Synonyms | Yext Hitchhikers Platform
Synonyms tell Search which words and phrases to consider as having the same meaning. Search has three types of synonyms: one-way synonyms, synonym sets, and normalization synonyms. Check out the Synonyms unit for more details.
Search Configuration Schema
Within the Search configuration, the synonyms object defines the configuration settings for synonyms. Refer to the table below for the available fields. View where synonyms fits into the configuration in the
Search Config Properties - Top Level
reference doc.
| Property | Type | Shown in Config UI | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
oneWay |
array of objects | Yes | A phrase that, when detected, is expanded to include all of the synonyms associated with the phrase. |
synonymSet |
array of arrays of strings | Yes | A collection of phrases that, whenever any is present in a user’s query, is expanded to include all other terms in the set. |
normalization |
array of objects | Yes | A collection of phrases that, whenever any is present in a user’s query, is expanded to include one synonym associated with the phrases. |
Top-Level JSON
The JSON below is for demonstrative purposes only to show the structure of the synonyms object through the top-level properties. Find more detail about each below.
"synonyms": {
"oneWay": [],
"synonymSet": [],
"normalization": []
},One Way Synonyms
One-way synonyms look for a phrase and expands it to include all of the synonyms associated with the phrase. The oneWay property is an array of objects, where each object is a separate synonym with the following properties:
| Property | Type | Shown in Config UI | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
phrase |
string | Yes | The text used in a query that will be replaced with matching synonyms |
synonyms |
array of strings | Yes | The list of terms that the query should be expanded with |
The following is an example of two sets of one-way synonyms:
- “order online” will be expanded with “delivery”
“career” will be expanded with “job” and “apply”
"synonyms": { "oneWay": [ { "phrase": "order online", "synonyms": [ "delivery" ] }, { "phrase": "career", "synonyms": [ "job", "apply" ] } ], }
Synonym Sets
Synonym sets expand phrases to include all the other terms in the set. It is an array of arrays. Each array represents a separate set in the synonymSet property.
For example, this synonym set specifies “doctor”, “healthcare professional”, and “physician” are all equivalent to each other:
"synonyms": {
"synonymSet": [
[
"doctor",
"healthcare professional",
"physician"
]
],
}Normalization Synonyms
Normalization synonyms are the exact inverse of a one-way synonym, where a set of many terms is mapped to one term. These are particularly useful when multiple search terms can be used to reference the same thing. Use the normalization property to specify them.
| Property | Type | Shown in Config UI | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
from |
array of strings | Yes | The list of terms that should be replaced with matching synonyms, what you’re mapping from. |
to |
string | Yes | The term that the query should be replaced with, what the multiple terms will normalize to. |
For example, the terms “rewards”, “points”, and “membership” will all normalize to “gift card” below. This could be useful if we have content on gift cards, but not the other terms in particular. We don’t want them to return no results and “gift card” is close enough content.
"synonyms": {
"normalization": [
{
"from": [
"rewards",
"points",
"membership"
],
"to": "gift card"
}
]
}