Basic Search

Find files quickly using Contextium's search functionality.

Search Bar

The search bar is available at the top of every page. Start typing to search across your workspace.

What You Can Search

File Names

Search by file name:

• Type any part of the file name
• Case-insensitive matching
• Partial word matching supported

Examples:

• "auth" finds "authentication.md" and "oauth-guide.md"
• "api" finds "api-reference.md" and "graphql-api.md"

File Paths

Search by file location:

• Include folder names
• Use forward slashes for paths
• Match project names

Examples:

• "docs/getting-started" finds files in that folder
• "api/endpoints" finds files in the API endpoints folder

Content Search

Full-text content search is available on Business and Enterprise plans with Elasticsearch enabled.

On Starter and Professional plans, search is limited to file names and paths.

Search Tips

Quick Search

• Press Cmd + K (Mac) or Ctrl + K (Windows/Linux)
• Type your query
• Press Enter to see results
• Click a result to open it

Search Shortcuts

• ↑ ↓ - Navigate results
• Enter - Open selected file
• Esc - Close search
• Cmd/Ctrl + K - Open search from anywhere

Search Results

Results show:

• File name - Highlighted with matched terms
• Path - Location in workspace
• Project - Which project contains the file
• Last updated - When file was modified
• Snippet - Content preview (Business plan+)

Results are ranked by relevance:

1. Exact file name matches
2. File name partial matches
3. Path matches
4. Content matches (Business plan+)

Filtering Results

Filter by Project

1. Enter search query
2. Click Filter
3. Select one or more projects
4. View filtered results

Filter by Tags

1. Enter search query
2. Click Filter
3. Select tags
4. View tagged files only

Sort Results

Sort by:

• Relevance - Best matches first (default)
• Name - Alphabetical order
• Last updated - Newest first
• Created date - Newest first

Recent Files

Access recently viewed files without searching:

• Click Recent in the sidebar
• Use Cmd/Ctrl + K and view recent files section
• Dashboard shows recent files

Recent files list shows your last 20 viewed files.

Search Limitations

Starter and Professional Plans

• Search file names and paths only
• No full-text content search
• Basic relevance ranking

Business and Enterprise Plans

• Full-text content search
• AI-powered search
• Advanced ranking
• Search result highlighting
• Content snippets in results

See Advanced Search for Business plan features.

No Results?

If you can't find what you're looking for:

1. Check spelling - Try different spellings or terms
2. Simplify query - Use fewer, more general terms
3. Browse projects - Navigate directly to the project
4. Check filters - Make sure filters aren't hiding results
5. Verify access - Ensure you have permission to view the file

Search Best Practices

Name Files for Searchability

Use descriptive names with keywords:

• ✅ "user-authentication-guide.md"
• ✅ "api-rate-limiting.md"
• ✅ "deployment-checklist.md"
• ❌ "doc1.md"
• ❌ "notes.md"
• ❌ "stuff.md"

Use Consistent Naming

Establish naming conventions:

• Lowercase with hyphens: "getting-started.md"
• Include key terms: "api-", "guide-", "reference-"
• Date format for changelogs: "changelog-2024-01.md"

Tag Important Files

Apply tags to improve discoverability:

• Add "category:api" to API documentation
• Use "status:published" for finished docs
• Tag with "team:engineering" for team-specific content

Coming Soon

Upcoming search enhancements:

• Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)
• Fuzzy matching
• Search within specific folders
• Saved searches
• Search history

Next Steps

• Learn about advanced search (Business plan)
• Organize files with tags
• Browse all files
• Use quick switcher shortcuts