Board Search Optimization [Archive] - Wizards Community

Board Search Optimization [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
reytheist
10-01-05, 12:08 PM Lots of people are dismayed by the lack of a comprehensive search function on the boards. Wisely, some people have figured out that you can use Google's Advanced Search functionality to limit your search for threads in this board.

I've found that, since the google search scans all of boards1.wizards.com you get a lot of hits from different forums. I've found an easy way to limit your hits to primarily the Character Optimization forum.

Use the following command at Google:

site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofind

Since every post has the words "Character Optimization" in the table headings, it limits the search to this area. This is the easiest way to search for specific threads on the boards I've found.

Google ignores common words and characters such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single digits and single letters, because they tend to slow down your search without improving the results. Google will indicate if a common word has been excluded by displaying details on the results page below the search box. Your best bet is to exclude things like "the", "and", "or", "in" and the like.

Happy hunting!
Surreal
10-01-05, 12:16 PM A good idea, although you can get mixed results depending what you're looking for because it also tends to return a lot of hits for the main forum page rather than a specific post.
reytheist
10-01-05, 12:19 PM A good idea, although you can get mixed results depending what you're looking for because it also tends to return a lot of hits for the main forum page rather than a specific post.I've found it depends on how many words you are searching for.

optimization eberron

is going to yield a lot more less useful hits than

optimization warforged druid
primetimekiller
10-01-05, 12:33 PM yeah we should make up one thread with links to all liberys and all interesting builds and threads...
nihility
10-01-05, 12:43 PM You can do even better with this:

site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofind
Surreal
10-01-05, 01:30 PM yeah we should make up one thread with links to all liberys and all interesting builds and threads...

There are a couple threads like that around here (like in my sig for example). Necrosnoop has the big optimization library, but I don't think he's updating it anymore. I might add a bunch of links from my subscriptions that I find interesting to my link library, but I don't have the time to create or maintain anything beyond that.
reytheist
10-02-05, 11:53 PM You can do even better with this:

site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofindGood point. I don't, generally, because google limits your search to ten words. But you're right. That is more specific. I should correct that first entry, and add a not of what words Google ignores.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
reytheist 10-01-05, 12:08 PM	Lots of people are dismayed by the lack of a comprehensive search function on the boards. Wisely, some people have figured out that you can use Google's Advanced Search functionality to limit your search for threads in this board. I've found that, since the google search scans all of boards1.wizards.com you get a lot of hits from different forums. I've found an easy way to limit your hits to primarily the Character Optimization forum. Use the following command at Google: site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofind Since every post has the words "Character Optimization" in the table headings, it limits the search to this area. This is the easiest way to search for specific threads on the boards I've found. Google ignores common words and characters such as "where" and "how", as well as certain single digits and single letters, because they tend to slow down your search without improving the results. Google will indicate if a common word has been excluded by displaying details on the results page below the search box. Your best bet is to exclude things like "the", "and", "or", "in" and the like. Happy hunting!
Surreal 10-01-05, 12:16 PM	A good idea, although you can get mixed results depending what you're looking for because it also tends to return a lot of hits for the main forum page rather than a specific post.
reytheist 10-01-05, 12:19 PM	A good idea, although you can get mixed results depending what you're looking for because it also tends to return a lot of hits for the main forum page rather than a specific post.I've found it depends on how many words you are searching for. optimization eberron is going to yield a lot more less useful hits than optimization warforged druid
primetimekiller 10-01-05, 12:33 PM	yeah we should make up one thread with links to all liberys and all interesting builds and threads...
nihility 10-01-05, 12:43 PM	You can do even better with this: site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofind
Surreal 10-01-05, 01:30 PM	yeah we should make up one thread with links to all liberys and all interesting builds and threads... There are a couple threads like that around here (like in my sig for example). Necrosnoop has the big optimization library, but I don't think he's updating it anymore. I might add a bunch of links from my subscriptions that I find interesting to my link library, but I don't have the time to create or maintain anything beyond that.
reytheist 10-02-05, 11:53 PM	You can do even better with this: site:boards1.wizards.com "character optimization" whateveryouwanttofindGood point. I don't, generally, because google limits your search to ten words. But you're right. That is more specific. I should correct that first entry, and add a not of what words Google ignores.