diff --git a/api/resolvers/search.js b/api/resolvers/search.js
index 1068844d..08216a2c 100644
--- a/api/resolvers/search.js
+++ b/api/resolvers/search.js
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ export default {
     search: async (parent, { q, cursor, sort, what, when, from: whenFrom, to: whenTo }, { me, models, search }) => {
       const decodedCursor = decodeCursor(cursor)
       let sitems = null
-      let termQueries = []
 
       // short circuit: return empty result if either:
       // 1. no query provided, or
@@ -186,56 +185,116 @@ export default {
         }
       }
 
-      const whatArr = []
+      // build query in parts:
+      //   filters: determine the universe of potential search candidates
+      //   termQueries: queries related to the actual search terms
+      //   functions: rank modifiers to boost by recency or popularity
+      const filters = []
+      const termQueries = []
+      const functions = []
+
+      // filters for item types
       switch (what) {
-        case 'posts':
-          whatArr.push({ bool: { must_not: { exists: { field: 'parentId' } } } })
+        case 'posts': // posts only
+          filters.push({ bool: { must_not: { exists: { field: 'parentId' } } } })
           break
-        case 'comments':
-          whatArr.push({ bool: { must: { exists: { field: 'parentId' } } } })
+        case 'comments': // comments only
+          filters.push({ bool: { must: { exists: { field: 'parentId' } } } })
           break
         case 'bookmarks':
           if (me?.id) {
-            whatArr.push({ match: { bookmarkedBy: me?.id } })
+            filters.push({ match: { bookmarkedBy: me?.id } })
           }
           break
         default:
           break
       }
 
+      // filter for active posts
+      filters.push(
+        me
+          ? {
+              bool: {
+                should: [
+                  { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
+                  { match: { status: 'NOSATS' } },
+                  { match: { userId: me.id } }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+          : {
+              bool: {
+                should: [
+                  { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
+                  { match: { status: 'NOSATS' } }
+                ]
+              }
+            }
+      )
+
+      // filter for time range
+      const whenRange = when === 'custom'
+        ? {
+            gte: whenFrom,
+            lte: new Date(Math.min(new Date(Number(whenTo)), decodedCursor.time))
+          }
+        : {
+            lte: decodedCursor.time,
+            gte: whenToFrom(when)
+          }
+      filters.push({ range: { createdAt: whenRange } })
+
+      // filter for non negative wvotes
+      filters.push({ range: { wvotes: { gte: 0 } } })
+
+      // decompose the search terms
       const { query: _query, quotes, nym, url, territory } = queryParts(q)
-      let query = _query
-
-      const isUrlSearch = url && query.length === 0 // exclusively searching for an url
+      const query = _query
 
+      // if search contains a url term, modify the query text
       if (url) {
-        const isFQDN = url.startsWith('url:www.')
-        const domain = isFQDN ? url.slice(8) : url.slice(4)
-        const fqdn = `www.${domain}`
-        query = (isUrlSearch) ? `${domain} ${fqdn}` : `${query.trim()} ${domain}`
-      }
-
-      if (nym) {
-        whatArr.push({ wildcard: { 'user.name': `*${nym.slice(1).toLowerCase()}*` } })
-      }
-
-      if (territory) {
-        whatArr.push({ match: { 'sub.name': territory.slice(1) } })
-      }
-
-      termQueries.push({
-        // all terms are matched in fields
-        multi_match: {
-          query,
-          type: 'best_fields',
-          fields: ['title^100', 'text'],
-          minimum_should_match: (isUrlSearch) ? 1 : '100%',
-          boost: 1000
+        const uri = url.slice(4)
+        let uriObj
+        try {
+          uriObj = new URL(uri)
+        } catch {
+          try {
+            uriObj = new URL(`https://${uri}`)
+          } catch {}
         }
-      })
 
+        if (uriObj) {
+          termQueries.push({
+            wildcard: { url: `*${uriObj?.hostname ?? uri}${uriObj?.pathname ?? ''}*` }
+          })
+          termQueries.push({
+            match: { text: `${uriObj?.hostname ?? uri}${uriObj?.pathname ?? ''}` }
+          })
+        }
+      }
+
+      // if nym, items must contain nym
+      if (nym) {
+        filters.push({ wildcard: { 'user.name': `*${nym.slice(1).toLowerCase()}*` } })
+      }
+
+      // if territory, item must be from territory
+      if (territory) {
+        filters.push({ match: { 'sub.name': territory.slice(1) } })
+      }
+
+      // if quoted phrases, items must contain entire phrase
       for (const quote of quotes) {
-        whatArr.push({
+        termQueries.push({
+          multi_match: {
+            query: quote,
+            type: 'phrase',
+            fields: ['title', 'text']
+          }
+        })
+
+        // force the search to include the quoted phrase
+        filters.push({
           multi_match: {
             query: quote,
             type: 'phrase',
@@ -244,84 +303,45 @@ export default {
         })
       }
 
-      // if we search for an exact string only, everything must match
-      // so score purely on sort field
-      let boostMode = query ? 'multiply' : 'replace'
-      let sortField
-      let sortMod = 'log1p'
-      switch (sort) {
-        case 'comments':
-          sortField = 'ncomments'
-          sortMod = 'square'
-          break
-        case 'sats':
-          sortField = 'sats'
-          break
-        case 'recent':
-          sortField = 'createdAt'
-          sortMod = 'square'
-          boostMode = 'replace'
-          break
-        default:
-          sortField = 'wvotes'
-          sortMod = 'none'
-          break
-      }
-
-      const functions = [
-        {
-          field_value_factor: {
-            field: sortField,
-            modifier: sortMod,
-            factor: 1.2
-          }
-        }
-      ]
-
-      if (sort === 'recent' && !isUrlSearch) {
-        // prioritize exact matches
-        termQueries.push({
-          multi_match: {
-            query,
-            type: 'phrase',
-            fields: ['title^100', 'text'],
-            boost: 1000
-          }
-        })
-      } else {
-        // allow fuzzy matching with partial matches
-        termQueries.push({
-          multi_match: {
-            query,
-            type: 'most_fields',
-            fields: ['title^100', 'text'],
-            fuzziness: 'AUTO',
-            prefix_length: 3,
-            minimum_should_match: (isUrlSearch) ? 1 : '60%'
-          }
-        })
-        functions.push({
-          // small bias toward posts with comments
-          field_value_factor: {
-            field: 'ncomments',
-            modifier: 'ln1p',
-            factor: 1
-          }
-        },
-        {
-          // small bias toward recent posts
-          field_value_factor: {
-            field: 'createdAt',
-            modifier: 'log1p',
-            factor: 1
-          }
-        })
-      }
-
+      // query for search terms
       if (query.length) {
-        // if we have a model id and we aren't sort by recent, use neural search
-        if (process.env.OPENSEARCH_MODEL_ID && sort !== 'recent') {
-          termQueries = {
+        // keyword based subquery, to be used on its own or in conjunction with a neural
+        // search
+        const subquery = [
+          {
+            multi_match: {
+              query,
+              type: 'most_fields',
+              fields: ['title^10', 'text'],
+              fuzziness: 'AUTO',
+              minimum_should_match: 1
+            }
+          },
+          // all match matches higher
+          {
+            multi_match: {
+              query,
+              type: 'most_fields',
+              fields: ['title^10', 'text'],
+              minimum_should_match: '100%',
+              boost: 100
+            }
+          },
+          // phrase match matches higher
+          {
+            multi_match: {
+              query,
+              type: 'phrase',
+              fields: ['title^10', 'text'],
+              boost: 1000
+            }
+          }
+        ]
+
+        // use hybrid neural search if model id is available, otherwise use only
+        // keyword search
+        if (process.env.OPENSEARCH_MODEL_ID) {
+          termQueries.push({
             hybrid: {
               queries: [
                 {
@@ -350,26 +370,58 @@ export default {
                 },
                 {
                   bool: {
-                    should: termQueries
+                    should: subquery,
+                    minimum_should_match: 1
                   }
                 }
               ]
             }
-          }
+          })
+        } else {
+          termQueries.push(...subquery)
         }
-      } else {
-        termQueries = []
       }
 
-      const whenRange = when === 'custom'
-        ? {
-            gte: whenFrom,
-            lte: new Date(Math.min(new Date(Number(whenTo)), decodedCursor.time))
-          }
-        : {
-            lte: decodedCursor.time,
-            gte: whenToFrom(when)
-          }
+      // functions for boosting search rank by recency or popularity
+      switch (sort) {
+        case 'comments':
+          functions.push({
+            field_value_factor: {
+              field: 'ncomments',
+              modifier: 'log1p'
+            }
+          })
+          break
+        case 'sats':
+          functions.push({
+            field_value_factor: {
+              field: 'sats',
+              modifier: 'log1p'
+            }
+          })
+          break
+        case 'recent':
+          functions.push({
+            gauss: {
+              createdAt: {
+                origin: 'now',
+                scale: '7d',
+                decay: 0.5
+              }
+            }
+          })
+          break
+        case 'zaprank':
+          functions.push({
+            field_value_factor: {
+              field: 'wvotes',
+              modifier: 'log1p'
+            }
+          })
+          break
+        default:
+          break
+      }
 
       try {
         sitems = await search.search({
@@ -388,39 +440,14 @@ export default {
               function_score: {
                 query: {
                   bool: {
-                    must: termQueries,
-                    filter: [
-                      ...whatArr,
-                      me
-                        ? {
-                            bool: {
-                              should: [
-                                { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
-                                { match: { status: 'NOSATS' } },
-                                { match: { userId: me.id } }
-                              ]
-                            }
-                          }
-                        : {
-                            bool: {
-                              should: [
-                                { match: { status: 'ACTIVE' } },
-                                { match: { status: 'NOSATS' } }
-                              ]
-                            }
-                          },
-                      {
-                        range:
-                        {
-                          createdAt: whenRange
-                        }
-                      },
-                      { range: { wvotes: { gte: 0 } } }
-                    ]
+                    filter: filters,
+                    should: termQueries,
+                    minimum_should_match: 1
                   }
                 },
                 functions,
-                boost_mode: boostMode
+                score_mode: 'multiply',
+                boost_mode: 'multiply'
               }
             },
             highlight: {
@@ -458,7 +485,7 @@ export default {
           ${SELECT}, rank
           FROM "Item"
           JOIN r ON "Item".id = r.id`,
-        orderBy: 'ORDER BY rank ASC'
+        orderBy: 'ORDER BY rank ASC, msats DESC'
       })).map((item, i) => {
         const e = sitems.body.hits.hits[i]
         item.searchTitle = (e.highlight?.title && e.highlight.title[0]) || item.title
diff --git a/components/search.js b/components/search.js
index b834c019..67c9d23c 100644
--- a/components/search.js
+++ b/components/search.js
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export default function Search ({ sub }) {
       }
 
       if (values.what === '' || values.what === 'all') delete values.what
-      if (values.sort === '' || values.sort === 'zaprank') delete values.sort
+      if (values.sort === '' || values.sort === 'relevance') delete values.sort
       if (values.when === '' || values.when === 'forever') delete values.when
       if (values.when !== 'custom') { delete values.from; delete values.to }
       if (values.from && !values.to) return
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export default function Search ({ sub }) {
 
   const filter = sub !== 'jobs'
   const what = router.pathname.startsWith('/stackers') ? 'stackers' : router.query.what || 'all'
-  const sort = router.query.sort || 'zaprank'
+  const sort = router.query.sort || 'relevance'
   const when = router.query.when || 'forever'
   const whatItemOptions = useMemo(() => (['all', 'posts', 'comments', me ? 'bookmarks' : undefined, 'stackers'].filter(item => !!item)), [me])
 
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ export default function Search ({ sub }) {
                         name='sort'
                         size='sm'
                         overrideValue={sort}
-                        items={['zaprank', 'recent', 'comments', 'sats']}
+                        items={['relevance', 'zaprank', 'recent', 'comments', 'sats']}
                       />
                       for
                       <Select