diff --git a/server/src/main/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/model/enumeration/CQLFields.java b/server/src/main/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/model/enumeration/CQLFields.java
index 4b9df62d..fe7a8316 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/model/enumeration/CQLFields.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/model/enumeration/CQLFields.java
@@ -356,6 +356,17 @@ private static String normalizeDatasetGroupTerm(String value) {
                 return value.toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT).trim();
         }
 
+        // AAD's indexed group name differs from the acronym users type, so map it here.
+        // Sorting only: the dataset_group CQL filter stays literal.
+        private static final Map<String, String> GROUP_ALIASES = Map.of(
+                "aad", "australian_antarctic_division");
+
+        /** A group term plus the alias it stands for, e.g. "aad" -> ["aad", "australian_antarctic_division"]. */
+        private static Stream<String> withGroupAliases(String value) {
+                String alias = GROUP_ALIASES.get(value);
+                return alias == null ? Stream.of(value) : Stream.of(value, alias);
+        }
+
         // used by the dataset_group CQL filter only without boost
         private static Query datasetGroupTermsQuery(List<String> values) {
                 List<FieldValue> terms = values.stream()
@@ -373,7 +384,8 @@ private static Query datasetGroupTermsQuery(List<String> values) {
         /**
          * Expands a free-text term into dataset-group candidate values. For example, "csiro temperature" => ["csiro temperature", "csiro", "temperature"].
          * Unquoted input includes both the complete normalized input and its individual words. Double-quoted free-text input is treated as one exact value.
-         * Dataset-group CQL filters continue to use getPropertyEqualToQuery().
+         * Each candidate also carries its GROUP_ALIASES expansion, e.g. "aad" => ["aad", "australian_antarctic_division"]. Aliases apply regardless of quoting, and
+         * to the priority sort only; dataset-group CQL filters continue to use getPropertyEqualToQuery() and stay literal.
          */
         public static List<String> getDatasetGroupCandidates(
                 String literal,
@@ -390,6 +402,7 @@ public static List<String> getDatasetGroupCandidates(
 
                 return candidates.stream()
                         .filter(value -> !value.isBlank())
+                        .flatMap(CQLFields::withGroupAliases)
                         .distinct()
                         .toList();
         }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/parser/elastic/CQLToElasticFilterFactoryTest.java b/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/parser/elastic/CQLToElasticFilterFactoryTest.java
index 29738d70..3f37f117 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/parser/elastic/CQLToElasticFilterFactoryTest.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/core/parser/elastic/CQLToElasticFilterFactoryTest.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 import au.org.aodn.ogcapi.server.core.model.enumeration.CQLElasticSetting;
 import au.org.aodn.ogcapi.server.core.model.enumeration.CQLFields;
 import au.org.aodn.ogcapi.server.core.model.enumeration.StacSummeries;
+import co.elastic.clients.elasticsearch._types.FieldValue;
 import co.elastic.clients.elasticsearch._types.query_dsl.ChildScoreMode;
 import co.elastic.clients.elasticsearch._types.query_dsl.Query;
 import org.geotools.filter.text.commons.CompilerUtil;
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/service/ElasticSearchTest.java b/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/service/ElasticSearchTest.java
index f5a262b7..caf8a4e1 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/service/ElasticSearchTest.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/au/org/aodn/ogcapi/server/service/ElasticSearchTest.java
@@ -62,6 +62,26 @@ public void searchByParametersWithoutDoubleQuote() throws Exception {
                 "dataset_group priority sort should be the first sort key");
     }
 
+    // AAD is indexed under a group name that does not look like the acronym users type
+    @Test
+    public void datasetGroupPrioritySortExpandsTheAadAcronym() throws Exception {
+        CapturingElasticSearch capturingSearch = new CapturingElasticSearch(mockClient);
+
+        capturingSearch.searchByParameters(
+                List.of("aad"),
+                null,
+                null,
+                "-score,-rank",
+                CQLCrsType.EPSG4326);
+
+        SortOptions prioritySort = capturingSearch.arguments.sortOptions().get(0);
+        assertTrue(prioritySort.isScript(), "dataset_group priority sort should be the first sort key");
+        assertEquals(
+                List.of("aad", "australian_antarctic_division"),
+                prioritySort.script().script().params().get("groups").to(List.class),
+                "aad must also boost records grouped as australian_antarctic_division");
+    }
+
     // The portal SEO pipeline requests these in bulk to build Dataset JSON-LD
     @Test
     public void seoPropertiesMapToStacFields() throws Exception {