How to Enhance MYSQL Fulltext Search Results with Relevancy Sorting

Sorting search results by relevance is crucial for delivering the most pertinent results to users. In MySQL, this can be achieved through its robust full-text search capabilities. However, using the LIKE keyword does not constitute full-text search.

To harness the power of full-text search, employ the MATCH(...) AGAINST(...) construct. The MATCH clause evaluates the search terms against the specified columns, generating a relevance score for each result. This score serves as a measure of how well the result matches the user's query.

To prioritize exact matches, the following query structure can be adopted:

SELECT *
FROM `vocabulary`
WHERE MATCH(translation) AGAINST ('word')
ORDER BY MATCH(translation) AGAINST ('word') DESC

The MATCH function calculates the relevance score and the DESC qualifier ensures that the rows with the highest scores (i.e., the most relevant) are displayed first. This ensures that the exact match for "word" appears at the top of the results, followed by partial matches sorted alphabetically.

By exploiting the MATCH(...) AGAINST(...) construct, you can elevate the relevance of your MYSQL full-text search results, providing your users with the most valuable and relevant information they seek.