GrepAI Search Boosting

This skill covers configuring score boosting to prioritize relevant code paths and deprioritize tests, docs, and vendor code.

When to Use This Skill

• Prioritizing source code over tests

• Penalizing vendor/third-party code

• Boosting important directories

• Customizing result ranking

What is Boosting?

Boosting modifies search scores based on file paths:

Original score: 0.85 (src/auth.go)

Bonus (+10%):   0.935

Original score: 0.85 (tests/auth_test.go)

Penalty (-50%): 0.425

This ensures production code ranks higher than tests with similar content.

## Configuration

### Basic Configuration

.grepai/config.yaml

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

bonuses:

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

### Full Configuration

search:

boost:

enabled: true

# Reduce scores (factor < 1.0)

penalties:

# Test files

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /__tests__/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: _test.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: .spec.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: .test.

factor: 0.5

# Documentation

- pattern: /docs/

factor: 0.6

- pattern: /documentation/

factor: 0.6

# Vendor/third-party

- pattern: /vendor/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: /node_modules/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: /third_party/

factor: 0.3

# Generated code

- pattern: /generated/

factor: 0.4

- pattern: .gen.

factor: 0.4

- pattern: .pb.go

factor: 0.4

# Examples and samples

- pattern: /examples/

factor: 0.7

- pattern: /samples/

factor: 0.7

# Increase scores (factor > 1.0)

bonuses:

# Core source code

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /lib/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /app/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /core/

factor: 1.2

- pattern: /internal/

factor: 1.1

# Important directories

- pattern: /services/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /handlers/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /controllers/

factor: 1.1

## How Factors Work

Factor
Effect
Use Case

0.3
70% reduction
Strong penalty (vendor)

0.5
50% reduction
Moderate penalty (tests)

0.7
30% reduction
Mild penalty (examples)

1.0
No change
Neutral

1.1
10% increase
Mild boost (src)

1.2
20% increase
Moderate boost (core)

1.5
50% increase
Strong boost

## Pattern Matching

Patterns match against the full file path:

/project/src/auth/middleware.go

^^^^

Matches "/src/" pattern

### Pattern Types

Pattern
Matches
Doesn't Match

`/tests/`
`src/tests/auth.go`
`tests.go`

`_test.`
`auth_test.go`
`test_auth.go`

`.spec.`
`auth.spec.ts`
`spec/auth.ts`

`/src/`
`project/src/main.go`
`resource/file.go`

## Effect on Rankings

### Without Boosting

Score: 0.85 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30

Score: 0.82 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45

Score: 0.80 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55

### With Boosting

penalties:

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

bonuses:

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

Score: 0.90 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45 (0.82 × 1.1)

Score: 0.88 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55 (0.80 × 1.1)

Score: 0.43 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30 (0.85 × 0.5)

## Common Configurations

### Standard (Recommended)

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: _test.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: .spec.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /vendor/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: /docs/

factor: 0.6

bonuses:

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /lib/

factor: 1.1

### Frontend Project

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: /__tests__/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: .test.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: .spec.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /node_modules/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: .stories.

factor: 0.6

- pattern: /storybook/

factor: 0.6

bonuses:

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /components/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /hooks/

factor: 1.1

### Go Project

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: _test.go

factor: 0.5

- pattern: _mock.go

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /testdata/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /vendor/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: .pb.go

factor: 0.4

bonuses:

- pattern: /internal/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /cmd/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /pkg/

factor: 1.1

### Python Project

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: test_

factor: 0.5

- pattern: _test.py

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /conftest

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /fixtures/

factor: 0.6

bonuses:

- pattern: /src/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /app/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /core/

factor: 1.2

### Monorepo

search:

boost:

enabled: true

penalties:

- pattern: /tests/

factor: 0.5

- pattern: _test.

factor: 0.5

- pattern: /packages/deprecated/

factor: 0.3

- pattern: /packages/legacy/

factor: 0.4

bonuses:

- pattern: /packages/core/

factor: 1.2

- pattern: /packages/api/

factor: 1.1

- pattern: /packages/shared/

factor: 1.1

## Disabling Boosting

To disable boosting entirely:

search:

boost:

enabled: false

Or remove the boost section from config.

## Boosting vs Ignoring

Approach
Effect
Use Case

**Ignore**
Completely excluded
Dependencies, build output

**Penalty**
Still searchable, lower rank
Tests, docs, examples

**Neutral**
Default ranking
Regular source code

**Bonus**
Higher rank
Core business logic

### When to Ignore vs Penalize

- **Ignore:** Files you NEVER want to search (`node_modules`, `.git`)

- **Penalize:** Files you RARELY want but might need (`tests`, `docs`)

## Testing Your Configuration

After configuring boosting:

Search and observe rankings

grepai search "authentication"

Check if tests are properly deprioritized

grepai search "test authentication" # Should still find tests, but ranked lower

## Best Practices

- **Start with penalties:** Deprioritize tests/vendor first

- **Add bonuses sparingly:** Only for truly important paths

- **Test with real queries:** Verify results make sense

- **Don't over-penalize:** 0.5 is usually enough for tests

- **Document your choices:** Add comments in config

## Common Issues

❌ **Problem:** Tests always show up first
✅ **Solution:** Add penalty patterns for your test naming convention

❌ **Problem:** Can't find code in penalized paths
✅ **Solution:** Penalties reduce rank, don't hide. Use ignore for complete exclusion.

❌ **Problem:** Scores above 1.0 seem wrong
✅ **Solution:** Bonuses can push scores above 1.0; this is normal

❌ **Problem:** Pattern not matching
✅ **Solution:** Check that pattern appears in full path (use `/tests/` not just `tests`)

## Output Format

Boosting configuration status:

✅ Search Boosting Configured

Status: Enabled

Penalties (5):

- /tests/ → 0.5 (50% reduction)

- _test. → 0.5

- .spec. → 0.5

- /vendor/ → 0.3 (70% reduction)

- /docs/ → 0.6

Bonuses (3):

- /src/ → 1.1 (10% boost)

- /lib/ → 1.1

- /core/ → 1.2 (20% boost)

Effect: Source code ranks higher than tests with similar content