What is Semantic Search and how to activate it in Windows 11

You may have heard of the term Semantic Search in the field of operating systems and you are not sure what it is exactly. Well, if so, you have come to the right place. In this article we will try to explain What is Semantic Search and how to activate it in Windows 11.

This new functionality offers the user a more powerful and, above all, more efficient search experience. This makes it possible to obtain more precise results that are tailored to the context of the search itself. Below are all the details of this magnificent function.

What is Semantic Search in Windows 11?

What sets Semantic Search apart from other search systems is the way users can perform their queries, using natural language and accessing information more intuitively.

What exactly does this mean? Most search tools rely on exact keyword matches. In contrast, Semantic Search in Windows 11 goes a step further, analyzing the meaning of the query and providing more accurate and more relevant results.

Key features

These are the main features of Semantic Search:

• Deeper understanding of context, breaking the limitation of exact keyword matches and analyzing user intentions.
• Improvements in indexing of files and settings by Windows 11, allowing it to provide quick responses.
• Recognition of synonyms and other variations, which expands the search range and the accuracy of the results.

How it works

To deliver this level of accuracy and success in results, Semantic Search in Windows 11 uses advanced search algorithms. artificial intelligence and machine learningThat is, it is not a "raw" search, but a process in which a complex analysis of the structure and meaning of each query takes place.

To illustrate how this works, let's imagine that we are looking for a polysemic word (that is, with more than one meaning), for example example «cat». A normal search engine will offer us results for all its meanings, without applying any type of filter. On the other hand, with Semantic Search, Windows 11 analyzes all the information about the user (files, profiles, internet history, etc.) to adjust the results. For example, knowing that we are looking for something related to the cat to change the tire of a car and not to the animal.

Advantages

From all the above, it can be deduced that the use of Semantic Search in Windows 11 involves great advantages for the user:

• Save time on searches.
• Greater efficiency in quickly finding files and settings without having to remember their exact names.
• A more natural and simple experience.

Enable Semantic Search in Windows 11, step by step

Now that we know the interesting advantages of this feature, let's see what steps to follow to activate Semantic Search in Windows 11. This is what we should do:

Verify that indexing is enabled

As we explained in the previous section, the Indexing is an essential element to take full advantage of the potential of Semantic Search. Here's how we can check that it is activated:

1. To start, we go to the menu Configuration (we can use the keyboard shortcut Windows + I).
2. Then we access "Privacy & Security".
3. There we click on "Search in Windows", where we can see if the option is activated and, if it is not, activate it manually.

Enabling Semantic Search

To proceed with the activation of this function, we must use the Group Policy Editor through these steps:

1. First, we use the shortcut Windows + R, we type gpedit.msc in the search box and press Enter.
2. Then we will «Team setup».
3. There we select "Administrative Templates".
4. Then we click on "Windows Components" and we select the option "Windows Search".
5. This is where you need to locate the option «Allow enhanced search in Windows» to ensure that it is correctly enabled.
6. Finally, we apply the changes and restart the computer.

Adjust settings from the Windows Registry

This is an optional method that we can use in case Step 2 did not work. It consists of enabling the Semantic Search feature through the Windows Registry. The steps to follow are these:

1. First we use the shortcut Windows + R, we write regedit in the search box and press Enter.
2. Then we sailed to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Search. *
3. In conclusion, We close the Registry Editor and we restart the PC.

(*) If this folder does not exist, we will have to create a new DWORD (32-bit) value with the name EnableEnhancedSearch and assign it the value 1.

In conclusion, we can say that Semantic Search in Windows 11 is a tool that comes to radically change the way we search for information within our own devicesIn short: an improved, simpler, more productive search experience.