Niv

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Finding the right information in your growing knowledge base should be instant. Niv's search is designed to understand what you're looking for, whether you remember the exact title, a few keywords, or just the general topic.

Quick Search: Cmd/Ctrl + K

The fastest way to find anything in Niv is the universal search. Just hit:

  • Mac: Cmd + K

  • Windows/Linux: Ctrl + K

Start typing and Niv will instantly show you matching notes and groups from across your entire knowledge base.

How Search Works

Niv uses multiple search methods simultaneously to find what you need:

Title Matching

Searches note titles and group names first - usually the fastest way to find what you're looking for.

Looks through all the content in your notes for specific words or phrases.

This is where it gets powerful - Niv understands meaning, not just exact matches. Search for "team meeting" and find notes about "standup discussions" or "project reviews."

The AI Assistant uses the same search system, so it can find and reference any information in your knowledge base contextually.

Search Types

Simple Text Search

Just type what you're looking for:

  • project alpha - Finds notes containing these words

  • meeting notes - Finds meeting-related content

  • design system - Finds notes about design systems

Property Filtering

Use special syntax to filter by properties:

Basic property search:

  • status:done - Find notes with status "done"

  • priority:3 - Find notes with priority exactly 3

  • owner:sarah - Find notes assigned to Sarah

Comparison operators:

  • priority>3 - Priority greater than 3

  • priority<2 - Priority less than 2

  • date>2024-03-01 - Created after March 1st

Tag filtering:

  • #work - Find notes tagged with "work"

  • #meeting - Find all meeting notes

  • #urgent - Find urgent items

Advanced Filtering

Combine multiple filters:

  • #work status:done - Work-related completed items

  • priority>3 owner:mike - High priority items assigned to Mike

  • #meeting date>2024-03-01 - Recent meetings

Search in Different Contexts

Personal Knowledge

When searching your personal notes, you see everything you have access to across all your spaces.

Team Collaboration

In team spaces, search includes:

  • All notes you have permission to view

  • Notes created by teammates

  • Shared group content

  • Published notes from your team

This means you can discover relevant work from colleagues you might not have known existed.

Cross-Space Discovery

If you're in multiple team spaces, search can help you find related work across different projects and teams (based on your permissions).

Pro Search Tips

Use Natural Language

Don't overthink it - search like you think:

  • "meeting about budget" instead of "budget_meeting_notes"

  • "user research findings" instead of "research_user_data"

  • "api problems" instead of "API_issues_log"

Combine Search Methods

Start broad, then filter down:

  1. Type meeting to see all meetings

  2. Add #urgent to find urgent meetings

  3. Add date>2024-03-01 to see recent urgent meetings

Search for Connections

Find notes that might be related:

  • Search for project names to find all related discussions

  • Look for people's names to find their contributions

  • Search topics to discover unexpected connections

Use Search for Review

Regular search patterns help you stay on top of work:

  • status:pending - What needs attention?

  • owner:me priority>3 - What are my high-priority items?

  • #action-items date>2024-03-15 - Recent action items to follow up on

Search + AI Integration

The AI Assistant uses the same powerful search to help you:

  • "Find all our user research from last month"

  • "What did we decide about the API design?"

  • "Show me notes related to mobile performance"

The AI can understand complex requests and search across all your content to provide comprehensive answers with proper citations.

Making Your Content Searchable

Write Descriptive Titles

Good titles make search more effective:

  • ✅ "Q1 Marketing Planning Session"

  • ❌ "Meeting Notes 3"

Use Consistent Terminology

When your team uses the same words for the same concepts, search becomes more powerful:

  • Pick one term: "user research" OR "UX research" (not both randomly)

  • Standardize project names across all related notes

  • Use consistent property values in your Groups

Add Context in Content

Include searchable context in your notes:

  • Mention project names, even in passing

  • Reference related team members

  • Include topic keywords naturally in your writing

Tag Thoughtfully

Use Tags and properties to make content more discoverable:

  • Tag meeting notes with relevant projects

  • Add topic tags to research notes

  • Use consistent status and priority values

What's Next?

Now that you can find anything in your knowledge base, explore how it all connects:

  • Graph - Visualize your knowledge connections

  • AI Assistant - Let AI help you discover and connect information

  • AI Scenarios - Advanced ways to use AI with your searchable knowledge

Ready to find anything instantly? Hit Cmd + K and start exploring your knowledge! 🔍