Grepai Search Boosting

yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills/skills/search/grepai-search-boosting

by yoanbernabeu382d40261c0d41109c6e11872574ba0be9b064d0No licenseListed Oct 9, 2026Updated Oct 9, 2026

Configure search result boosting in GrepAI. Use this skill to prioritize certain paths and penalize others.

Instructions onlySoftware Development

AI-generated overview

Configures GrepAI search score boosting to prioritize source paths and penalize tests, docs and vendor code.

What it does: This skill explains how to configure score boosting in GrepAI so that search results are re-ranked by file path. It documents the YAML boost configuration with penalties (factors below 1.0) and bonuses (factors above 1.0), how patterns match against full file paths, and how factors change ranking. It also provides ready-made configurations for standard, frontend, Go, Python and monorepo projects, plus guidance on testing and troubleshooting the setup.
When to use it: Use it when search results are dominated by tests, documentation, generated code or vendored dependencies and you want production source to rank higher. It also fits when you need to customize result ranking for a specific project layout such as a frontend, Go, Python or monorepo codebase.
Requirements: Requires GrepAI with a configuration file such as .grepai/config.yaml. Instructions only; no scripts are included.

GrepAI Search Boosting

This skill covers configuring score boosting to prioritize relevant code paths and deprioritize tests, docs, and vendor code.

When to Use This Skill

Prioritizing source code over tests
Penalizing vendor/third-party code
Boosting important directories
Customizing result ranking

What is Boosting?

Boosting modifies search scores based on file paths:

Original score: 0.85 (src/auth.go)Bonus (+10%):   0.935
Original score: 0.85 (tests/auth_test.go)Penalty (-50%): 0.425

Original score: 0.85 (src/auth.go)Bonus (+10%):   0.935
Original score: 0.85 (tests/auth_test.go)Penalty (-50%): 0.425

This ensures production code ranks higher than tests with similar content.

Configuration

Basic Configuration

yaml

# .grepai/config.yamlsearch:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1

# .grepai/config.yamlsearch:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1

Full Configuration

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true
    # Reduce scores (factor < 1.0)    penalties:      # Test files      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /__tests__/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .test.        factor: 0.5
      # Documentation      - pattern: /docs/        factor: 0.6      - pattern: /documentation/        factor: 0.6
      # Vendor/third-party      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /node_modules/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /third_party/        factor: 0.3
      # Generated code      - pattern: /generated/        factor: 0.4      - pattern: .gen.        factor: 0.4      - pattern: .pb.go        factor: 0.4
      # Examples and samples      - pattern: /examples/        factor: 0.7      - pattern: /samples/        factor: 0.7
    # Increase scores (factor > 1.0)    bonuses:      # Core source code      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /lib/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /app/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /core/        factor: 1.2      - pattern: /internal/        factor: 1.1
      # Important directories      - pattern: /services/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /handlers/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /controllers/        factor: 1.1

search:  boost:    enabled: true
    # Reduce scores (factor < 1.0)    penalties:      # Test files      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /__tests__/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .test.        factor: 0.5
      # Documentation      - pattern: /docs/        factor: 0.6      - pattern: /documentation/        factor: 0.6
      # Vendor/third-party      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /node_modules/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /third_party/        factor: 0.3
      # Generated code      - pattern: /generated/        factor: 0.4      - pattern: .gen.        factor: 0.4      - pattern: .pb.go        factor: 0.4
      # Examples and samples      - pattern: /examples/        factor: 0.7      - pattern: /samples/        factor: 0.7
    # Increase scores (factor > 1.0)    bonuses:      # Core source code      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /lib/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /app/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /core/        factor: 1.2      - pattern: /internal/        factor: 1.1
      # Important directories      - pattern: /services/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /handlers/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /controllers/        factor: 1.1

How Factors Work

Factor	Effect	Use Case
0.3	70% reduction	Strong penalty (vendor)
0.5	50% reduction	Moderate penalty (tests)
0.7	30% reduction	Mild penalty (examples)
1.0	No change	Neutral
1.1	10% increase	Mild boost (src)
1.2	20% increase	Moderate boost (core)
1.5	50% increase	Strong boost

Pattern Matching

Patterns match against the full file path:

Pattern Types

Effect on Rankings

Without Boosting

Score: 0.85 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30Score: 0.82 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45Score: 0.80 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55

Score: 0.85 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30Score: 0.82 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45Score: 0.80 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55

With Boosting

Score: 0.90 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45  (0.82 × 1.1)Score: 0.88 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55        (0.80 × 1.1)Score: 0.43 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30     (0.85 × 0.5)

Score: 0.90 | src/auth/middleware.go:15-45  (0.82 × 1.1)Score: 0.88 | src/auth/jwt.go:23-55        (0.80 × 1.1)Score: 0.43 | tests/auth_test.go:10-30     (0.85 × 0.5)

Common Configurations

Standard (Recommended)

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /docs/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /lib/        factor: 1.1

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /docs/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /lib/        factor: 1.1

Frontend Project

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /__tests__/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /node_modules/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: .stories.        factor: 0.6      - pattern: /storybook/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /components/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /hooks/        factor: 1.1

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /__tests__/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: .spec.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /node_modules/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: .stories.        factor: 0.6      - pattern: /storybook/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /components/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /hooks/        factor: 1.1

Go Project

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: _test.go        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _mock.go        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /testdata/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: .pb.go        factor: 0.4    bonuses:      - pattern: /internal/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /cmd/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /pkg/        factor: 1.1

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: _test.go        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _mock.go        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /testdata/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /vendor/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: .pb.go        factor: 0.4    bonuses:      - pattern: /internal/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /cmd/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /pkg/        factor: 1.1

Python Project

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: test_        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.py        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /conftest        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /fixtures/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /app/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /core/        factor: 1.2

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: test_        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.py        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /conftest        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /fixtures/        factor: 0.6    bonuses:      - pattern: /src/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /app/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /core/        factor: 1.2

Monorepo

yaml

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /packages/deprecated/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /packages/legacy/        factor: 0.4    bonuses:      - pattern: /packages/core/        factor: 1.2      - pattern: /packages/api/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /packages/shared/        factor: 1.1

search:  boost:    enabled: true    penalties:      - pattern: /tests/        factor: 0.5      - pattern: _test.        factor: 0.5      - pattern: /packages/deprecated/        factor: 0.3      - pattern: /packages/legacy/        factor: 0.4    bonuses:      - pattern: /packages/core/        factor: 1.2      - pattern: /packages/api/        factor: 1.1      - pattern: /packages/shared/        factor: 1.1

Disabling Boosting

To disable boosting entirely:

Or remove the boost section from config.

Boosting vs Ignoring

Approach	Effect	Use Case
Ignore	Completely excluded	Dependencies, build output
Penalty	Still searchable, lower rank	Tests, docs, examples
Neutral	Default ranking	Regular source code
Bonus	Higher rank	Core business logic

When to Ignore vs Penalize

Ignore: Files you NEVER want to search (node_modules, .git)
Penalize: Files you RARELY want but might need (tests, docs)

Testing Your Configuration

After configuring boosting:

bash

# Search and observe rankingsgrepai search "authentication"
# Check if tests are properly deprioritizedgrepai search "test authentication"  # Should still find tests, but ranked lower

# Search and observe rankingsgrepai search "authentication"
# Check if tests are properly deprioritizedgrepai search "test authentication"  # Should still find tests, but ranked lower

Best Practices

Start with penalties: Deprioritize tests/vendor first
Add bonuses sparingly: Only for truly important paths
Test with real queries: Verify results make sense
Don't over-penalize: 0.5 is usually enough for tests
Document your choices: Add comments in config

Common Issues

❌ Problem: Tests always show up first ✅ Solution: Add penalty patterns for your test naming convention

❌ Problem: Can't find code in penalized paths ✅ Solution: Penalties reduce rank, don't hide. Use ignore for complete exclusion.

❌ Problem: Scores above 1.0 seem wrong ✅ Solution: Bonuses can push scores above 1.0; this is normal

❌ Problem: Pattern not matching ✅ Solution: Check that pattern appears in full path (use /tests/ not just tests)

Output Format

Boosting configuration status:

✅ Search Boosting Configured
   Status: Enabled
   Penalties (5):   - /tests/      → 0.5 (50% reduction)   - _test.       → 0.5   - .spec.       → 0.5   - /vendor/     → 0.3 (70% reduction)   - /docs/       → 0.6
   Bonuses (3):   - /src/        → 1.1 (10% boost)   - /lib/        → 1.1   - /core/       → 1.2 (20% boost)
   Effect: Source code ranks higher than tests with similar content

✅ Search Boosting Configured
   Status: Enabled
   Penalties (5):   - /tests/      → 0.5 (50% reduction)   - _test.       → 0.5   - .spec.       → 0.5   - /vendor/     → 0.3 (70% reduction)   - /docs/       → 0.6
   Bonuses (3):   - /src/        → 1.1 (10% boost)   - /lib/        → 1.1   - /core/       → 1.2 (20% boost)
   Effect: Source code ranks higher than tests with similar content

Source and attribution

Source:yoanbernabeu/grepai-skillsinskills/search/grepai-search-boostingat commit382d402

License: No license

Content belongs to its original authors. SourceWeft indexes it from a public repository.

Report or request removal

Pattern	Matches	Doesn't Match
`/tests/`	`src/tests/auth.go`	`tests.go`
`_test.`	`auth_test.go`	`test_auth.go`
`.spec.`	`auth.spec.ts`	`spec/auth.ts`
`/src/`	`project/src/main.go`	`resource/file.go`

Grepai Search Boosting

GrepAI Search Boosting

When to Use This Skill

What is Boosting?

Configuration

Basic Configuration

Full Configuration

How Factors Work

Pattern Matching

Pattern Types

Effect on Rankings

Without Boosting

With Boosting

Common Configurations

Standard (Recommended)

Frontend Project

Go Project

Python Project

Monorepo

Disabling Boosting

Boosting vs Ignoring

When to Ignore vs Penalize

Testing Your Configuration

Best Practices

Common Issues

Output Format

Source and attribution

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