Search your vault from the Vault page

In the Beta build, the Vault page has a "Search the vault" box that reads the text of your notes, not just their titles; it ranks by meaning when Ollama can embed your question and by words when it cannot.

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Steps

  1. Press Ctrl+K and choose Vault. The Vault page is in no sidebar, so the palette is how you reach it.
  2. Find the box labelled "Search the vault" at the top of the middle column. Its hint reads "Words in any note".
  3. Type your words. The search runs a moment after you stop typing, not on every key. An empty box shows the notes in the folder you picked instead.
  4. Read the results. Each row shows a note title and an excerpt from the note. A line above the list gives the count, such as "3 matches". If the list was cut short it reads "First 40 matches, capped. There are more than this list shows."
  5. Choose a row to open that note. Picking a folder on the left ends the search and shows that folder again.
  6. Know what it reads. It searches the text of every note outside the sources, agents and agent-inbox folders. Those three folders can be browsed but are not searched.
  7. Know how it ranks. When Ollama is your chat provider and it can embed your question, results are ranked by meaning as well as by words. When it cannot, results come from a word match. The page does not tell you which one answered.
  8. On the first search after you open the app, or after a note changes, wait a few seconds. The page may show "Building the search index. The first search can take a few seconds."

How to tell it worked

A word you know is in one of your notes brings that note up in the list, and choosing the row opens it.

If it does not work

The list says "No note matches" and the word is in a note.
Check the note is not in the sources, agents or agent-inbox folders, which are never searched. Try a whole word or two words from the note.
A box reading "The search could not run" appears.
The message under it is the engine’s own. Quote it in a bug report. If the engine banner is showing, see the guide on the engine not running.
Results seem to match words only, with no sense of meaning.
Meaning-based ranking needs Ollama as the chat provider and its embedding model answering. Without it you get a word match, which is still correct. See the guide on the paused semantic search notice and the guide on connecting Ollama.
A fresh note does not show up.
Wait a few seconds and search again. The search index rebuilds when a note changes.