Skip to Content
Welcome to the new DatumOS documentation!
DocumentationFeaturesAI ChatSearch

Search Your Connected Systems

The Search tool allows DatumOS to query all your connected data sources—Autodesk Construction Cloud, Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, and uploaded files—to find relevant project information.

How It Works

When you ask about project data, DatumOS automatically searches your connected systems:

  1. Your question is analyzed to understand what you’re looking for
  2. Relevant data sources are queried
  3. Results are filtered and ranked by relevance
  4. The AI synthesizes information into a helpful response
Tip

Search happens automatically when your question involves project data. You don’t need to enable or trigger it manually.

Autodesk Construction Cloud

  • Projects & Folders - Navigate your project structure
  • Documents - Specifications, drawings, contracts
  • BIM Models - Query 3D model data using the AEC Data Model
  • RFIs - Requests for Information with status tracking
  • Submittals - Submittal packages and approval status
  • Issues - Project issues and resolutions

Microsoft 365

  • SharePoint - Project document libraries
  • OneDrive - Personal and shared files
  • Teams - Conversation history (coming soon)

Google Workspace

  • Google Drive - All folders and files
  • Docs, Sheets, Slides - Document content
  • Shared Drives - Team-wide file access

Uploaded Files

  • PDFs, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets
  • Images with OCR text extraction
  • CAD files and technical drawings

Example Queries

Finding Documents

Show me drawings from the structural folder
Find specifications related to mechanical systems
Search for documents about fire protection in the Civic Center project

RFIs and Submittals

What RFIs are pending approval from the structural engineer?
List all pending electrical panel schedule submittals
Show me open RFIs for the Oakland Office Building

Project Information

What's the status of the Civic Center project?
Find all issues related to the curtain wall
Show me change orders from last month

Analysis

Summarize the key issues in recent RFI responses
Compare submittal revisions and highlight material changes
What are the most common causes of delays?

By Project

Mention the project name to focus results:

In the Civic Center project, what are the outstanding submittals?
Find RFIs for the Oakland Office Building project

By Type

Specify what you’re looking for:

Search for RFIs about concrete
Find submittal packages for HVAC equipment
Show me specification documents for Division 09

By Date

Include time constraints:

Show me change orders from last month
What RFIs were submitted this week?
Find documents modified in the last 30 days

By Status

Filter by workflow status:

List all open RFIs
Show pending submittals awaiting approval
Find closed issues from the last quarter

Cross-Source Intelligence

DatumOS can correlate information across multiple sources:

Compare the ACC project schedule with the budget spreadsheet in SharePoint
Find all documents related to RFI #234 across all systems
Show me relevant specifications and submittals for the HVAC system
Pro Tip

The AI remembers context within a conversation. After searching for RFIs, you can ask “Which ones are still open?” and it will understand you’re referring to the RFIs.

Search Best Practices

Be Specific

❌ Too vague: “Find documents” ✅ Specific: “Find approved submittals for HVAC equipment from the last 30 days”

Include Context

❌ No context: “What’s the status?” ✅ With context: “What’s the status of RFI #0234 regarding the fire alarm system?”

Use Project Names

❌ Generic: “Find specifications” ✅ Project-scoped: “Find specifications for the Oakland Office Building project”

Performance

  • Search results - Returned within 500ms (95th percentile)
  • Embedded data - Updated based on sync schedule (typically hourly)
  • Connected sources - Real-time access to latest data

Troubleshooting

No results found

  1. Check that your data sources are connected ( Settings > Connectors)
  2. Verify you have permissions in the source system
  3. Try broader search terms
  4. Ensure data has been synced (may take up to 1 hour for new content)

Results from wrong project

  1. Explicitly include the project name in your query
  2. Try “In [Project Name], find…”
  3. Check your default project setting in Settings

Missing expected documents

  1. Verify the document exists in the source system
  2. Check your permissions in ACC/SharePoint/Drive
  3. Wait for sync if recently added (up to 1 hour)
  4. Try different search terms

Next Steps

Web SearchSearch the internet for codes, standards, and current informationAI Chat OverviewLearn all the ways to interact with your project data
Web SearchAI Models