Manage FAST Search user contexts

The different search settings: Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions, document demotions, site promotions and site demotions, can have one or more user contexts associated with them. The user context defines rules for when the settings should be applied. User contexts match the properties defined on the user's SharePoint User Profile page. For example, an administrator can define that a Visual Best Bet banner should be displayed only if the user who enters the query has Office Location set to Stockholm. This way, different search users will experience different search results for the same query.

In the Add User Context page, site collection administrators can edit the user context properties to define relevant user contexts for their site.

The user contexts that are defined in the Add User Context page will be listed in the Available User Contexts dialog box that is available from all pages where the administrator can add a user context to a search setting like a Best Bet or site promotion.

When the user enters a query in the Search Center, the user context is passed together with the query as a set of key-value pairs, for example department=sales.

What do you want to do?

Display the Manage User Context page

Add user context

Edit user context

Delete user context

Restrict to user context

Display the Manage User Context page

1. Log on to the home page of your top-level site with site collection administrator permissions.

2. Click the Site Actions menu, and choose Site Settings.

3. On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, click FAST Search user contexts. This displays the Manage User Contexts page.

Top of Page

Add user context

In the Add User Context page, site collection administrators can add values to the user context properties to define relevant user contexts for the site.

1. Follow the steps in the earlier section Display the Manage User Context page.

2. Click Add User Context to display the Add User Context page.

3. In the User Context Name box, type a name for the user context.
   Enter information in the appropriate boxes. For example, in Office Location, enter the relevant location value, for example Tokyo.
   The same properties are found in the user's SharePoint User Profile page. Users with Office Location set to Tokyo will match the user context in the example.

4. Click OK to save the user context.

Top of Page

Edit user context

A site collection administrator can edit a user context from the Manage User Context page.

1. From the Site Actions menu, select Site Settings.

2. In the Site Collection Administration group, select FAST User Context.

3. Click on a user context in the list to go to the Edit User Context page. You can also select Edit User Context from the drop-down menu on each list item.

4. Make the necessary changes on the Edit User Context page and then click OK.

The user context is also updated in any Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions and demotions, and site promotions and demotions that use this user context.

Top of Page

Delete user context

A site collection administrator can delete a user context from the Manage User Context page.

1. From the Site Actions menu, select Site Settings.

2. In the Site Collection Administration group, select FAST User Context.

3. Select Delete User Context from the drop-down menu on each list item.

4. Click OK to confirm. The user context is removed from the list. The user context is also removed from any Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions and demotions, and site promotions and demotions that use this user context.

Top of Page

Restrict to user context

If you are managing a user context, it is useful to view the list of keywords only with Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions and demotions that applies for your user context.

Use the Restrict to user context link on the Manage Keywords page to select one or more user contexts, and display Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions and demotions for the selected user context only. All keywords will still be displayed, but any Best Bets, Visual Best Bets, document promotions and demotions that apply for other user contexts will be filtered out.

Top of Page