Content-based filtering

From Computer Science Wiki

Content-based filtering is a method used in recommender systems to make personalized recommendations to users based on the characteristics or features of items. It is based on the idea of using the content or metadata associated with an item to identify similar or related items that are likely to be of interest to a user.

In content-based filtering, a recommender system first creates a profile for each user based on the characteristics or features of the items that the user has rated or interacted with. It then uses this profile to identify items that have similar characteristics or features, and recommends these items to the user.

For example, a recommendation system for a streaming platform might use content-based filtering to recommend movies or TV shows to a user based on the genres, actors, or directors that the user has previously watched. If a user has watched a lot of romantic comedies featuring Jennifer Aniston, the system might recommend other romantic comedies featuring Jennifer Aniston or similar actors.

Content-based filtering can be used in a variety of contexts, including e-commerce, streaming platforms, and social media. It is a useful method for making personalized recommendations when there is a lot of metadata or content available for the items being recommended, and when users have provided explicit ratings or feedback about the items they have interacted with. However, it can be less effective at making recommendations for items that are new or novel, or for users who have not provided a lot of explicit feedback about their preferences.