"Query is" and "query contains" are two different conditions used in rules.
- "Query is": this condition checks if the search query exactly matches a specified value. For example, if you set a rule with the condition "Query is: phone," it will only be triggered when the search query is exactly "phone." It will not trigger for queries like "phone number," or "a phone”, however it can trigger for “phones” or other typos, if you have set the rule to trigger on plurals, synonyms and typos.
- "Query contains": this condition checks if the search query contains a specified value, regardless of its position within the query. It is a partial match condition. For example, if you set a rule with the condition "Query contains: phone," it will be triggered for queries like "phone number," "a phone," "phones" if you have set the rule to trigger on plurals, synonyms and typos, and any other query that includes the term "phone" anywhere in it.
Please note that Rules trigger on whole words only. You can read more about it here.