# Search

**Flexible Intake** provides a user-friendly, easy to use web interface for searching alongside a full API for Query DSL (Domain Specific Language) based on JSON to define queries, that supports the [ElasticSearch syntax](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl.html) to search for items.

This guide is just an introduction to the platform's capabilities for you to get familiar with them.

Here you can find:

* How to search using the Management Interface
* How to do basic search using the API.

## Search using the Management Interface

1. Sign in to the platform's Management Interface and go to Content Search:

![](/files/-MgzKxMCvtrDtWbFtrPA)

1. You can introduce your search query:

![](/files/-MgzKxMDczxTNXDQwlZI)

(1) Select here if you want to search in the items that are inside the containers or if you want to search by the container's metadata.

(2) Introduce your query here. It could be simply a word or it could be a metadata-based query if you start typing any metadata field:

![](/files/-MgzKxMEvbt6kfra6F3Y)

(3) Or you can make an advanced query selecting the {;} symbol:

![](/files/-MgzKxMFCiMTLmirRONt)

(4) With this option you can restrict the types of data that the platform is going to search in:

![](/files/-MgzKxMGNIGWpZHmiU73)

* **Metadata:** For searching in the item metadata
* **File content:** For searching in the item content (full text in a PDF for instance), for the indexed documents
* **Embedded metadata:** For searching in the item's embedded metadata (EXIF metadata for images, headers for PDF files, etc.)
* **File name and path:** For searching based on the item name.

(5) For restricting your search to a particular archive node or group of containers.

(6) For filtering based on content tags.

(7) For filtering by file format (if the content is characterized).

And (8), (9) and (10) to browse your results.

## Search using the API

{% hint style="info" %}
API examples here are just illustrative. Check the [API documentation](/libsafe-flexible-intake/developers-guide/using-the-api.md) for additional information and all available methods.
{% endhint %}

1. Sign in to the platform's Management Interface
2. Obtain your API key selecting your name, then **Access Methods** and then follow one of the following methods:

### Search by container

To get a list of every item in the container with all properties use this method:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Curl" %}

```bash
curl --re quest POST \
  --url "$your_platform_url/api/file/elastic" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --header "authorization: Bearer $your_platform_api_key" \
  --data '{
    "must": [
        {
            "term": {
                "container_id": 3
            }
        }
    ]
}'
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

{% hint style="info" %}
Use:

* **url**: Your platform address
* **header**: Your API Token (add Bearer prefix)
* **container\_id**: The id of the container to list. 
  {% endhint %}

You can also request the file list of more than one data container with a single query:

```bash
curl --request POST \
  --url "$your_platform_url/api/file/elastic" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --header "authorization: Bearer $your_platform_api_key" \
  --data '{
    "must": [
        {
            "terms": {
                "container_id": [
                    1,
                    2
                ]
            }
        }
    ]
}'
```

### File name search

{% hint style="warning" %}
When users are uploading a file to the platform, search results may not show the new file for a while. Consider this in your code when you are uploading and immediately after the upload you need to search for the uploaded file.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
This section is just an introduction. Many operators and properties are available for search. Make sure you read [Advanced API file search](/libsafe-flexible-intake/developers-guide/using-the-api.md).
{% endhint %}

To get a list of every item in the container with all properties, use this method:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Curl" %}

```bash
curl --request GET  --url "$your_platform_url/api/file" \
       --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
       --header "authorization: Bearer $your_platform_api_key" \
       --data '{
          "conditions": [
              {
                  "container_id": 185
              }
                        ],
          "limit": 100,
          "offset": 0
      }'
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

Or if you are looking for all files in container 185, with a size larger than 702 bytes and characterized as a PDF 1.5 (PRONOM fmt/19), you can use:

```
curl --request GET  --url "$your_platform_url/api/file" \
       --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
       --header "authorization: Bearer $your_platform_api_key" \
       --data '{
          "conditions": [
              {
                  "container_id": 185
              },
              {
                  "size": {
                      "operator": "gt",
                      "value": 702
                  }
              },
              {
                  "type": "FILE"
              },
              {
                  "format": "fmt\/19"
              }
          ],
          "limit": 100,
          "offset": 0
      }'
```

### Metadata search

{% hint style="warning" %}
When users are updating metadata for an object, search results may not show the updated element for a while. Consider this in your code when you are updating the metadata and immediately after the edit you need to search for it.
{% endhint %}

It is possible to search for any of the metadata associated to your items (item metadata, item embedded metadata -if available-, file hash, etc.). It is also possible to create complex queries combining multiple query types into one, and to use wildcards:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Bash" %}

```bash
curl --request POST \
  --url "$your_platform_url/api/file/elastic" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --header "authorization: Bearer $your_platform_api_key" \
  --data '{
    "must": [
        {
            "nested": {
                "path": "metadata",
                "query": {
                    "simple_query_string": {
                        "analyze_wildcard": true,
                        "fields": [
                            "metadata.author"
                        ],
                        "query": "albert*",
                        "default_operator": "and"
                    }
                }
            }
        }
    ]
}'
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.libnova.com/libsafe-flexible-intake/get-started/search.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.