Grepai Search Boosting

Name: Grepai Search Boosting
Author: yoanbernabeu

yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills

639 installs
18 repo stars
Updated February 1, 2026
yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills

grepai-search-boosting is a configuration skill that tunes GrepAI YAML boost rules so agent code search ranks production src/ files above tests, docs, and vendor trees.

About

grepai-search-boosting is a skill from yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills for configuring score boosting in GrepAI agent code search. Boosting modifies search scores based on file paths—for example a +10% bonus raising a 0.85 src/auth.go hit to 0.935, or a -50% penalty dropping tests/auth_test.go to 0.425. Developers edit `.grepai/config.yaml` under `search.boost` to enable penalties for test, docs, and vendor patterns while boosting important directories. Reach for grepai-search-boosting when agent retrieval keeps surfacing test fixtures or third-party code instead of production source during implementation tasks.

Explains score math: bonuses multiply scores up (e.g. +10% on /src/), penalties cut them (e.g. -50% on /tests/)
Provides basic and full .grepai/config.yaml examples with enabled toggle
Covers penalties for tests (__tests__, _test., .spec., .test.), docs, and vendor paths
Documents bonuses for prioritizing important directories like /src/
Use when customizing result ranking for production-focused agent workflows

Grepai Search Boosting by the numbers

639 all-time installs (skills.sh)
+5 installs in the week ending Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
Ranked #1,533 of 16,546 AI & Agent Building skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
Data as of Jul 28, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)

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

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Installs	639
repo stars	★ 18
Security audit	3 / 3 scanners passed
Last updated	February 1, 2026
Repository	yoanbernabeu/grepai-skills ↗

How do you rank production code above tests in GrepAI?

Tune GrepAI YAML boost rules so agent code search ranks src/ production files above tests, docs, and vendor trees.

Who is it for?

Developers using GrepAI agent code search who need production source files ranked above tests, docs, and vendor trees.

Skip if: Teams not using GrepAI, or search problems requiring semantic embedding changes rather than path-based score boosting.

When should I use this skill?

The user wants to prioritize source code over tests in GrepAI, penalize vendor paths, or customize agent search result ranking.

What you get

Tuned .grepai/config.yaml with path-based boost bonuses and penalties for production, test, docs, and vendor directories.

Configured .grepai/config.yaml boost rules

By the numbers

+10% path bonus example: 0.85 score becomes 0.935
-50% path penalty example: 0.85 score becomes 0.425

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

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

1. Start with penalties: Deprioritize tests/vendor first 2. Add bonuses sparingly: Only for truly important paths 3. Test with real queries: Verify results make sense 4. Don't over-penalize: 0.5 is usually enough for tests 5. 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

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How it compares

Use grepai-search-boosting for path-based ranking tweaks; revisit indexing or query skills when retrieval failures stem from missing files rather than score ordering.

FAQ

How does GrepAI search boosting work?

GrepAI search boosting modifies result scores based on file paths in .grepai/config.yaml. A +10% bonus on src/auth.go raises 0.85 to 0.935, while a -50% penalty on tests/auth_test.go drops 0.85 to 0.425.

Where is GrepAI boost configuration stored?

grepai-search-boosting edits .grepai/config.yaml under the search.boost section. Enable boosting, define penalty patterns for tests and vendor code, and add bonuses for important source directories.

Is Grepai Search Boosting safe to install?

skills.sh reports 3 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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