Select View>Synonyms. The Synonyms Editor opens.
Directional synonym This is a synonym that works in one direction (Word—>Synonym). It is a useful method if readers enter a search term that is not contained in your project, but you have a similar word that is contained in the project. It works like this… In the Synonyms Editor, you enter the word that is not producing search results (because it is NOT contained in your project content). Next to it, you enter a synonym—a word that will produce search results (because it IS contained in your project content). When users enter the original word again in future searches, topics containing the synonym are found.
example
Let's say that you view search keyword results from your users and find that many are entering the search term "sofa." Unfortunately, you have not used that word in your project, so users are unable to find the topics that they need. However, you have used a similar word, "couch." Therefore, in the Synonyms Editor, you enter "couch" as a synonym for "sofa." The next time a reader enters "sofa" as a search keyword, topics containing the word "couch" will be returned in the results.
- Select the Directional tab.
- Click in the empty Word cell and press F2 on your keyboard.
- Type the phrase that users are entering when performing a search but not finding results (e.g., sofa). Press Enter when you are finished.
- Click in the empty Synonym cell and press F2 on your keyboard.
Type the parallel search phrase that is contained in the project content (e.g., couch). Press Enter when you are finished. In the future, when users perform a search and enter the term from the Word cell (e.g., sofa), Flare will find all topics that contain the term that you entered in the Synonym cell (e.g., couch).
(Optional) Click in the Stem check box if you want Flare to accept other variations of the search term that have the same stem.
example
Let's say you enter "hike" in the Word cell, and you enter "walk" in the Synonym cell. Then you select the Stem check box. In the future, if users search for the word "hike," it will find all topics containing the word "walk." The same will happen if users enter other search phrases with the same stem, such as "hiked" or "hiking."
Synonym group This is a collection of synonyms that produces the same search results for all of the words in the group. It is a useful method if you have multiple terms in your project that are similar, and you want the same search results to be returned when users enter any of those phrases. It works like this… In the Synonyms Editor, you enter the terms with an equal sign between each one (Synonym1=Synonym2=Synonym3=Synonym4). When users enter any of those terms in future searches, all topics containing any of those words are found.
example
Let's say that you have written some content about sports, and many of your topics include the words "sports," "athletics," or "games." If a user enters the word "athletics" as the search term, it will return not only topics containing that word, but also topics containing the words "sports" or "games" (even if "athletics" does not occur in those other topics).
- Select the Groups tab.
- Click in the empty Group cell and press F2 on your keyboard.
- Type the words that you want to include in the group, with an equal sign between each (e.g., sports=athletics=games). Press Enter when you are finished.
(Optional) Click in the Stem check box if you want Flare to find other variations of the synonyms that have the same stems.
example
Let's say you enter "hike=walk" in the Group cell. Then you select the Stem check box. In the future, if users search for the word "hike," it will find all topics containing the words "hike" or "walk." However, it will also find topics containing words that have the same stem as those terms, such as "hiked," "hiking," or "walking."
Press CTRL+S or click 
to save your work.
See Also