, visit the Configuration Controls Unit for an Overview and the Additional Settings Unit to review how to implement them.

If you have any comments, feedback, or questions on this feature, leave a comment below!