debug
- Last Updated: May 13, 2026
- 3 minute read
- Semaphore
- Documentation
Summary
The debug metadata returns any facts at the level the debug has been set on.
This metadata setting allows for special debugging responses to be returned by CS.
It can be set on any context, fact type or document fact.
It will force CS to output whatever has propagated up to whichever level in the extractor tree it is set on.
The format of the debug is:
DEBUG <Concept Class> <Concept Preferred Label>
Use
In case your facts are not being returned, there are various places in the hierarchy that an issue might lie. The debugging feature allows you to check what is being extracted at every level of the hierarchy, from the anchors and entities and facts at the leafs to the contexts and document facts above.
Let’s take a look at some use cases now.
Checking that anchors are firing
To check that your anchors are being found, set the debug metadata on your anchors.
Those anchors can be of any type:
- entity anchor - are the entities you are depending on finding to anchor your facts being identified by CS correctly?
- concept anchor - are the alternative labels you are depending on finding to anchor your facts being matched by CS correctly?
- wildcard anchor - are the wildcard patterns you are depending on finding to anchor your facts being matched by CS correctly?
- taxonomy anchor - are the concepts in the taxonomies you are depending on finding to anchor your facts being matched by CS correctly?
When you set the debug on at this low level, you will get ALL matches in the document, not just those inside or valid for the context you are looking in. This could be quite a lot, depending on what the anchor was looking for!
Checking that facts are extracting
To check that your facts are being extracted, set the debug metadata on your facts.
Those facts can be of any type:
- entity fact - are the entities you are extracting as facts being identified by CS correctly?
- concept fact - are the alternative labels being used for the concept fact you are extracting as a fact being matched by CS correctly?
- wildcard fact - are the wildcard patterns being used for the wildcard fact you are extracting being matched by CS correctly?
- taxonomy fact - are the concepts in the taxonomies you are extracting as a fact being matched by CS correctly?
You cannot debug a captured fact as there is no concept on which to debug it. It is just a text that is being extracted within the context it is being used in. Therefore, it is not extracting, it will always be the parent context’s fault, and that is where the debug should be set on.
When you set the debug on at this low level, you will get ALL matches in the document, not just those inside or valid for the context you are looking in. This could be quite a lot, depending on what the fact was looking for!
Checking that contexts are working
To check that your contexts are working, set the debug metadata on your contexts.
This is very important, as there are all sorts of issues that can stop a context from working. If you have checked that all of the constituent elements (facts and anchors) are being returned at the debug level, and your context is not returning those facts, then it is your context that is wrong.
Those contexts can be of any type:
sequenced contexts - unsequenced contexts - ordered near contexts - unorder near contexts - Fact In Window context -
Setting
Checking that document facts are working
To check that your document facts are working, you can set the debug on at this level.
At this level, you should get the exact fact or facts expected. At this level of debugging all constraints should be in force, and you should get the result you would expect normally, with debugging set off.
The debugging will also take into account if any preclusion is happening between document metadata. So, if none comes back, it could still be the case that it is being precluded by another document metadata(document facts or anchors).
Properties
| Domain | Range |
|---|---|
| Context Elements | Boolean |