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Search and OCR · Autessa Drive

Semantic search

Autessa Drive offers semantic search as a per-drive option. When a drive owner or admin turns it on, the search box’s first mode becomes Smart, which combines meaning-based and keyword ranking, so “cancel the contract early” finds “termination for convenience”. Agents’ drive_search uses it too.

A core cloud storage capability, done properly
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Settings · SearchAcme LegalSAMPLE
Semantic search
Match meaning as well as words. Indexes existing files in the background.
Smart search“cancel the contract early”SAMPLE
SmartExact textFile name
acme-msa.pdfp.4 L.12
12.2 Termination for Convenience. Either party may terminate…
globex-msa.pdfp.7 L.3
9.1 Customer may end this agreement upon thirty days’ notice…

the-problem.md

People don’t use the document’s words

Keyword search fails when the question and the document phrase things differently. Meaning-based search closes that gap without giving up exact keyword matches.

README · what you get
  • Turn on Semantic search in the drive’s Settings, under Search.
  • The first search mode becomes Smart, combining meaning-based and keyword ranking.
  • Existing files are indexed in the background; until a file is indexed, it is found by its words.
  • Turning it off stops indexing and removes the index; search goes back to ranking by words.
  • Agents’ drive_search becomes meaning-based on drives where it is on.
  • Semantic searches count toward your company’s semantic search limits.
  • Results still only include files the person can open.

how-it-works

How does semantic search work in Autessa Drive?

  1. 1

    Open drive Settings

    As the drive owner or an admin.

  2. 2

    Turn on Semantic search

    Under Search. Indexing starts in the background.

  3. 3

    Search in Smart mode

    Ask in your own words; matching passages rank first.

every-option

Semantic search options

OptionWhat it does
Semantic searchOn or off per drive.
Smart modeMeaning plus keywords, replacing Search when on.
Background indexingCovers files already in the drive.
Turning offStops indexing and removes the index.
LimitsCounts toward company semantic search limits.

permissions

Who can do what?

WhoCan
Drive owner and drive adminsTurn semantic search on or off.
ViewerUse Smart search on files they can open.
Agent with a Drive toolUse meaning-based drive_search.

AI agents

How AI agents use it

For agents, semantic search is what turns a vague question into the right passage. The agent searches by meaning, reads the page, and cites it.

Agents only reach files the person they act for can open, and every agent write is a version you can undo.

About Drive tools for agents →

connected

How it connects to the rest of Autessa Drive

DRIVE FEATURE

Document search

Keyword ranking still applies.

DRIVE FEATURE

Cited answers

Find by meaning, quote exactly.

DRIVE FEATURE

Drive settings

Where it is switched on.

faq.md

Questions about semantic search

Does Autessa Drive have semantic search?

Yes, as an option per drive. Turn it on in the drive’s Settings, and the search box offers Smart mode, which combines meaning-based and keyword ranking.

What happens when I turn it on?

Files already in the drive are indexed in the background. Until a file is indexed, search finds it by its words.

Can I turn it off again?

Yes. Turning it off stops indexing and removes the index, and search goes back to ranking by words.

Autessa Drive

Try semantic search in Autessa Drive

Autessa Drive can add meaning-based semantic search to any drive, combining it with keyword ranking so people and agents find the passage even when the words differ.

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Make Autessa Drive fully your own.

Use it out of the box, then change anything. Ask Autobot, Autessa’s AI builder, for a new field, screen, report, workflow or agent and it builds it into your copy of the app. Or open the code and edit it yourself. Nothing is locked: the app, its data and its code are yours.

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