Boolean commands can be a great time saving device for constructing searches with NewsWhip Analytics. However, they can seem complicated to beginners and frustrating when first attempted.
Basic Boolean Commands
Boolean commands are used to link separate, distinct searches into a single search string. They are very helpful when refining a search query or searching for several keywords at once.
Their three main functions are as follows:
- AND - Ties multiple keywords together to reduce results to include content that mentions all keywords.
- OR - Separates keywords to expand results to include content that mentions any keyword
- NOT - Restricts keywords to include content that mentions certain keywords but not other keywords
Single and Double Brackets
Brackets are very useful when constructing longer search queries. They enable users to tie several keywords together to interact with other keywords.
The above Boolean search will return content that mentions dogs and cats but will ignore content that mentions birds or fish
The above Boolean search will return content that mentions dogs and birds or cats and birds but will ignore content that mentions fish.
Taking a different approach based on some recent bad weather that hit our Dublin office, the above Boolean search will return content that mentions the keywords cold or freezing linked to the keywords weather or temperatures, all of which is linked to relevant keywords from across Europe.
Troubleshooting
You may occasionally enter Boolean command incorrectly. Our Boolean search field will assist you by alerting you to errors.
The above Boolean search is missing a bracket at the very end. When creating a lengthy search, it is worth counting your brackets to make sure that they match up from front to back.
The above Boolean search has an additional, unnecessary Boolean command. Our Boolean commands must all be written in uppercase so it is easy to identify them within your search query and notice errors of this nature.
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