Smart Search to Search Content in Agreement Documents in Lightning
Smart Search is a metadata-driven search tool in Conga CLM that allows users to quickly locate contracts, clauses or related documents based on indexed fields, contract status, contract types and custom metadata. It supports advanced filtering, saved search queries, and dynamic search panels making it easier to find relevant content without needing to scroll through contract records manually.
The Smart Search feature allows you to search for information without the need to understand the working of CLM. This feature allows you to find information of any record regardless of where the information is stored. Smart Search supports natural language search. This means you can search for information in CLM using everyday language. The search returns a list of agreement documents that match all your search queries.
You can use Smart Search in Microsoft Teams, Slack, or Webchat similar to a chatbot. You can also configure a quick search box on the Home page to initiate your search on the Home page. For more information, see Setting Up Quick Search on the Home Page.
The Smart Search feature allows you to:
- Search information using keywords, queries, semantic, and natural language.
- Configure the fields that you can see on the search grid.
- View the content snippet that contains the search query.
- Preview the document.
- Open the document in PDF viewer.
- Download the document.
- Email the search results.
- Apply filters and conditions to narrow down the search results.
- Use search operators (AND, OR).
- Save, edit, and delete search queries and make them private or available to the other users in your org.
You can perform the following types of search:
|
Search Type |
Description |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Keywords |
Search with objects within the scope |
|
|
Search operators |
Search with search operators (AND, OR). You can specify a main object as well as a related object. |
|
|
Search operator + Keyword |
Search with search operators and keywords |
Agreement Start Date greater than “1/1/2021” AND Agreement End Date less than “31/1/2021” + Keyword “Force Majeure” |
|
Context-Driven or scope |
Narrow down query scope with specific inputs |
Agreement Start Date greater than “1/1/2021” AND Record Type = MSA AND (Account Type equals “Customer” OR Account Industry equals “Manufacturing” |
|
Natural language |
Search in everyday language using a main object |
|
|
Natural language with nested |
Search in everyday language using a main object and related object |
Pull up the service clauses for agreements over $20k |
|
Natural language with nested and Keywords |
Search in everyday language using a main object, related object, documents, and clause text |
Find all agreements over 100K which have a Force Majeure mentioned in them. |
|
Natural language with nested, keywords, and boolean expressions |
Search in everyday language using a main object, related object, documents, and clause text along with boolean expressions |
|
|
Natural language nested, keywords, and synonyms |
Search in everyday language using a main object, related object, documents, and clause text along with synonyms |
|
|
Natural language nested, keywords, synonyms, and boolean expressions |
Search in everyday language using a main object, related object, documents, and clause text along with synonyms and boolean expressions |
Pull up agreements over 100K which contain an Act of God but not Indemnification |
|
Natural language nested, keywords, synonyms, boolean expressions, and scope |
Search in everyday language using a main object, related object, documents, and clause text along with Boolean Expressions and scope |
Find all agreements of type MSA over 100K which mentions both Act of God and Limitation of Liability |
|
Basic semantic |
Search with keywords along with context |
Pull up top three agreements from last year |
Smart Search can save hours of manual searching and significantly improve compliance and speed but only if metadata hygiene is maintained and search panels are tailored for end-user needs. The accuracy and consistency are limited if the document database is large.
Limitations
- Email and export options do not work when you search using search operators.
- You cannot click the remove icon (
) for the queries displayed below the search bar.
- If your agreements are not tagged properly, search results are limited or inaccurate.
- While some full-text capabilities exist, it does not function like Google Search for inside-PDF content.
- Newly uploaded agreements or edits may take a few minutes to appear in search.
- Supports Word and PDF formats only.
- The files must be attached to the Agreement object. They should be under the following:
- Some fields may require exact matches or be sensitive to formatting depending on configuration.
- Smart Search does not read image-based PDFs unless OCR is done via another tool first.
- Smart Search uses the Salesforce API, which restricts search results to a maximum of 2000 records per query. If your org has a large contract repository, this limit can affect visibility unless further filtering is applied. For more information, see SOSL Limits on Search Results and SOQL and SOSL Limits for Search Queries.
- Since Smart Search does not index the full body of documents like a full-text search engine, searches are only as accurate as the fields used and how well they are maintained. For example, a missing clause type tag will prevent that contract from appearing in a clause search.
Best Use Cases
- Quickly finding contracts by status, date, party name, or type
- Locating contracts that contain specific clauses or terms
- Tracking renewals or expirations within a time window
- Reviewing contract obligations or risk indicators
- Enabling legal and procurement teams to audit content efficiently
Best Practices for Using Smart Search
| Practice | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Use saved filters | Create saved searches for common queries (for example, "All contracts expiring in 90 days"). |
| Tag contracts consistently | Ensure fields like region, type, party, and status are consistently filled to enable meaningful filters. |
| Train teams on metadata usage | A search is only as strong as your metadata. Make sure users understand what fields to update. |
| Limit access based on roles | Use profile permissions to restrict sensitive search results by user role. |
| Leverage search panels | Customize panels for legal, sales, or procurement teams to suit their workflows. |
| Export and email results | Export results to CSV, XLS, PDF files, with the option to email the file. |
To search content in agreement documents
Ensure that you have generated the registration setting to use the smart search feature. For more information, see Generating Registration Setting.
To apply filters to search results
To save a search query
To use a saved search
-
Click the
icon to view the saved searches.
- Select a saved search.The search results are displayed.
To edit a saved search
To delete a saved search
To use smart search as a chatbot
Prerequisite: To configure smart search in MS Teams, Slack, or Webchat, write to SmartSearch-Onboarding@conga.com . You will receive a configuration link email from the Conga Support team.
