Aglet

Verify a product search synonym without widening unrelated results

Verification should prove that the alternate wording reaches the intended products while literal queries and neighboring concepts retain their meaning. Test positive and negative examples, inspect the visible query treatment, and check that the closure statement does not promise every spelling or locale.

Check whether the outcome improved

  1. Check matching terms

    Run the canonical and alternate phrases in the scoped category or locale. Confirm comparable products, facets, titles, and first action. Record whether the interface explains a correction or silently changes the phrase; either behavior must match the product promise.

  2. Check near misses

    Use a neighboring term, a different product family, and a literal phrase with the same token. Verify that the mapping does not pull unrelated products into view or remove a legitimate result. Capture the result set rather than relying on one top row.

  3. Review scope and fallback

    Check the query in a context outside the mapping and in a zero-result state. Confirm the person can continue with the original phrase or a clear alternative. Limit the closure language to the examples, scope, and evidence actually tested.

What to carry forward

Verification passes when equivalent terms retrieve useful matching products, near misses remain distinct, and the correction or fallback is understandable. If one locale or category is untested, keep the mapping provisional and name that boundary rather than marking the entire vocabulary gap solved.

Technical background: GOV.UK developer documentation.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

Create an account See the product workflow