Search FAQs

Can you run keyword searches in Onna?

Yes, not only can you run keyword searches across the content of the document but you can also run searches across specific metadata fields or all (45+) text fields.

Can you filter searches by date?

Yes, you are able to filter and search by date. There are 11 date metadata fields. Learn more in the “Search Operators in Onna” article.

Can you search by author, creator, or updated by?

Yes, if those are fields contained in the original documents. Learn more in the “Onna Export Metadata Fields” article.

Can you extract search results and related information including images and attachments?

Yes, not only does Onna process and index the content from the application that is being connected but also any images and attachments found within. These are processed and indexed separately in their native format. Full metadata extractions will also be processed for attachments and images.

Can you extract the content of links, instead of keeping them as live links?

In addition to extracting Google Drive documents sent in Gmail, Onna can extract the content of links from Confluence when a Confluence source is added to the platform. For links to external sources i.e. a Confluence link sent in a Slack channel, there is no way currently to extract the content of those links as it would require double authentication.

Using Onna can you search in real-time across the sources that are connected?

If sources are set up as auto-sync then you will be searching in an index that is as real-time as possible. We update connections every 20-30 min depending on what is possible from the API.

Can you search across multiple sources?

Yes, that is the beauty of Onna! Once you get your connections set up, you can search across any source you have access to inside your Onna site.

Will my search results update with the latest documents that have been synced?

Onna will display search results from the point in time when the search was run by the user. If you have syncs currently running, in order to retrieve the latest results, you can rerun the search by clicking the magnifying glass icon in the search bar.

What is the default sort order for search results?

If search operators are not applied, the default sort order will be the date created with the most recent at the top.

If search operators are applied, the default sort order will be the relevance score. The relevance score is Onna’s internal relevance ranking based on the number of times the term(s) occurred and other factors.

Does the search bar query ALL metadata fields when running a search?

Using the search bar you’re able to search across either specific metadata fields or all text fields.

When should I use a basic search instead of an advanced search?

A basic search can be used when simple search operators are sufficient and you do not need to specify meta fields to search on. Basic search allows you to use search modifiers such as OR & AND.

Can I save the selections on filter types on the left-hand side as part of the custom view?

Onna does not save filter selections in the custom view. Custom view saves preferences on columns, including:

• Title

• Owner

• Source

• File creation

Can I save multiple custom views?

No, Onna stores one custom view, but hopes to add multiple views in the future.

Can I view all the saved searches?

You can find all saved searches and searches shared with you in the Search Queries menu. In addition, you can view your saved basic searches by clicking the ellipsis in the basic search bar and selecting Load search query, and you can load saved advanced searches from the Advanced Search page.

Will access to workspaces or sources be shared when sharing a search query?

No, only access to the query will be shared with the user.

Is there a limitation to the number of characters & conditions I can have in a basic search?

Yes, Onna does not permit queries longer than 65536 characters or more than 1000 search conditions.

Can I search Parents and attachments separately in my searches?

By using the “is:attachment” modifier, Onna will allow you to search for attachments, and adding a “NOT is:attachment” will allow you to search parents.

Using advanced search, for specifics cases where you are looking for only the files on a data source and no attachments, the field “parent_uuid” can be used. This unique identifier of a document is available through the API.

How does Onna handle PDFs that are password encrypted? Can the platform be used to OCR and search them?

Onna will collect all files from any of the integrations it provides. When it comes to processing and indexing, Onna is processing everything that doesn't need any further permissions. We are unable to extract information from password-encrypted PDFs but if they are collected they can be exported from the platform.

To extract information from password-encrypted files, Onna will require the user to download the file and then provide the password/encryption key.

Can I combine search operators?

Yes, you can combine search operators. When you do, remember that parentheses, like in math equations, define the order in which the query is processed. For example, stock AND (agreement OR purchase) searches for all data that contains stock AND agreement or stock AND purchase.

What generic file types are supported when using type:?

You can find the complete list of file types we support by expanding the search bar and looking at Type field. Some commonly used types are document, pdf, spreadsheet, email, conversation, or presentation. The other supported types are audio, channel, compressed, database, executable, image, internet, programming, publishing, system, ticket, unprocessed, and vector.

Does Onna support files in other languages?

Yes! Onna processes and indexes files in all languages with scripts in Unicode (UTF-8). These include: Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, Armenian, Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Thaana, Devanagari, Bengali, Gurmukhi, Oriya, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Sinhala, Thai, Lao, Tibetan, Myanmar, Georgian, Hangul, Ethiopic, Cherokee, Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics, Khmer, Mongolian, Han (Japanese, Chinese, Korean ideographs), Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana, and Yi

Below is a sample search for files including these characters いただきます

It is picking up these files across numerous systems. Opening a PDF with these characters, held in Slack Enterprise, looks like this:

Is there a search process for unicode characters?

You are able to search unicode characters using the ‘exact extracted text’ operator.

Does Onna treat filters as an AND or an OR logic?

The Onna filter panel is a powerful tool that you can use to narrow search results and identify specific custodians, conversations, channels, and more.

Onna treats all filters as an "or" logic except for the participants' filter. So, for example, if you want to identify all data that includes an image or document file, you can select both filters.

Onna treats the participants' filter differently because we know that users often need to narrow their results to identify conversations between two or more participants. So the more participants selected in the filters panel, the more narrow your search results will be.

If I tag a document, are tags also applied to its attachments?

No, tags & custom field values do not cascade down to the various children files. You can export custom field values, which will allow you to confirm the value assigned to a resource. Please note that we do not support the ability to export tags from Onna.

What are Slack Conversation IDs?

Every Slack conversation has a Conversation ID, whether it be a public channel, a private channel, or a direct message. If you copy a link to a conversation in Slack, you'll see the Conversation ID within the link. In this example, C042WEMTYLV is the Conversation ID: https://onna-team.slack.com/archives/C042WEMTYLV/p1673471277918959

How can Conversation IDs be used in Onna?

Conversation IDs are a powerful tool used for searching within Onna and are particularly helpful when handling renamed Slack channels. If a user renames a Slack channel, the Conversation ID remains the same, giving you an easy way to identify the channel regardless of the name.

Can I search a workspace for Direct Messages between two users in Slack?

You have two options for searching a workspace for just Direct Messages between two users in Slack.

First, visit the article Advanced Search Queries for Common Scenarios. Here you'll find an advanced search template for DM's for one user. You would add the second user using the AND operator for your case.

Additionally, you can accomplish similar results in Basic Search by using the following query string:

("Personal Messages" AND @<user1> AND @<user2>)

The DM's between the two users will include "Personal Messages" in the conversation's title.