Build smarter queries to get the results you need

Sometimes the Keyword Query Builder just isn't enough to give you the results you are looking for. That´s where Boolean search comes in.

Boolean queries give you more control and flexibility, allowing you to create highly targeted searches with infinite combinations to capture exactly the content you need.

We have some of the widest range of Boolean operators of any platform on the market, allowing you to get the most refined, accurate, and useful data possible.

Our operators allow you to do everything from tracking hashtags and @mentions, to restricting specific locations or capitalization. They make it super easy to track even the trickiest brand names or topics. Here's how it works!

General structure

Before jumping into the Boolean queries, we'd recommend you to read and learn the general logic for creating searches in Notified.

If you have any questions, need help creating or editing search profiles, please feel free to contact clientsupport@notified.com or reach out via the chat.

How Boolean search works

A Booleans query is made up on one or more "sub-searches" combined into a single profile.

The main difference between a Boolean query and a Keyword query is that a Boolean query can contain an infinite number of "sub searches". That means you can first search for a topic or brand containing certain words or phrases, and then create a new search within the search that searches for something completely different.

Each sub-search within a Boolean query can contain the same elements that make up a Keyword query:

One or several keywords or phrases (required)
A set of required combinators and a set of excluded terms.

Each query follows a simple structure:

(Keywords) AND (combinators) AND NOT (excluded)

Use single word terms without quotation marks
Phrases must be must be incapsulated within quotations (for example "Tesla Model S").

Please note that the relationship between each search query is inherently OR.

Key operators to use

You can use the following operators to create your search:

AND - Used to define two or more phrases that must be present in the result.
NEAR - Defines that two or more phrases must be present in the results but within a defined number of words.
- By default, set to a distance of a maximum of 10 words, but this can be adjusted using e.g. NEAR/15.
OR - Broadens the search by including several possible phrases. At least one phrase is required, but that more than one (or all) can be returned.
AND NOT - Narrow your search by excluding phrases. Any term entered after this operator won't be included in the search results.
TITLE - Only return results where the keywords appears in the title (news article only).

Making your search more precise

By default, each search query follows the general rules set up in the top menu (media types, languages, “more options”) etc.

However, you can overrule these rules for specific search queries. For example:

Limit a query to a specific language
Only search within a specific social platform
Exclude certain media types

Example of attributes:

MEDIATYPES - Will only include stated mediatype.
```
(MEDIATYPES: "a, b, c"; (...keywords))
```
EXCLUDEDMEDIATYPES - Will not search in the stated mediatype
```
(EXCLUDEDMEDIATYPES: "a, b, c"; (...keywords))
```
LANGUAGES - Search only in the stated languages
```
(LANGUAGES: "a, b, c"; (...keywords))
```

Permitted values for each attribute can be found in dropdowns in the UI, as well as through the autocomplete function in the query editor.

Example search profiles

The best way to understand and learn how the Boolean searches work is to see a few examples and then give it a try yourself. We have a built-in validator that will help you enter your searches in the correct manner.

We'll start with a simple example:

(Tesla) AND ("model s" OR "model x" OR "model 3") AND NOT (BMW OR "Mercedes Benz")

This search query will return results that must contain Tesla and ANY of the phrases "model s" or "model x" or "model 3" but NOT BMW or Mercedes Benz.

To make the results more precise, you can use NEAR:

(Tesla OR car) NEAR/15 ("model s" OR "model x" OR "model 3") AND NOT (BMW OR "Mercedes Benz")

This search query will return results only where the maximum distance between Tesla and ANY of the phrases "model s" or "model x" or "model 3" is maximum 15 words.

You can also create multiple queries within the same search profile by adding a new line:

(Tesla OR car) NEAR/15 ("model s" OR "model x" OR "model 3") AND NOT (BMW OR "Mercedes Benz")

("electric cars") AND (market OR predictability OR opportunities)

As you can see in the above example, to enter multiple searches, simply press enter to start a new one. In the application, this is highlighted by a narrow line to make it more clear between different search queries. You can enter as many search queries as you want within a search profile.

Let's move onto query attributes. As mentioned above, this gives you the opportunity to override global search settings for a specific search query. Here's how you enter it:

(Tesla OR car) NEAR/15 ("model s" OR "model x" OR "model 3") AND NOT (BMW OR "Mercedes Benz")

(LANGUAGES: "Swedish"; MEDIATYPES: "instagram"; ("electric cars") AND (market OR predictability OR opportunities))

Let's assume that in the global search settings you have defined that you want to search across all sources and in Norwegian. By adding the attributes LANGUAGES and MEDIATYPES in the above example, we define that for the search query starting with "electric cars" we instead want to search only across Instagram, but in Swedish. As you see, you have infinite opportunities to define each search exactly how you want.

Summary

In Notified, you have some of the most advanced tools to create refined search profiles that can capture even the trickiest brand names or topics.