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Mainbranch

Your First Search

Now that you are familiar with the interface, it is time to perform your first search. This guide will show you how to use the AI Assistant to find information across your organization’s knowledge base.

Understanding How Search Works

Section titled “Understanding How Search Works”

Mainbranch search is different from traditional search engines. Instead of just matching keywords, the AI Assistant:

  1. Understands your intent — Interprets what you are actually looking for
  2. Searches connected sources — Queries all your connected data (documents, emails, calendars)
  3. Synthesizes information — Combines relevant content into a coherent answer
  4. Provides citations — Links back to original sources so you can verify

Your First Query

Section titled “Your First Query”

  1. Go to the Dashboard

    Make sure you are on the main Dashboard where you see the AI chat interface.

  2. Ask a Question

    In the chat input at the bottom of the screen, type a question in natural language. For example:

    • “What is our policy on remote work?”
    • “Find the budget report from last quarter”
    • “What did we discuss in the last team meeting?”

  3. Review the Response

    The AI Assistant will search your connected data sources and provide an answer. The response will include:

    • The answer — A synthesized response to your question
    • Sources — Links to the documents or emails that informed the answer
    • Follow-up suggestions — Related questions you might want to ask

  4. Explore Sources

    Click on any cited source to open the original document and verify the information.

Types of Searches

Section titled “Types of Searches”

You can use Mainbranch to perform different types of searches:

Section titled “Question-Based Search”

Ask a question and receive a direct answer:

"Who is responsible for IT security?"
"When is the next budget review meeting?"
"What are the steps to request time off?"
Section titled “Document Search”

Find specific documents:

"Find the employee handbook"
"Show me contracts from 2024"
"Where is the meeting agenda for the council meeting?"

Information Extraction

Section titled “Information Extraction”

Extract specific information from your documents:

"What is the deadline mentioned in the project proposal?"
"Summarize the key points from the quarterly report"
"List all action items from last week's meeting"
Section titled “Refining Your Search”

If the initial results are not what you expected, you can refine your search:

Be More Specific

Section titled “Be More Specific”

Add details to narrow down results:

Instead of: "Find the report"
Try: "Find the Q3 2024 financial report from the Finance department"

Ask Follow-Up Questions

Section titled “Ask Follow-Up Questions”

Continue the conversation to drill deeper:

Initial: "What was discussed at the board meeting?"
Follow-up: "What decisions were made about the budget?"
Follow-up: "Who was assigned to handle the IT upgrade?"

Specify Time Ranges

Section titled “Specify Time Ranges”

Include dates or time references:

"What emails did I receive last week about the project?"
"Show me documents modified in the past month"
"Find meeting notes from January 2024"

Working with Results

Section titled “Working with Results”

Source Panel

Section titled “Source Panel”

When you receive results, a source panel may appear showing the documents that were used to generate the answer. You can:

  • Click to open the source document
  • See which parts of the document were relevant
  • Access the original file for more context

Continuing the Conversation

Section titled “Continuing the Conversation”

Your conversation history is preserved, so the AI Assistant remembers context from earlier in the chat. You can:

  • Ask follow-up questions
  • Request more detail on specific points
  • Ask for the information in a different format

Attaching Files

Section titled “Attaching Files”

You can also attach files directly to your query for the AI to analyze:

  1. Click the Attachment Button

    In the chat input, click the attachment icon (paperclip).

  2. Select Files

    Choose one or more files from your computer to upload.

  3. Ask About the Files

    Type your question about the attached files:

    "Summarize this document"
    "What are the key points in this spreadsheet?"
    "Compare these two proposals"

Search Tips

Section titled “Search Tips”

For the best results:

  • Use natural language — Write as if you are asking a colleague
  • Be specific — The more context you provide, the better the results
  • Try different phrasings — If one query does not work, rephrase it
  • Check sources — Always verify important information with the original documents

What If You Cannot Find Something?

Section titled “What If You Cannot Find Something?”

If Mainbranch cannot find what you are looking for:

  1. Check your access — You can only search content you have permission to view
  2. Verify the source is connected — The data source may not be connected yet
  3. Try broader terms — Your search may be too specific
  4. Contact your administrator — They can help verify connector status

Next Steps

Section titled “Next Steps”

Now that you have completed your first search, explore more capabilities: