What is the effect of using wildcards in search queries?

Using wildcards in search queries broadens the search results to include variations of terms. Wildcards, such as the asterisk () and question mark (?), enable users to search for text strings with flexible matching criteria. For instance, if a user searches for "host*", the search will return results containing "host," "hosts," "hosting," and any other variations beginning with "host." This capability is particularly useful when the exact form of a word or phrase is unknown, or when dealing with multiple potential variations that need to be included in the results.

The use of wildcards does not limit search results to exact matches, as indicated by option A, nor does it necessarily speed up the search process (option C). In many cases, including wildcards can actually slow down the search, as the query becomes more complex and requires Splunk to evaluate a wider range of possible matches. Lastly, wildcards do not directly address the issue of duplicate search results, which is why option D is not relevant. The main advantage lies in the flexibility it affords users in retrieving a broader range of relevant data.