The present disclosure provides systems and methods for selecting and presenting content items based on user input. The method includes receiving first input intended to identify a desired content item among content items associated with metadata, determining that an input portion has an importance measure exceeding a threshold, and providing feedback identifying the input portion. The method further includes receiving second input, and inferring user intent to alter or supplement the first input with the second input. The method further includes, upon inferring intent to alter the first input, determining an alternative query by modifying the first input based on the second input, and, upon inferring intent to supplement the first input, determining an alternative query by combining the first input and the second input. The method further includes selecting and presenting a subset of content items based on comparing the alternative query and metadata associated with the subset.