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:
This ensures production code ranks higher than tests with similar content.
Configuration
Basic Configuration
Full Configuration
How Factors Work
Pattern Matching
Patterns match against the full file path:
Pattern Types
Effect on Rankings
Without Boosting
With Boosting
Common Configurations
Standard (Recommended)
Frontend Project
Go Project
Python Project
Monorepo
Disabling Boosting
To disable boosting entirely:
Or remove the boost section from config.
Boosting vs Ignoring
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:
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:


