Word Add-In

Web Search in the Word Add-In

When you're drafting a brief or reviewing a contract, you often need current information that isn't in your document set. Web Search lets you query the internet directly from the Word sidebar and return answers with source links.

Use Web Search for:

  • Verifying citations — Confirm that a case is still good law, check the correct reporter citation, or validate a statutory reference

  • Finding current case law — Search for recent decisions on a topic when your firm's database or precedent files are outdated

  • Checking regulatory updates — Determine whether regulations or agency guidance have changed since your last deal or memo

  • Researching statutes — Pull the current text of a statute or confirm that a provision hasn't been repealed or amended

Web Search is designed for current information, case law, regulatory updates, and facts not in your attached documents. It complements the document-based research you do in Assistant.

Web Search is available in the August sidebar once the Word Add-in is installed and you're signed in.

  1. Open your document in Word.

  2. Click the August icon in the ribbon to open the sidebar.

  3. In the sidebar, enter your research query in the chat field. August determines when to use Web Search based on your question—for example, if you ask about recent case law or current regulatory text.

For installation instructions, see Word Add-In Overview.

Research Categories

Web Search supports three primary research categories:

Category

What You Can Find

Case Law

Court decisions, appellate rulings, whether a case has been overruled or distinguished

Statutes

Current statutory text, amendments, effective dates, repeal status

Regulations

Agency rules, CFR sections, regulatory guidance, recent rulemaking

Example Use Cases

Verify a Citation in a Brief

You're finalizing an appellate brief and want to confirm that Smith v. Jones hasn't been overruled. In the sidebar, ask:

"Has Smith v. Jones, 45 F.3d 123 been overruled or criticized?"

August searches the web, checks case law databases, and returns an answer with links to the most recent treatment.

Check if a Statute Has Been Amended

You're reviewing an NDA that cites a specific Delaware statute. Ask:

"Show me the current text of 8 Del. C. § 145 and note any amendments since 2023."

August returns the current statutory language and flags any changes, with source links to the official code.

Find Recent Case Law on a Topic

You're drafting a memo on trade secret misappropriation and need recent federal circuit decisions. Ask:

"Find recent federal circuit cases on trade secret misappropriation elements under the DTSA."

August returns a summary of recent decisions with citations and links to the opinions.

Research Regulatory Updates

You're advising a client on data privacy and want to confirm whether the California Privacy Protection Agency has issued new guidance. Ask:

"What new guidance has the California Privacy Protection Agency issued in 2025?"

August searches agency announcements, enforcement bulletins, and regulatory updates, returning a summary with source links.

How Results Appear

Web Search returns a synthesized answer with inline citations and a list of sources. Each source link lets you open the underlying material—case opinion, statutory text, or regulatory page—directly.

As with all August output, treat Web Search results as a first pass. Open the cited sources and verify that the answer accurately reflects the material before relying on it in your work product. For more on August's approach to citations, see How August Handles Sources and Citations.

Web Search in Workflows

When you launch a Word workflow, your web search settings persist. If you have web research enabled, that setting carries through to workflow-driven submissions, so you can continue research tasks without re-enabling web search for each new instruction.

For more on context preservation across workflows, see Word Add-In Overview.

Using Results in Your Document

After reviewing the Web Search response, you can:

  • Copy the citation — Use the case name and reporter citation directly in your brief or memo

  • Quote statutory text — Copy the current language into your document for accurate references

  • Summarize for a client — Use the synthesized answer as the basis for a client email or memo section

  • Flag issues — Note discrepancies between the current law and what's in your document, then use the Word Add-in to update language

When to Use Web Search vs. Assistant

Web Search in the Word Add-in is ideal for quick, targeted research while drafting. When you need deeper analysis—comparing multiple cases, synthesizing across sources, or building a research memo—switch to Assistant in the main August workspace. Assistant supports longer conversations, multiple attached files, and structured outputs like research memos.

Next Steps

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