Using Search Tools: Filters, Sorting, and History

The new Workvivo Search experience gives you powerful tools to find what you need faster - and to easily return to the things you search for most often. This article explains how to use filters, sorting, search history, and pinned searches to make your searches smarter and more efficient.

Why These Tools Matter

The new unified search is designed to save time and reduce friction. Whether you’re looking for a document, a colleague, or a recent update, these tools help you:

• Narrow results to exactly what you need
• Control how results are ordered
• Quickly re-run frequent or recent searches
• Keep your most important searches at your fingertips

Sorting Your Results

You can now choose how your search results are ordered. There are two sorting modes available:

1. Most Relevant (Default)
   This is the standard mode that uses Workvivo’s ranking algorithm to show the most useful results first. It considers: 
   • Field importance - Matches in titles or names are weighted higher than body text
   • Freshness - Newer content is boosted
   • Content type priority - Key content types like Pages and Articles rank higher than comments or updates
      
2. Most Recent
   If you want to see the newest content first, switch to Most Recent. Workvivo sorts results by:
   • Updated date (most recent changes)
   • Published date
   • Created date

This is ideal when you’re looking for the latest version of a document or a recently updated policy.

Note: Sorting currently applies to Workvivo content only. Connector results (e.g., SharePoint, Google Drive) will support sorting in a future update. 

Using Filters to Refine Results

Filters make it easy to focus on the right type of content without scrolling through everything that matches your keyword.

Content Type Filters

After you search, you’ll see filters for different content types such as:

• Documents
• Articles
• Pages
• Events
• People
• Updates
• Comments
• Spaces & Teams

Selecting a filter instantly narrows your results to that category. For example, if you’re searching for “Expense Policy,” filtering to Documents will show only files, not posts or comments.

Attachment Type Filters

When filtering to Attachments, you can refine further by file type (PDF, Word, Excel, etc.), helping you find the right format quickly.

Context Filters

You can also filter by Space or Team. Selecting multiple Spaces or Teams uses “or” logic - meaning results from any of the selected areas will appear.

Tip: Filters are always visible alongside results, even when connectors are enabled, so you can easily adjust them as you search.

Search History

Workvivo automatically saves your recent searches so you can quickly re-run them without having to retype.

What You’ll See

• Your last 8 search queries appear when you open the search bar
• Tap or click a previous query to instantly run it again
• Your history is personal and persists across devices, so you can pick up where you left off on mobile or desktop

This is especially useful for repeat workflows - like checking policies, forms, or team pages you access regularly.

Pinned Searches

If you often search for the same thing, you can pin it to the top of your search overlay.

How It Works:

• After running a search, select Pin to save it
• Pinned searches (with pin icon) appear above your recent history
• You can unpin any search at any time
• Pinned searches are personal and sync across devices

This feature is perfect for quick access to recurring searches like “Time Off Form,” “Expense Policy,” or “Onboarding Checklist.”

Top Tips

• Combine filters and sorting for maximum precision - for example, filter to Documents and sort by Most Recent to find the latest file.
• Keep your pinned searches short and specific for easy scanning.
• Use clear search terms - Workvivo’s fuzzy matching will handle small typos automatically.
• Review your search history regularly to keep it relevant and uncluttered.

Summary