Advanced Search

Full-text content search powered by AI (Business and Enterprise plans only).

Elasticsearch-Powered Search

Business and Enterprise plans include Elasticsearch for:

• Full-text content search
• AI-powered relevance ranking
• Highlighted search terms
• Content snippets in results
• Fast search across thousands of files

Content Search

How It Works

Advanced search indexes the complete content of all your files, enabling:

• Search inside file content, not just names
• Find exact phrases
• Match across all versions
• Search code blocks and technical terms

Search Syntax

Simple search:

authentication

Finds "authentication" anywhere in file names or content.

Phrase search:

"API authentication flow"

Finds exact phrase in quotes.

Multiple terms:

authentication JWT token

Finds files containing all terms (AND logic).

Advanced Operators

Boolean Operators

AND (implicit):

user authentication

Both terms must appear.

OR:

authentication OR authorization

Either term must appear.

NOT:

authentication NOT OAuth

First term must appear, second must not.

Field-Specific Search

Search file names only:

name:authentication

Search paths only:

path:api/endpoints

Search content only:

content:"Bearer token"

Wildcards

Single character:

auth?rization

Matches "authorization" or "authorisation".

Multiple characters:

auth*

Matches "auth", "authentication", "authorization", etc.

Search Results

Enhanced Result Display

Results include:

• Highlighted terms - Matched words shown in bold
• Content snippets - Relevant excerpt with context
• Multiple matches - Shows all places the term appears
• Version matches - Includes matches in old versions

Relevance Ranking

AI-powered ranking considers:

• Term frequency
• Term position (title vs body)
• Document length
• Recency
• File importance

Filters and Facets

Available Filters

• Project - Limit to specific projects
• Tags - Filter by one or more tags
• File type - Markdown, plain text, etc.
• Date range - Created or modified within range
• Author - Created or modified by specific user

Combining Filters

Apply multiple filters simultaneously:

1. Enter search query
2. Select project filter
3. Add tag filters
4. Set date range
5. View precisely filtered results

Search Performance

Indexing

Files are indexed:

• Immediately when created
• When content changes
• On a regular schedule
• During bulk imports

Search Speed

Typical search times:

• Small workspaces (< 100 files) - Instant
• Medium workspaces (100-1,000 files) - < 100ms
• Large workspaces (1,000-10,000 files) - < 200ms
• Very large workspaces (10,000+ files) - < 500ms

AI-Powered Features

Semantic Search

Coming soon: Search by meaning, not just keywords.

Example:

• Query: "how to secure API endpoints"

• Finds: "authentication", "authorization", "API security", etc.

• Common queries

• Related terms

• Frequently accessed files

• Recent searches

Search Best Practices

Effective Query Writing

Be specific:

• ❌ "api"
• ✅ "api authentication bearer token"

Use phrases for exact matches:

• ❌ error handling production
• ✅ "error handling in production"

Combine terms intelligently:

• ✅ "JWT authentication" OR "OAuth authentication"
• ✅ deployment NOT staging

Optimize File Content

Make files easier to find:

• Use descriptive headings
• Include keywords naturally
• Add relevant metadata
• Use consistent terminology
• Create glossaries of key terms

Search Analytics

Business and Enterprise plans include search analytics:

1. Navigate to Settings → Analytics
2. View Search Reports
3. See:
   • Most common queries
   • Zero-result queries
   • Popular files
   • Search usage trends

Use analytics to:

• Identify missing content
• Improve file organization
• Optimize naming conventions
• Create better documentation

Search API

Access advanced search via API:

curl -X POST "https://api.contextium.io/search" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "query": "authentication",
    "filters": {
      "project": "api-docs",
      "tags": ["published"]
    },
    "limit": 20
  }'

See API Documentation for full reference.

Troubleshooting

Results Not Appearing

If recently added content isn't appearing:

• Wait 1-2 minutes for indexing
• Check file isn't in trash
• Verify you have permission to view
• Confirm file isn't marked private

Slow Search

If search is slower than expected:

• Check workspace size (10,000+ files may be slower)
• Review query complexity
• Simplify filters
• Contact support for optimization

Upgrading to Advanced Search

To access advanced search:

1. Navigate to Settings → Billing
2. Upgrade to Business or Enterprise
3. Advanced search activates immediately
4. Full content indexing begins (takes 1-2 hours for large workspaces)

Next Steps

• Use tags for organization
• Access API search
• View search analytics
• Optimize file structure