Why does the second table search revert to fuzzy matches? [closed]

Question

It used to be a tool that I frequently used - searching for already existing profiles by filling in the search fields for first name and LNAB [the two fields above every profile], and then ordering the results in the table by birth. 

For example - I'd fill in Elizabeth in the first field and Nel in the second field. Press enter (or the green search glass icon) and then get 2457 Matches as results. Now I want to order those spelled Nel in order of birth; on the ordering of the table I now get 2455 results with all versions of an LNAB (some not even remotely akin such as the first one: Elizabeth (Fitton) Nowell bef 1220 - aft 1283) - it never used to be like this; recently though since a month or so I'm noticing this, and it is frustrating because the search results become so messy I doubt people use it as a tool to trace ancestors. Question - is this a bug? Policy? Can it be remedied?

Answer 1

On the search form, scroll down to where you find the options for name variant searches.  You can choose all variants, first name variants only, last name variants only, or exact matches only.

Comments

Thanks Julie, this actually helped.

On searching for Elizabeth Nel, I got again the 2458 Matches 

I then scrolled to the bottom and ticked the box Include name variant matches?  NO ; Include married/current last name matches? NO (only last names at birth) ; Include matches without dates? NO

Now when I sorted the table (reverse) on date of birth, I get 190 results. Much better (I did not know that I had to tick so many boxes 'down below' to get the same results I got in the past. Thanks for the heads up!

---

You're welcome!

And thanks for the star!

---

Pleasure Julie. (b.t.w. - I think the default settings have been switched around recently - that might explain the fuzzy matching where a few months ago there were none [as far as I remember]).

---

There was a recent change, to expand the choices to the current four.  It may have been moved farther down the page also.  I know that I often forget to choose exact matches, because the choice is not visible when I'm completing the form.