Applies To:

• Users
• Learning Managers
• Content Managers

Common Causes/Issues:

• You would like to learn how you can optimize your Pinnacle Series search results.
• You would like guidance on how to find the most relevant learning content.
• You would like to learn how the Pinnacle search engine works.

Solution Overview:

• How Search Works
  • There are a number of factors that influence the quality and quantity of your Pinnacle Series search results.
    • Item Names, all descriptive text, and keywords are all part of what is searched.
    • Results are only returned for items that appear in folders you can see. (Folder visibility settings are configured in the Manage Content interface - for assistance on your visibility settings reach out to your Pinnacle Series administrator).
    • Search filters are used to limit the areas in which results are returned.
      • Use the search filter panel to select the resources you wish to search for and to limit the results to certain products/versions.
        
        

Tactical Rundown:

• Pinnacle Series utilizes the Microsoft Azure search algorithm, and prioritizes search results based on the following weighted components:
  
  
  • Name/Title

    • The most important value in helping your users find the content they are looking for is the name or title of the content. Title your content with clear and concise verbiage; this ensures that users can easily find results based on their targeted search. Try keeping your title short, as fewer words are weighted more heavily within the search results.
      
      

    • Tip: If a user is searching "Structure," a simplified title will yield more accurate search results for your content (e.g. "Create a base structure" instead of "This is how to create a base structure when..."). A Wildcard or asterisk (*) can also be incorporated at the end of your search term to return variable results for your root word. Searching "Desc*" will return content values that contain "Desc" as the root word (e.g. "Description," "Descriptive," "Descending," etc.).
      
      

  • Description/Body
    • Search results also return terms or topics that are present within the description or body of content. Documents, for example, that contain a search term frequently within the body of the document will be prioritized closer to the top of the search results.

• • Folder Organization

    • The structure of your Folders within Pinnacle Series also plays a key role in how search results are displayed. Keeping your content in a properly labeled Folder will help retrieve accurate results for your users.
      
      

    • Tip:  Try keeping your content in a folder of the same name (e.g. Content related to "Buildings" should reside in a Folder or Folder Structure of the same name).
      
      

  • Keywords
    • Content such as videos will have a dedicated section for you to input keywords; this allows you to specify products, categories, or key points which will be targeted within a user's search results.
      
      

• The search algorithm uses 'or' logic to search for results using any of the terms you enter.
• Results will be displayed based on the combination of the entered terms.
• Avoid asking questions and entering extra terms such as "how do I?".
  
  

• Use quotation marks around terms to look for an exact match of the terms (word or phrase). This can help locate specific information that may be buried under other content if not sorted out correctly.
  
  

• Finding the best results

  • Once you submit your search, the results are ranked based on the relevancy of your search terms. Use the guidelines below to help identify the "best" or most relevant results.
    • The result list is prioritized based on multiple factors. The higher the item in the list, the higher the likelihood it matches your search.
      
      • If terms appear in the name of any item, they receive a higher priority.
      • Exact matches of phrases of words receive a higher priority.
      • Repetition of terms found within a piece of content influences a higher priority as well.
      • The below example of searching for "Revit family creation" illustrates the prioritization well.
        
        

•  Your search results can be sorted/categorized by using the filter panel on the left-hand side. Filter to your custom library, a specific content type, or a specific version of the related software. Below is an example of a search filter set to the public content library, videos, and Revit 2022.
  
  

• Items near the top of the search result list will be better matches than those lower in the list.
• Search terms appear with a yellow highlight to help you quickly identify the result best suited for your search.
• For learning paths select the + icon to expand to the learning path courses.
  
  

• When you have identified an item you wish to review later, select the share icon and then "Share to My Assets". You can also copy a link, share the item via email or share it to a Pinnacle Series Work Group if you have the right permissions within the platform.
  
  

There will come a time when the search doesn’t return the results you expect. In this instance, keeping it simple may not be the best option. The best method is to start with something simple then gradually get more complicated.

• See the example below:
  • First try: line weights.
  • Second try: line weights Revit.
  • Third try: Working with line weights in Revit.
    
    
• To open an item from your search results, simply select the title.

What if you are not sure what to search for?

• Explore the library by navigating to the library widget (this should be on your home page or learning center unless your organization has opted to hide it).
• Start by exploring the public content library and select the product that you wish to learn about.
• Once you have selected the product you will see the number of learning assets available for this product per learning asset type (workflow, document, learning path, or video).
  
  

• Use the product version links at the top (1) to filter your results based on a specific version.
• Use the filter area at the top (2) to filter the results further.
  
  

• Use the search bar on the right (3) to search the learning assets on this page only.
• Notice the search results for 'generative design' are automatically filtered to the Revit content library only.
  
  

• Select whether you want to explore your organization's custom library or the public content library.
• Select a specific asset type based on your need (workflow, document, learning path, or video).
• To expand the content list for a specific learning asset select the + icon to the left of the learning asset type description (4).
  
  

• Remember to share a specific learning asset to your 'My Assets' area so that you can easily locate it later on.
  
  

Related Article(s): 

Searching for Assets

Tag Course Content in Pinnacle Series 

Assigning Product & Version to Custom Content 

Linking to Pinnacle Series Content

Still Need Help? 

Log a support ticket