Search AI

Package information: Search AI is available to Starter, Growth, and Enterprise package users. Search AI Analytics is available to Growth, Enterprise package users – or those with the Advanced Analytics add-on.

What is Search AI?

Happeo Search AI leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to transform your search experience. It delivers clear, concise answers by pulling relevant information from your intranet or enabled integrations. No more struggling with perfect keywords—Search AI understands context and synonyms, providing accurate responses to keep your workflow uninterrupted.

When is Search AI triggered?

Search AI automatically activates when a user enters a query longer than eight characters. Short inputs with less than eight characters will still show traditional search results, but will not trigger AI synthesis. 

As soon as 8 characters are inserted, Search AI steps in and will attempt to generate a summarized answer alongside the normal results list. It performs best with descriptive or question-based queries (for example, “What’s the policy for remote work?”). This threshold ensures that the AI has enough context to understand user intent and deliver an accurate answer.

Users may also notice predictive input suggestions while typing. These autocomplete prompts help refine a query faster but don’t affect how Search AI works — they simply help form clearer search prompts and improve overall experience.

Sources used for AI answers

Search AI uses two main categories of content sources:

Happeo (default)

Search AI retrieves and synthesizes information from the following areas:

• Pages (V1 and V2).
• Posts (including Announcements and Articles; excluding comments).
• Channels (title and description).
• People profiles.
• Attached or linked files (see below for details).

Search AI always respects user-level permissions. The AI only has access to the same content the user can view in Happeo or within an authenticated integration. Restricted content is never retrieved or referenced in AI responses.

Integrations (optional; one at a time)

Search AI can also draw from the following authorized integrations:

• Google Drive.
• Microsoft SharePoint.
• Microsoft OneDrive.
• Slack.

By default, Search AI retrieves results from Happeo. However, you can apply a single integration filter to query one of these sources directly.

Note: Only one integration filter can be used at a time. This ensures that results remain accurate and contextually relevant.

Click here to learn about Federated Search and how to authorize search integrations.

Attached files

As well as retrieving information from content in Happeo, Search AI can also surface information from attached or linked files within Happeo.

Where files can be attached:

• Posts:
  • By pasting the file link, which generates a clickable attachment at the bottom of the Post.
  • By pasting a file URL directly into the Post body and allowing it to convert to a Link Chip.
• Pages (V1):
  • By incorporating them into a Link List widget, File List widget, or Document widget.
  • By pasting a file URL directly into a Text Widget and allowing it to convert to a Link Chip.
• Pages (V2):
  • By incorporating them into a Link List widget or Files widget.
    • For the Files widget in Pages V2, only Files will be processed – Folders are not supported.
  • By pasting a file URL directly into a Text Widget and allowing it to convert to a Link Chip.

Search AI supports the following text-based file types:

• Google Docs.
• Microsoft Word.
• PDFs.
• Certain spreadsheets (such as Google Sheets or Excel).

Note: Images, videos, or audio files cannot be processed.

Best practice (performance & findability): Keep your file structure shallow and documents lean. Search AI scans only one folder level deep and may skip very large files to maintain performance. To ensure faster, more complete answers, place key documents no deeper than one folder and keep files concise.

Additional notes:

• URLs are not considered attached files. However, links to Happeo, Google Drive, SharePoint, or OneDrive automatically convert into Link Chips, improving searchability. Read more here. 
• Clear, descriptive file titles improve retrieval and ensure AI can generate accurate references.
• Though attached-file search is intentionally lenient — Search AI will still attempt to scan a document unless it’s certain the answer isn’t contained within it.

Data Flow in Search AI

When a user performs a search in Happeo:

• The search begins client-side, with requests sent to Happeo’s search and any enabled federated search connectors (e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive).
• At this stage, the data returned by the search connectors remains on the client side.

If Search AI is enabled:

• While API calls to Google services are made client-side, the search query and the results from the enabled integrated sources (e.g. Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive) are passed to Happeo’s backend.
• The backend sends this information, along with a prompt, to Gemini (Google’s AI model) to generate the AI answer.
• Happeo does not store the document content returned in these results. Instead, it keeps only document identifiers to support Happeo features (if enabled), such as suggesting documents to link within Happeo.

This ensures AI-powered search remains accurate and helpful without compromising data security.

🔎 Check out our Admin Settings: Search article to learn how to manage which integrated sources are included or excluded from AI generation.

Processing steps

Each Search AI response includes detailed processing steps, also known as a “train of thought”—a step-by-step breakdown that explains how the AI generates its answer.

As the system works through stages like searching for relevant content, analyzing results, and composing an answer, users can see the AI’s progress in real time. If the process takes longer, these live updates provide transparency and keep users informed.

Users can click the downward arrow next to the generated answer to reveal the full breakdown, which includes:

• What content or integrations were searched.
• Which posts, pages, or files were reviewed, including attached documents.
• The sources used to generate the response.

This breakdown not only clarifies how the AI arrived at its output but also supports troubleshooting. By understanding where the AI pulled its information from, users can identify if content is missing, outdated, or incorrectly referenced.

Personalized for you

Happeo goes beyond generic search. Users receive information specifically relevant to their role and location, increasing efficiency. This personalized approach ensures everyone finds what they need quickly and easily.

Languages & translation

Happeo ensures a seamless search experience for global workforces by interpreting queries in nearly 100 languages. While AI responses are initially returned in English, users have the option to translate them into their preferred language or set up automatic translation.

Note: Accuracy is best when the query and content are in the same language. For instance, queries in French will yield more accurate answers when the source content is also in French.

Automatic translation

Enable automatic translation of Search AI results to your default content language:

1. Click your avatar located in the top-right corner of the main navigation menu.
2. From the dropdown menu, select User Settings.
3. Navigate to the My Settings section.
4. Locate the setting labeled “Automatically translate Search AI results to your language” and click on its associated dropdown menu.
5. Select “Translate immediately.”

Once this is selected, all your Search AI results will be automatically translated into the default content language you have configured in your User Settings > My Settings > Default content language.

Transparent confidence score

Happeo provides a confidence rating with each answer, based on the quality of results and relevancy of response. This helps users determine the reliability of the response provided, which is presented in one of two ways:

🟢 Confident

• The evaluator icon will be green.
• The tooltip next to the evaluator, when clicked, will open a modal that provides a detailed explanation as to why we have given this confidence rating.

🟠 Not confident

• We will display a caveat message above the response, highlighting that we are not confident in the accuracy of the response provided.
• The evaluator icon will be orange.
• The tooltip next to the evaluator, when clicked, will open a modal that provides a detailed explanation as to why we have given this confidence rating.

In-built feedback

While AI evaluates the reliability of its responses, we understand the value of human verification. That’s why users are encouraged to provide feedback, especially when something doesn’t work as expected.

Our in-built feedback mechanism allows users to react to AI-generated responses with a thumbs up 👍or thumbs down 👎, along with written feedback explaining the reason for their response. 

This feedback can be reviewed by admins within the AI Feedback section of Analytics to identify whether content is missing, outdated, or incorrect. It also helps Happeo improve the retrieval service, refine prompts, and develop new features to improve the reliability of Search AI.

Note: Queries and results are only processed temporarily by Happeo’s backend to generate answers. The only information retained by Happeo is the feedback that users choose to submit.

Handling incomplete or missing answers

While Search AI is designed to deliver accurate and contextual responses, there may be times when it doesn’t have enough information to generate a complete answer. In such cases, Happeo automatically falls back to your traditional search results so you can still access relevant content without interruption.

If you see a “Waiting for a question” message, it means the AI needs a bit more context before it can generate a useful response. Try rephrasing your query or adding more detail — for example, specify the topic, policy name, or team if relevant.

In situations where Search AI simply can’t generate a response, the system notifies you immediately, avoiding unnecessary wait times. Even then, you’ll still receive traditional search results, ensuring your workflow continues seamlessly.

If an AI-generated answer appears outdated or inaccurate, you can help improve future results by clicking 👎 and leaving a short comment explaining the issue. You can also update the relevant Happeo Page or Post — Search AI automatically reflects the latest version of that content in future responses, so improvements are instant.

Every time Search AI fails to produce an answer, it highlights what we call a knowledge gap — areas where key information might be missing or incomplete across your Happeo environment or connected tools. These gaps are valuable inputs for Happeo’s upcoming Knowledge Engine, which helps identify missing content and guides organizations toward a more complete and searchable knowledge hub.

Search AI on mobile

Search AI is available on the Happeo mobile app, optimized for quick, on-the-go use.

• Users can type or dictate a query to receive an AI-generated answer displayed above traditional results.
• To ensure speed and reliability, Search AI on mobile searches only Happeo content (Pages, Posts, Channels, and People).
• Attached files and integrations are excluded from mobile searches.
• Responses appear as a collapsible AI card that can be expanded for more detail.
• Mobile results include the same confidence and feedback options as desktop.

This lightweight version ensures fast, reliable answers while maintaining a consistent experience across devices.

How to enable and manage Search AI

To enable Search AI as an Admin, you can:

1. Click on your avatar and select Admin Settings.
2. Visit the Search or Happeo AI section from the left-hand navigation.
3. From either sections, toggle AI Response on or off at the top of the page.

Note: To search through specific integrations, check that Search AI has been enabled:

1. Click on your avatar and select Admin Settings.
2. Visit the Search section from the left-hand navigation.
3. Navigate to an integration that references “Search AI”.
4. Click the downward arrow to expand the integration settings.
5. Make sure the Search AI toggle is on to use the integration in Search AI.

Using Search AI: Step-by-Step

Search AI is designed to make finding information faster, more accurate, and more intuitive. Whether you’re looking for a quick answer or exploring connected sources, here’s how it works and how to get the most out of it:

1. Start your query
   • Type a question or descriptive search term directly into Happeo’s search bar.
   • For example: “What’s the latest company policy on remote work?”
2. Choose your search source (optional)
   • By default, Search AI looks across Happeo content — including Pages, Posts, and Channels.
   • If you have integrations enabled (like Google Drive or SharePoint), select the relevant integration filter to generate an AI answer based on that environment.
3. See the AI in action
   • As the system generates a response, you may notice processing steps that show its progress — these illustrate how the AI searches, analyzes, and composes the final answer.
   • When complete, the AI-generated response appears above the traditional search results, providing a concise summary along with supporting sources.
4. Explore the details
   • If the answer is long or references multiple documents, click “Read more” to expand and view additional explanations, inline citations, and linked sources.
   • This helps you trace exactly where the information came from.
5. Adjust language and translation
   • To translate an answer into another language, click the globe icon and select your preferred option.
   • If you’ve enabled automatic translation, answers will appear in your chosen default language right away.
6. Understand confidence scores
   • Every AI response includes a confidence indicator that shows how reliable the answer is.
   • Click the Answer Evaluation button to see why the system rated its confidence level as “Confident” (green) or “Not Confident” (orange).
7. Provide feedback
   • You can help improve future answers by clicking the thumbs-up or thumbs-down icons beside the evaluation button.
   • Add a short note explaining your feedback — this helps admins refine content and improve the AI’s performance over time.

Introduce Search AI to your organization

If you’re considering introducing Search AI to your organization, check out our Search AI Rollout Guide for more supporting materials.

Search AI Analytics

When Search AI is enabled in your Admin Settings, you will see additional tabs within the Search Analytics section of your platform.

AI Overview

While still visible within Analytics, this section is currently being rebuilt to provide you with more insights into Search AI usage, and help you identify trends and content gaps within your platform. 

AI Feedback

This section reveals when a user within your organization has provided positive (thumbs up) and negative (thumbs down) feedback on AI search results. This feedback includes both qualitative comments and quantitative data.

Admins and users with the Analytics Permission can review this feedback to reveal:

• Query – The wording of the search submitted for an AI response
• Date – When the query was submitted
• Feedback – Whether the response was given a thumbs up or thumbs down
• Description – The user's categorization of the AI result (e.g., 'correct answer,' 'easy to understand')
• Written feedback – The user's explanation for their rating (good or bad)

This additional context empowers site owners and admins to understand the reasons behind user feedback, helping them to identify and address any issues or gaps in their content.

CSV Export

To see a detailed overview of AI Search feedback data, click 'Export CSV' at the top-right of the Analytics page and select 'AI Search feedback data.'

In the export, you can find the following information:

• Timestamp – When the query was submitted
• Query – The wording of the search submitted for an AI response
• Voted – If the user gave a thumbs up or a thumbs down
  • True = The user gave a thumbs up or thumbs down
  • False = The user did not give any vote
• Is positive – If a user gave a thumbs up vote
  • True = The user gave a thumbs up
  • False = The user gave a thumbs down, or they did not vote at all
• Feedback – The user's explanation for their rating (good or bad)
• Feedback array – Which options (if any) did the user select when giving feedback (e.g., ‘Easy to answer,’ ‘Correct information,’ ‘Outdated information’)
• Automated feedback array – The options that are automatically selected based on the answer evaluation
• Automated is correct answer – If the AI response is correct (true / correct) or not (false / incorrect)
• Automated feedback – The automated explanation of why the AI response is accurate or inaccurate

FAQ

How long does new content take to appear in AI responses after publishing?

The internal content search AI is designed to be nearly instantaneous. Once the feature is enabled, newly published content should be included in its responses very quickly. There might be a slight delay in rare cases, but for the most part, it should be close to real-time.

What search connectors are included in the AI response?

• Happeo content (Pages, Channels, Posts, and People)
  • Growth, Starter, and Enterprise packages
• Universal search integrations
  • Drive (Google, SharePoint or OneDrive)
    • Growth, Starter, and Enterprise packages
  • Chat (Slack)
    • Growth, Starter, and Enterprise packages

Why can’t I search through integrations?

There are a couple of ways to troubleshoot this issue. First, as an Admin, check that you have set up the integration you are looking for:

1. Navigate to the Admin Settings (by clicking your avatar at the top-right corner of the platform and then Admin Settings)
2. Select Integrations
3. Click the Enable next to the integration in question

Next, make sure that you have enabled Search AI for your chosen integrations:

1. Navigate to the Admin Settings (by clicking your avatar at the top-right corner of the platform and then Admin Settings)
2. Visit the Search section from the left-hand navigation
3. Navigate to the integration and click the downward arrow to expand
4. Activate the Search AI toggle to include the integration in Search AI

Note: Search AI is only compatible with Happeo Pages, Channels, Posts, People, Google Drive, Sharepoint, OneDrive, and Slack.

Finally, as a User, check that you have authenticated the integration:

1. Navigate to your User Settings (by clicking your avatar at the top-right corner of the platform and then User Settings)
2. Click Integrations from the settings menu
3. Activate the toggle next to the integration and follow the authentication steps

When these steps are fulfilled, make sure to select the integration filter you need as part of the query you submit within the search bar.