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 + KWindows/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.
Keyword Search
Looks through all the content in your notes for specific words or phrases.
Semantic Search
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 wordsmeeting notes- Finds meeting-related contentdesign 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 3owner:sarah- Find notes assigned to Sarah
Comparison operators:
priority>3- Priority greater than 3priority<2- Priority less than 2date>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 itemspriority>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:
Type
meetingto see all meetingsAdd
#urgentto find urgent meetingsAdd
date>2024-03-01to 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! 🔍