August
Getting Started

Platform Search

Platform Search is your global search tool across the entire August workspace. Use it to find documents, folders, conversations, and artifacts like Playbooks and Tabular Reviews without navigating through multiple panels.

This video demonstrates how to use Platform Search across your August workspace.

The search bar is located at the top of the August interface. Click into it to start searching across your workspace.

What Platform Search Indexes

Platform Search covers the full scope of your work in August:

Content Type

What You Can Find

Documents

Uploaded files, imported documents, synced files from integrations

Folders

Document containers organized by matter, client, or document type

Conversations

Assistant chat threads and their attached materials

Artifacts

Playbooks, Tabular Reviews, and other structured outputs

Search Freshness

Platform Search keeps results current with your workspace activities:

  • New uploads and edits: Recently uploaded or edited documents appear in search within moments.

  • Moved documents: When you move a document to a different folder, search follows the new location. Filter by project or folder scope to find moved content in its new location.

  • Deleted content: Documents and folders you delete are excluded from search results within seconds. Once excluded, deleted content does not appear in search or Assistant retrieval.

Sync timing: Search updates happen in the background after you delete or move items. The index typically syncs within seconds, so recently deleted items may briefly appear in results before the update completes.

How Platform Search Differs from Chat History

Platform Search and chat history serve different purposes:

Feature

Platform Search

Chat history

Scope

Entire workspace across all content types

Conversation history only

Location

Search bar at top of interface

Search bar within chat history panel

Best For

Finding specific documents, folders, or artifacts

Reopening past conversations by topic or keyword

Content Indexed

Documents, folders, conversations, artifacts

Conversation titles, message content, attached document names

Use Platform Search when you need to locate a specific document, folder, or artifact. Use chat history when you want to return to a past conversation and continue where you left off.

Platform Search supports filtering to narrow results:

  1. Enter your search term in the search bar.

  2. Results appear grouped by content type.

  3. Use available filters to limit results to specific categories—documents, folders, conversations, or artifacts.

  4. Click any result to open it directly.

Filter by Content Type

After entering a search, you can filter results to specific content types. This is useful when you know what you're looking for—for example, filtering to Documents to find a specific agreement without sorting through conversations.

Filter by Project

If you work across multiple projects, you can scope your search to a single project. This keeps results focused on the matter you're currently working on.

Tips for Effective Searching

  • Use specific terms: Search for document names, client names, or matter identifiers rather than generic terms.

  • Search for artifacts by type: If you're looking for a specific Playbook or Tabular Review, include the artifact type in your query.

  • Combine with filters: Enter a keyword first, then apply filters to narrow results efficiently.

  • Use consistent naming: Maintain consistent document and folder naming conventions across your workspace to improve search results.

Use Platform Search when you need to:

  • Locate a specific document across multiple projects or folders

  • Find a saved Playbook for reuse in a review

  • Open a Tabular Review you created earlier

  • Jump to a folder containing matter documents

  • Return to a conversation when you don't remember the exact title

August offers multiple search capabilities depending on your needs:

  • Chat history — Search conversation history within the chat history panel

  • Web Search — Research case law, statutes, and regulations from the Word Add-in

  • SharePoint Integration — Search SharePoint sites and OneDrive from within August

  • Assistant — Use @mentions and search to pull in specific items within chat

Assistant Document Retrieval

When you ask the Assistant questions about your documents, it uses both semantic and keyword search to find relevant content. Semantic search understands meaning and concepts, while keyword search matches exact terms. For details, see How Assistant Searches Your Documents.

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