Search by Context Instead of Just Keywords

Your intent matters more than your exact words.

For example, if you cut a word from a sentence and it has spaces around it, the system will also cut the spaces.

When search knows context, it can surface the right "settings" even if you type "change my password" or "dark mode." It understands that searching for "John" in your email means something different than searching for "John" in your contacts or calendar. This reduces cognitive load—users don't need to learn exact terminology or navigate to the right section first.

When to Bring This Detail to Your Product

Implement context-aware search when:

• Your product has multiple sections or content types (docs, people, settings, files)
• Users frequently search for the same terms in different contexts
• Your interface has deep navigation that requires multiple clicks to reach common actions
• Users have different roles or permissions that affect what they should see
• Search is a primary navigation method (not just a fallback)

Start by tracking what users search for and where they search from. If you see patterns—like users in the billing section always searching for invoice-related items—that's your signal.

Products Sharing This Detail

• Linear - Searches issues, but prioritizes results from your current project/view. Searching "API" while viewing the Backend project surfaces backend API issues first.
• Notion - Search results adapt based on your current page. Looking for "meeting notes" from inside a specific workspace prioritizes that workspace's pages.
• Raycast - The command palette learns from your usage patterns and location. Frequently used commands in certain apps bubble up when you're in those contexts.
• Slack - Search knows whether you're in a channel, DM, or thread, and weights results accordingly. Searching from a channel emphasizes that channel's history.
• macOS Spotlight - Learns from your behavior—if you always open Figma after searching "fig", it prioritizes the app over files with "fig" in the name.