Hudu's search helps you quickly find companies, assets, passwords, articles, processes, and websites across your documentation. Use quick search from the top toolbar for fast lookups, or open advanced search for a full page of results with filters.
Opening and navigating search
The search bar sits in the top toolbar on every page. When you click into it, it expands in place and shows results in a panel below it, so the page you're on stays in view.
Opening search
- Click the search bar in the top toolbar, or
- Press / from anywhere in Hudu (except while typing in a field).
Scoping search to a record type
By default, search looks across all record types. To search only one type, choose it from the scope dropdown to the left of the search bar: All, Companies (or your account's name for them), Assets, Passwords, Articles, Processes, or Websites. The placeholder text updates to match (for example, "Search passwords"), and the scope resets to All the next time you open search.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| / | Open search |
| Shift + / | Open advanced search |
| C | Open search scoped to companies |
| A | Open search scoped to assets |
| P | Open search scoped to passwords |
| K | Open search scoped to articles |
| O | Open search scoped to processes |
| W | Open search scoped to websites |
| ALT + G | Toggle between company-only and global search |
| Up / Down arrows | Move through results |
| Enter | Open the selected result |
| ESC | Close search |
| CTRL + / | Open the keyboard shortcuts panel |
You can also click results with your mouse, and click anywhere outside the panel to close it.
On small screens, search opens full width instead of as a panel below the search bar.
Search matches your words in any order and ranks results by relevance, with exact name matches shown first. Draft articles are not included in results. The same ranking is used in advanced search, Hudini mentions, the MCP server, and the API.
Search options
Below the search bar, you can turn on:
- Comprehensive search — broadens results by matching more of each record's content, not just its name.
- Include museum — includes archived items in your results.
Searching within a company
When you're viewing a specific company, search shows an option to search only within that company. Turn it off to search across all companies instead, or press ALT + G to toggle between company-only and global search.
Searching the Central KB
Use the Within Central KB option to search only Central KB articles, without articles from company knowledge bases.
- Press K to open search scoped to articles, or choose Articles from the scope dropdown. The Within Central KB option appears on any page.
- When you're on a Central KB page, the option also appears under the All scope and is turned on by default, unless Default to global is enabled in your User Profile. Press ALT + G to toggle it.
- Within Central KB and searching within a company can't be used together. Turning one on turns the other off.
- Comprehensive Search and Include museum still work with this option.
This option only appears for users with access to the Central KB.
Advanced search
Advanced search opens a full search page with results grouped by record type and filters for each type.
Opening advanced search
- In quick search, click Advanced search next to the result count. Your search terms and active options carry over.
- Press Shift + / from anywhere in Hudu.
- Go directly to /advanced_search on your Hudu domain.
Using the search page
- Record type tabs on the left: Companies (shown with your account's name for them), Assets, Passwords, Articles, Processes, and Websites. Each tab shows how many results matched.
- Results in the center update as you type, with a header showing the count and the record type you're viewing.
- Filters that change based on the active tab: Comprehensive search, Include museum, Within (filter by company), Within Central KB (Articles tab), Asset Layout (Assets tab), and Company Type (Companies tab). Filters apply immediately and are preserved when switching tabs. Use Clear All to reset them.
The page URL updates as you search, switch tabs, or change filters. You can bookmark a search, share the link with a teammate so they see the same results, and use your browser's back and forward buttons to move through your searches.
On smaller screens, the tabs and filters open as slide-in panels. Use the menu icon for tabs and the filter icon for filters.
Portal users don't have access to advanced search.
Searching with Hudini
If Hudini is configured for your instance, an AI search button appears in the search bar and on the advanced search page. Click it to open a new Hudini conversation with whatever you've typed. This is useful for questions that keyword search can't answer, such as "What is Jordan's phone number?"
Visit Hudini AI for additional information on setting up Hudini.
Setting default search preferences
You can set default search behavior in your User Profile, so you don't have to adjust options every time you search:
- Default to comprehensive — turns on comprehensive search for every search.
- Default to global — searches across all companies by default, instead of limiting to the company you're viewing.
These defaults are your starting point, and you can still change the options for any individual search.
Typesense
Hudu uses its built-in search by default. Admins can optionally connect Typesense, an open-source search engine, from Admin → Integrations. Typesense isn't included in your Hudu subscription.
When Typesense is connected, Hudu syncs supported records to it and uses it to power search. Because Typesense supports typo tolerance and synonyms, results may differ slightly from Hudu's built-in search. You search the same way either way, using the search bar and advanced search.
Visit Typesense for additional information on setting up and managing the integration.
FAQ
Yes. Press / to open search from anywhere, or K to open search scoped to articles. Press Shift + / to jump straight to the full advanced search page.
Turn off the option to search within that company, or press ALT + G. To always search across all companies by default, turn on Default to global in your User Profile.
Press K to open article search and turn on Within Central KB. On Central KB pages, this option is on by default. See Searching the Central KB above.
Only published articles appear in search results. To find a draft, open the Knowledge Base where it's saved.
Yes. Open the search in advanced search and copy the page URL. It includes your search terms, active tab, and filters, so your teammate sees the same results, limited to what their permissions allow.
Check Admin → Integrations to see whether Typesense is connected. You can also test a search that relies on a synonym, since synonyms only work when Typesense is powering search.