--- schema_version: "1" id: 122eba6b0cb3666582de4e7d2afad09d045d490b1ab33bd4e705603b86133c68 title: Synonym Groups for Article Searches collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/service/264-0-0/search_how_synonyms_work.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.search_how_synonyms_work.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 330b08cf95e7a535f66509ac44baa53dbe8fc3797c2a69ecccab44f05108fe2f description: Create synonym groups so words or phrases are treated equally in searches. When users search Salesforce Knowledge articles, they find matches for all terms in a synonym group. products: - Service Cloud release: "264" --- # Synonym Groups for Article Searches Create synonym groups so words or phrases are treated equally in searches. When users search Salesforce Knowledge articles, they find matches for all terms in a synonym group. ### Required Editions
Available in Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience. View supported editions.
A search for one term in a synonym group returns results for all terms in the group. For example, if you define a synonym group with these synonyms: _CRM_, _customer relationship management_, _Salesforce_ then a search for customer relationship management matches articles that contain _customer relationship management_ and articles that contain _CRM_ or _Salesforce_. To create a custom synonym group, from Setup, enter Synonyms in the Quick Find box, then select **Synonyms**. An org can create up to 10,000 synonym groups with up to six terms in each group. Synonyms affect search behavior in these ways. - Priority If a search term is part of a synonym group, the search results list items that contain the search term, followed by items that contain other terms in the synonym group. For example, if this synonym group is defined: _fruit_, _oranges_ Then a search for oranges matches a list of items containing _oranges_, followed by items containing _fruit_. ![Note](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-service-support-264-0-0-production-enus/dd14551c-a772-4db6-9a1d-d84df8df2980/images/icon_note.png) Note In the Article Management tab, if you sort the list by clicking a column header, the sort order, not priority, persists in the current and additional searches. - Wildcards If a wildcard is used in a search, the wildcard expands the search term, but the search doesn't match any synonyms, even if the search phrase contains a defined synonym. For example, if these synonym groups are defined: _fruit_, _oranges_, _apples_ _cabbage_, _lettuce_ Then a search for orang\* lettuce matches items that contain _orange_ and _oranges_, but doesn't match items that contain _fruit_, _apples_, and _cabbage_. - Operators If a search phrase contains an operator (`AND`/`OR`/`AND NOT`), synonym matches are returned only if the entire search phrase is a defined synonym. For example, if these synonym groups are defined: _fruit_, _oranges and apples_ _vegetables_, _carrots_ Then a search for oranges and apples returns matches for all items that contain the literal string _oranges and apples_ and items that contain the term _fruit_. However, if the search phrase is fruit and vegetables, which is not a defined synonym, the search matches only those items that contain both the terms, _fruit_ and _vegetables_. In this case, `AND` functions as an operator and synonym matches are not returned in the search results. In terms of this example, items that contain a synonym of either _fruit_ or _vegetables_ (items that contain the term _carrots_ or the phrase _oranges and apples_) are not returned. - Exact phrase matches If a defined synonym is within an exact phrase search, using quotation marks, the search doesn't treat it as a synonym. - Lemmatization Synonyms aren’t lemmatized in search results; instead, they are matched as an exact phrase. However, the search term is lemmatized. For example, if this synonym group is defined: _quench_, _drink orange juice_ Then a search for quench matches items that contain _quench_, _quenched_, _quenching_, and _drink orange juice_, but doesn't match items that contain _drinking orange juice_. - Ignored words Words that are normally ignored in searches, such as _the_, _to_, and _for_, are matched if the word is part of a defined synonym. For example, if this synonym group is defined: _peel the orange_, _cut the apple_ Then a search for peel the orange matches items that contain the exact string _peel the orange_. - Overlapping synonyms If a search term consists of overlapping synonyms from different groups, the search matches synonyms in all the overlapping synonym groups. For example, if these synonym groups are defined: - _orange marmalade_, _citrus_ - _marmalade recipe_, _sugar_ Then a search for orange marmalade recipe matches items that contain _orange marmalade_, _citrus_, _marmalade recipe_, and _sugar_. - Subsets If one synonym group includes a synonym that is a subset of a synonym in another group, a search for the subset term doesn't match items that contain synonyms from the subset synonym group. For example, if these synonym groups are defined: - _orange_, _apple_ - _orange marmalade_, _citrus_ - _marmalade_, _jam_ Then a search for orange marmalade matches items that contain _orange marmalade_ and _citrus_, but doesn't match items that contain _apple_ or _jam_. #### See Also - [Improve the Knowledge Article Search Experience](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_search_improve.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "To improve the Salesforce knowledge article search experience, enable search highlights, snippets, synonyms, promoted terms, topics, and case keywords.") - [Salesforce Knowledge Help and Resources](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=service.knowledge_map.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Find the information you need about Salesforce Knowledge. Explore help documentation, developer documentation, and Trailhead modules.")