Advanced Search Techniques

Search Filtering

By Date Range

Use created_date_range to find recent content:

code

filters: {
  created_date_range: {
    start_date: "2024-01-01",
    end_date: "2025-01-01"
  }
}

When to use:

•Finding recent updates on a topic
•Focusing on current information
•Excluding outdated content

By Creator

Use created_by_user_ids to find content from specific people:

code

filters: {
  created_by_user_ids: ["user-id-1", "user-id-2"]
}

When to use:

•Research from subject matter experts
•Team-specific information
•Attribution tracking

Combined Filters

Stack filters for precision:

code

filters: {
  created_date_range: {
    start_date: "2024-10-01"
  },
  created_by_user_ids: ["expert-user-id"]
}

Scoped Searches

Teamspace Scoping

Restrict search to specific teamspace:

code

teamspace_id: "teamspace-uuid"

When to use:

•Project-specific research
•Department-focused information
•Reducing noise from irrelevant results

Page Scoping

Search within a specific page and its subpages:

code

page_url: "https://notion.so/workspace/Page-Title-uuid"

When to use:

•Research within a project hierarchy
•Documentation updates
•Focused investigation

Database Scoping

Search within a database's content:

code

data_source_url: "collection://data-source-uuid"

When to use:

•Task/project database research
•Structured data investigation
•Finding specific entries

Search Strategies

Broad to Narrow

•Start with general search term
•Review results for relevant teamspaces/pages
•Re-search with scope filters
•Fetch detailed content from top results

Example:

code

Search 1: query="API integration" → 50 results across workspace
Search 2: query="API integration", teamspace_id="engineering" → 12 results
Fetch: Top 3-5 most relevant pages

Multi-Query Approach

Run parallel searches with related terms:

code

Query 1: "API integration"
Query 2: "API authentication"
Query 3: "API documentation"

Combine results to build comprehensive picture.

Temporal Research

Search across time periods to track evolution:

code

Search 1: created_date_range 2023 → Historical context
Search 2: created_date_range 2024 → Recent developments
Search 3: created_date_range 2025 → Current state

Result Processing

Identifying Relevant Results

Look for:

•High semantic match: Result summary closely matches query intent
•Recent updates: Last-edited date is recent
•Authoritative sources: Created by known experts or in official locations
•Comprehensive content: Result summary suggests detailed information

Prioritizing Fetches

Fetch pages in order of relevance:

•Primary sources: Direct documentation, official pages
•Recent updates: Newly edited content
•Related context: Supporting information
•Historical reference: Background and context

Don't fetch everything - be selective based on research needs.

Handling Too Many Results

If search returns 20+ results:

•Add filters: Narrow by date, creator, or teamspace
•Refine query: Use more specific terms
•Use page scoping: Search within relevant parent page
•Sample strategically: Fetch diverse results (recent, popular, authoritative)

Handling Too Few Results

If search returns < 3 results:

•Broaden query: Use more general terms
•Remove filters: Search full workspace
•Try synonyms: Alternative terminology
•Search in related areas: Adjacent teamspaces or pages

Search Quality

Effective Search Queries

Good queries (specific, semantic):

•"Q4 product roadmap"
•"authentication implementation guide"
•"customer feedback themes"

Weak queries (too vague):

•"roadmap"
•"guide"
•"feedback"

Over-specific queries (too narrow):

•"Q4 2024 product roadmap for mobile app version 3.2 feature X"

User Context

Always use available user context:

•Query should match their terminology
•Scope to their relevant teamspaces
•Consider their role/department
•Reference their recent pages

Connected Sources

Notion Integrations

Search extends beyond Notion pages to:

•Slack messages (if connected)
•Google Drive documents (if connected)
•GitHub issues/PRs (if connected)
•Jira tickets (if connected)

Be aware results may come from these sources.

Source Attribution

When citing results from connected sources:

•Note the source type in documentation
•Use appropriate mention format
•Verify user has access to the source system