Types of Search
Convictional's search provides two powerful modes to help you find information across your organization's knowledge base. Each mode is designed for different types of information needs.
Ask Mode
Ask mode is optimized for quick, focused answers to specific questions. It's ideal when you need immediate information or straightforward answers about your organization.
When to use Ask mode
When you need a quick answer to a specific question
When looking for factual information about your organization
When seeking information about specific people, processes, or policies
Example questions for Ask mode
"What is our company policy on laptop replacements?"
"Who is the owner of our Hubspot account?"
"What is our relationship with [vendor]?"
"When is the next board meeting scheduled?"
"What was the outcome of the pricing strategy discussion?"
Tips for Ask mode
Be specific and direct in your questions
Include relevant keywords to help the search find the right information
For targeted results, try: "Please search specifically for [keyword]"
Expect quick responses with direct citations to sources
Research Mode
Research mode provides comprehensive, in-depth analysis on complex topics. It synthesizes information from multiple sources to create thorough reports on broad or complex questions.
When to use Research mode
When you need a comprehensive understanding of a topic
When your question spans multiple documents or sources
When you need analysis rather than just facts
When preparing for important meetings or presentations
Example questions for Research mode
"What happened while I was on PTO last week?"
"What updates has the engineering team shipped in the past month?"
"I have a meeting with [customer]. What are their concerns and areas of opportunity?"
"How are we tracking towards our revenue goal for Q2?"
"What is our design philosophy and how has it evolved?"
"What have we accomplished since our last investor update?"
Tips for Research mode
Provide detailed context in your question for better results
Be specific about the timeframe, team, or scope you're interested in
Expect the process to take a few minutes as it searches and synthesizes information
Use the example below to structure complex requests:
"What did the engineering team accomplish last week? I want to understand things that were merged, discussed, decided, etc. Please cover all engineering, research, data, design, and product work. Be thorough in your response, assign ownership or contributors, and reference dates. I want a comprehensive overview of everything that happened. Please be sure to only include work accomplished last week."
Customizing Your Search Sources
When searching, you can select which information sources to include:
Convictional - Content within the platform (meetings, decisions, discussions)
Connected services - Content from your integrated tools:
Google Drive documents
Slack conversations
GitHub repositories
And other connected services
Web - Information from the wider internet
Select the sources most relevant to your query to get the most accurate results.
Understanding Citations
Both Ask and Research modes provide citations to source documents. These citations:
Link directly to the original content
Help you verify the information provided
Allow you to explore related topics in the source material
Enable you to judge the relevance and reliability of the information
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