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Search Not Returning Expected Results

troubleshooting beginner

Summary

Search in SecureAI queries your organization's uploaded knowledge base within the current workspace. When results are missing or unexpected, the cause is usually a query phrasing issue, a workspace scope mismatch, or a document that has not finished indexing.

Use this article if

Quick fix

  1. Check that you are in the correct workspace using the sidebar selector.
  2. Rephrase your query: use specific part numbers, vehicle details, or keywords instead of broad questions.
  3. If the document was uploaded in the last few minutes, wait for indexing to complete and try again.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Verify your workspace

Search results are scoped to the workspace you are currently in. A document uploaded to one workspace will not appear in search results from another.

  1. Open the sidebar and check the workspace name at the top.
  2. If the document might be in a different workspace, use the workspace selector to switch.
  3. Search again after switching.

Step 2: Refine your search query

The AI assistant interprets your query to find relevant content. More specific queries produce better results.

Instead of this Try this
"brake pads" "front brake pad set for 2021 BMW X3"
"transmission problem" "2022 F-150 transmission shudder TSB"
"alternator specs" "Denso alternator 421000-0632 specifications"

Step 3: Confirm the document is uploaded and indexed

A document must be uploaded to your organization's knowledge base and fully indexed before it is searchable.

  1. Ask your administrator to confirm the document is in the knowledge base.
  2. If the document was uploaded recently, wait 5 to 10 minutes for indexing to complete.
  3. Try your search again after the wait.

Step 4: Check for document format issues

Some document formats may not index fully.

What happens next

After following these steps, your search queries should return the expected results. If the issue was a missing document or a workspace mismatch, results will appear immediately after the correction. If the issue was a recently uploaded document, results will appear once indexing completes.

Common problems

I switched workspaces but still see no results. The document may not be uploaded to any workspace you have access to. Contact your administrator to verify which workspace contains the document and confirm you have access.

My search works sometimes but not for certain documents. Check whether the missing documents are scanned PDFs or image-based files. These formats require OCR processing before their content is searchable.

I am using a part number but getting no results. Verify the part number format. Try searching with and without dashes or spaces. For example, search both "34116799166" and "34-11-6-799-166."

Search results are outdated. If a document was recently updated and re-uploaded, the old version may still be indexed. Wait for the new version to finish indexing (5 to 10 minutes), then search again.

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