Waybook's search helps your team find the exact knowledge, process, or step they need in seconds - so no one is left digging through documents or asking a colleague for something that's already written down. This guide covers how search works, how to get the best results, and when Waybook's AI steps in to answer a question directly.
How search works
The search bar sits in the top navigation menu. Type a word or phrase, and Waybook looks across your subject, document, and step titles, as well as the content inside your steps, to find the closest matches.
Search uses fuzzy matching, which means it finds the closest matches rather than only exact ones. In practice, that makes it forgiving and quick:
Search invoice and you'll see documents that mention invoice or invoices - so your team doesn't need to guess the exact wording.
A small typo like onbaording will still surface your onboarding process.
Because search reads both titles and content, a result can appear either because of where it lives (its subject, document, or step title) or because of what it says inside. The closest matches to your term rise to the top.
The three search tabs
Your search results are organized into three tabs, so you can quickly narrow down where to look.
Documents
Your published knowledge - documents, steps, and categories.
Keyword matching - results include document titles, descriptions, step names, and step content.
Breadcrumb navigation - each result shows its path, so you can see exactly where a step lives.
Draft & archived filters - toggle these on to include draft or archived content.
Source Files
Information that hasn't been turned into formal knowledge yet - rough notes, PDFs, and other uploads kept for reference.
Search unstructured content - look through notes, uploads, and in-progress documentation.
Spot what to formalize - find useful information that's worth turning into a structured Waybook document.
Help Center
Waybook's own support articles, so your team can get guidance on using the platform without leaving Waybook.
Search vs Ask: when AI steps in
Waybook gives you two ways to find what you need, and they work best for different jobs.
Search
Finds the documents and steps that match your words. Best when you know roughly what you're looking for and want to open it - like onboarding checklist or refund policy.
Ask
Answers a question in a sentence or two, drawing on your existing documentation. When your query looks like a question, Waybook Ask generates a response for you - so instead of just pointing to the refund policy, it can answer how long do customers have to request a refund?
You don't need to switch between them manually. Type keywords and you'll get matching results; phrase your search as a question and Waybook Ask will step in with an answer built from your own content.
Help your content get found
Search reads the words in your titles and step content, so the clearer your content, the easier it is to find. You can also steer your team straight to the right document by adding the keywords they're most likely to search - think of it as tagging your content in the words your team actually uses.
This matters most for documents built mainly from embedded content - images, videos, or PDFs - because search can't read the words inside those files. Adding a few keywords to the step (including synonyms and the phrasings your team actually uses) means those documents still surface. If some people search annual leave while others type holiday or time off, add all three so the document turns up whichever word they use.
💡 Waybook Tip
Not sure which terms to add? Check what your team is already typing into search, then make sure those words appear in the right documents.
More ways to search smarter
Open search fast - press
/, or useCMD + Fon Mac orCTRL + Fon Windows.Keep results relevant - exclude a document from search results in its document settings panel, handy for content that doesn't need to surface for everyone.
Learn from Search Insights - see what your team searches for most, so you can spot gaps in your documentation and keep high-demand knowledge easy to find and up to date.
✨ Pro tip
To switch to your browser's own in-page search, press
CMD + F(Mac) orCTRL + F(Windows) again and Waybook's search will close.
Troubleshooting search
If you can't find something you expect to:
Check the document or step is published and not restricted by permissions - team members only see content they have access to.
Turn on the draft or archived filters if the content isn't live yet.
For documents made of embedded files, add keywords so the content can be matched.
Questions about getting the most from search? Our support team is here to help!