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Keyword search
Keyword search finds documents by matching the exact words or phrases in a query against the words present in each document.
Prerequisite: Information retrieval
What matters
Because it matches literal text, keyword search can miss relevant results that use different wording for the same idea, even when the meaning matches closely.
Example
A keyword search for 'car' will not find a document that only uses the word 'automobile', even though both refer to the same thing.
Common misconception
Keyword search is not obsolete; it remains fast, cheap, and precise for exact-match cases like product codes or names.
Recall question
Why can a keyword search miss a document that discusses the exact topic requested?
Keywords and related concepts
keyword searchexact matchtext searchinformation retrieval