To determine the optimal strictness for a phrase, start with a default setting, then evaluate the captured events and adjust the strictness accordingly. Experimentation is key to finding the right balance between precision and recall.
Longer phrases with more meaningful words often require less strict matching. For example, a three-word phrase might match effectively with medium strictness (two out of three words), while a five-word phrase might only need three matches (medium-low strictness). The ideal strictness depends on the specific phrase and its intended use.
Below are some examples where adjusting strictness can either help or hinder your results, highlighting the importance of tweaking strictness for the best precision/recall tradeoff.
For more information, see Work with a topic, and Work with a phrase.
| Defined program phrase | Detected phrase | Topic matched | Selected strictness | Explanation |
|---|
Called the other day | Called there the other day | Contacted Previously | Medium | “There” provides context that make this irrelevant to the matched topic. Increasing the strictness would deem this occurrence as ‘not a close enough match’ for Contacted Previously. |
I called back | I may call back | Contacted Previously | MedLow | “May” provides context that make this irrelevant to the matched topic. Increasing the strictness would deem this occurrence as ‘not a close enough match’ for Contacted Previously. |
You’d like to cancel | Cause it wouldn’t be like cancelling | Cancel Mention | MedHigh | The context of “cancel” is different, therefore making this irrelevant to the matched topic. Increasing the strictness would deem this occurrence as ‘not a close enough match’ for Cancel Mention. |
| Defined program phrase | Detected phrase | Topic matched | Selected strictness | Explanation |
|---|
I called a while ago | Called a little while ago | Contacted Previously | Med-Low | Contacted Previously was correctly matched, despite the extra “little” in the detected phrase. Increasing the strictness would result in classifying this occurrence as “not a close enough match” for Contacted Previously. |
I spoke to another person | Person I spoke to | Contacted Previously | Med-Low | Contacted Previously was correctly matched, despite the missing “another” in the detected phrase. Increasing the strictness would result in classifying this occurrence as “not a close enough match” for Contacted Previously. |
Want to cancel | Want to just cancel | Cancel Mention | Med-Low | Cancel Mention was correctly matched, despite the extra “just” in the detected phrase. Increasing the strictness would result in classifying this occurrence as “not a close enough match” for Cancel Mention. |
Cancel the order | Cancel the money order | Cancel Mention | Med-Low | Cancel Mention was correctly matched, despite the extra “money” in the detected phrase. Increasing the strictness would result in classifying this occurrence as “not a close enough match” for Cancel Mention. |