Using the Search Query Builder

What is the Search Query Builder?

The Search Query Builder provides a visual way to build advanced search queries in Opus 2. It allows users to apply search syntax through buttons, dropdowns, and logic groups rather than typing Lucene Query Language directly into the search bar.

The builder converts your selections into valid search syntax automatically, making it easier to construct complex searches while reducing the risk of syntax errors. This is especially useful when searching across different fields, applying Boolean logic, or using modifiers such as proximity, fuzzy searching, and boosting.

The Search Query Builder is enabled by clicking the Builder icon located to the right of the Search and Save buttons.

Adding a term

1. Click the Builder icon to enable the Search Query Builder.
2. Click or click‑and‑drag Add term to create a new search term box.
3. Enter the word, phrase, or sentence you want to search for.
   • Anything entered is treated as a single term.
   • Phrases and sentences are automatically wrapped in quotation marks in the generated syntax.
4. Use the first dropdown to select the field to search (for example, Text, Date, Document ID, or Tags).
5. Use the second dropdownto define how the term is applied:
   • Should contain
   • Must contain
   • Must not contain
6. (Optional) Open the More dropdown to apply modifiers.

Applying Modifiers

Depending on the term and selected field, the following modifiers may be available:

• Fuzzy
  Used for single terms to allow for misspellings or slight variations.
  Users can select a fuzziness of 1 or 2, accounting for one or two character differences.

• Proximity
  Used for phrases containing two or more words.
  Defines how close words must appear to each other in the text.

• Boost
  Used for single terms or phrases when multiple terms are present.
  Increases the relevance of a term by assigning it a higher importance value.

Adding additional terms

1. Click or drag Add term to create another term box.
2. Use the Boolean operator dropdown between terms to select:
   • AND – both terms must exist
   • OR – either term may exist
3. Repeat as needed to build multi‑term queries. 

Examples:

• dog AND cat
• dog OR cat

Adding logic groups

Logic groups visually represent grouped logic (similar to parentheses in search syntax) and control the order in which terms are evaluated.

1. Click or drag Add logic group to create an empty group.
    
2. Add terms by dragging them into the group or creating them directly inside it.
    
3. Add additional terms or groups as needed.
    
4. Use AND or OR to connect logic groups to other terms or groups.
5. Drag terms using the six‑dot handle to reposition them within or outside groups.

Logic groups are evaluated first, then combined with other conditions to produce final search results.

• A logic group containing Enron AND Nymex, combined with a tag condition such as Key document, ensures documents either meet both text conditions or contain the specified tag.
   
• Boosting a key term within a multi‑term search increases the ranking of documents where that term appears more frequently.

Related Links

• How to Search for Documents
• Search Syntax Overview