# Use Multipliers to Boost Relevance

You can add multipliers to individual query terms to boost the relevance of results that match these terms accordingly.

To apply a multiplier to a query term, use this format:

    queryTerm[*N]

where:

`queryTerm` | is the query term whose weight to multiply.
`N` | is the factor to multiply the specified query term weight by. This weight can be any positive number.

For example:

    http://IDOLhost:port/action=Query&Text=bread[*2.5]+brown+loaf

This action multiplies the weight of the query term `bread` by 2.5. The weight of the query terms `brown` and `loaf` does not change.

When results return for the query, the relevance of documents that contain the term `bread` is boosted relative to those that do not.

    http://IDOLhost:port/action=Query&Text=SOUNDEX(bred)+bred[*4]

In this example, a supermarket wants to ensure that an online search for `bread` returns appropriate results. The supermarket has found that customers tend to misspell bread as bred. If a customer queries for `bread`, appropriate results return as usual. If a customer queries for `bred`, the term is submitted twice; once as a Soundex keyword search, and once with a multiplier. This ensures that if results exist that match bred (for example, a new CD by a band called bred), they return with a higher relevance than results that match bred phonetically.

Similarly, you can use multipliers to reduce the influence of individual query terms. For example:

    http://IDOLhost:port/action=Query&Text=cat[*0.5]+dog

In this example, the weight of the query term `cat` is halved by multiplying it by 0.5. The weight of the query term `dog` does not change.

When you return results for the query, the relevance of documents that contain the term `cat` is reduced relative to those that do not.

Related Topics

- Soundex Keyword Search

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