grepai-search-boosting

Q: How do I install grepai-search-boosting?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills --skill grepai-search-boosting in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/grepai-search-boosting/ (personal) or .claude/skills/grepai-search-boosting/ (project).

by yoanbernabeu

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

Installs: 752
Last 24h: —
Trending rank: —
Security: Not audited

Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills --skill grepai-search-boosting

01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads grepai-search-boosting automatically when relevant.
03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

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

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

Configuration

Basic Configuration

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

Full Configuration

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:

/project/src/auth/middleware.go
         ^^^^
         Matches "/src/" pattern

Pattern Types

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`

Effect on Rankings

Without Boosting

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

With Boosting

penalties:
  - pattern: /tests/
    factor: 0.5
bonuses:
  - pattern: /src/
    factor: 1.1

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)

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

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

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

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

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:

search:
  boost:
    enabled: false

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:

# Search and observe rankings
grepai search "authentication"

# Check if tests are properly deprioritized
grepai 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

FAQ

What does the grepai-search-boosting skill do?

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

How do I install grepai-search-boosting?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills --skill grepai-search-boosting in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/grepai-search-boosting/ (personal) or .claude/skills/grepai-search-boosting/ (project).

Which AI agents can use grepai-search-boosting?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is grepai-search-boosting safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains grepai-search-boosting?

It is published by yoanbernabeu in yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills. It has 752 recorded installs.

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grepai-search-boosting

Install

Install

Describe the task

Review the result

SKILL.md

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

FAQ

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