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How to Use Haystack AI Search

Learn how to get quick, intelligent answers from your intranet workspace using Haystack AI Search, or manage your personal search preferences.

Note: This feature is an optional add-on tool and may not be included in your standard plan. If you have questions or want to enable it, feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager, use our chat bot, or contact us at support@haystackteam.com.

Haystack’s AI Search transforms the way you find information across your workspace. Instead of digging through multiple pages, posts, or links, our AI-supported search layers onto your traditional search tool to summarize results instantly, answer specific questions, and even account for common typos.

Whether you are looking for broad information like company benefits or have a specific question about your 401(k) match, AI Search helps you find the right answers in seconds.

Prerequisites

  • Permissions: AI Search is available to all general users and administrators on the platform by default. No special permissions or IT setup are required to start using it.

Video Tutorial

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Running a Keyword Search

You can use the exact same search interface you have always used in Haystack.

  1. Navigate to the Search Icon (magnifying glass) in the top-right corner of your Haystack dashboard.
  2. Type in a broad keyword (e.g., benefits) and press Enter.
  3. At the top of your search results, you will see a colorful text box with a spinning Haystack logo.
  4. Once the AI finishes processing, it will display a clean, concise overview of the matching information found across your workspace.

💡 Tip: To see where the AI pulled its information from, click the downward carat button on the right side of the AI text box. This will expand a dropdown showing the exact resource pages used to generate the summary.

2. Asking Specific Questions

Haystack AI Search is highly conversational and exceptionally good at interpreting natural language, sound-alike words, and accidental misspellings.

  1. Click the search tool and type a direct question (e.g., What is my 401k match?)

  2. Without needing to click into individual policy pages or documents, the AI box will instantly pull the exact match details from your company guidelines.
  3. Below the AI answer, you will see direct links to the source files—such as the official 401k Policy page, company announcements, or downloadable PDF attachments.

3. Filtering Your Search Results

If you need to dig deeper, you can narrow down your results using the filters on the search page:

  • By Author or Content Type (Top Filters): Filter your results by Pages, Posts, Events, Groups, Files, or Glossary terms. For instance, choose Pages if you are looking for knowledge base info, or Posts if you are looking for company news.
  • By Recency: Pay close attention to the dates listed next to the search results. While Haystack has a built-in time decay to prioritize fresh content, checking dates ensures you are looking at the most recently updated policy.
  • By Group (Right Sidebar Filter): Narrow your results down to specific departmental spaces like General (All-Hands), Engineering, Marketing, or Overseas Eng.

4. How to Turn Off AI Search

We understand that search style is a personal preference. If you prefer to use traditional search without the AI summary box, you can easily disable it. This preference will be saved locally to your browser.

  1. Click into the Haystack search bar or navigate to the search results page without typing any keywords.
  2. Locate the Enable AI Search toggle in the upper-right area of the search page.
  3. Switch the toggle Off.

Your search results will now display traditionally (showing your pages, posts, and glossary settings) without generating the AI summary box. You can toggle this back on at any time.

Best Practices

  • Keep It Natural: Don't worry about perfect phrasing or strict keyword formulas. Ask questions just like you would speak to a teammate.
  • Trust but Verify with Sources: Always use the downward carat to review the source documents if you are looking at highly sensitive compliance or financial information.
  • Check the Dates: If your company has legacy policies active on the intranet, verify the "Last edited" date on the page snippet to ensure it is the current version.
  • Learn More Link: If you want to dive deeper into how this tool was built in partnership with Google, click the Learn more about AI Search link located directly under the AI toggle on the search page.

Need More Help?

If you have additional questions, or if you spot any search results that seem incorrect or unusual while using AI Search, please reach out to our support team:

  • On-Page Chat: Click your profile icon in the top right, select Help & Support, and look for the chat bot in the bottom-right corner of the help desk page.
  • Email Support: Drop us a line directly at support@haystackteam.com