AI Search Mode

Overview

With the AI search mode feature (RAG chat) in Fess, you can look for information through natural conversation, in addition to traditional keyword search. When you enter a question, the AI assistant searches for relevant documents and generates an easy-to-understand answer based on their content.

Note

AI search mode is disabled by default. To use it, a system administrator must enable the feature and configure an LLM (Large Language Model) provider. For configuration instructions, see AI Mode Configuration and AI Search (RAG) and LLM Integration Overview.

Features of AI Search Mode

Context-Aware Answers

The AI assistant analyzes the intent of your question, searches for relevant documents, and extracts the necessary information from multiple search results to provide an organized answer.

Clearly Cited Sources

At the bottom of an answer, the documents that the answer was based on are listed as “Sources”. Each source is a numbered link, and clicking it lets you view the original document directly. The answer body may also include citation numbers such as [1] and [2], which correspond to the numbers in the sources list.

Multi-Turn Conversations

You are not limited to a single question; you can keep the conversation going. The AI assistant answers additional questions while taking the context of previous questions and answers into account.

Tips for Effective Questions

Be Specific

Specific questions get more appropriate answers than vague ones.

Vague Question Specific Question
How do I configure this? How do I change the memory settings in Fess?
I’m getting an error I get an “index not found” error when searching
About crawling How do I configure exclusions when crawling a website?

Include Background Information

Including your situation and purpose leads to more appropriate answers.

Good examples:

  • “I’m running Fess in a Docker environment. I want to change where the logs are stored — how do I do that?”

  • “This is my first time using Fess. What should I do first?”

Ask Questions Step by Step

Complex issues are easier to understand when you ask about them step by step.

  1. “Can Fess crawl file shares?”

  2. “How do I connect using the SMB protocol?”

  3. “What should I do for shared folders that require authentication?”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: AI Search Mode Doesn’t Appear

A: AI search mode may not be enabled. The “AI Search” link is displayed only when the feature is enabled (rag.chat.enabled=true) and an LLM provider (such as OpenAI, Gemini, or Ollama) is configured and available. Ask your system administrator to check whether AI search mode is enabled and whether the LLM provider is configured correctly (see AI Mode Configuration for details).

Q: It Takes a Long Time for the Answer to Appear

A: Since the AI analyzes your question, searches for and evaluates documents, and then generates an answer, this can take anywhere from a few seconds to over ten seconds. While processing, the current phase is displayed (“Thinking…”, “Searching…”, “Reviewing search results…”, “Retrieving documents…”, “Generating answer…”).

Q: The Sources Seem to Be Incorrect

A: Click the source links to check the original documents. The AI generates answers based on search results, but its interpretation may occasionally be incorrect. We recommend always verifying important information against the original documents.

Q: It Seems to Have Forgotten the Previous Conversation

A: The conversation session may have timed out. If there is no activity for a certain period (30 minutes by default), the conversation history is cleared. In addition, since the conversation history is temporarily kept in the server’s memory, it is also lost if the server restarts. If this happens, please start a new conversation.

Note

The “session” mentioned here refers to the AI search mode’s conversation session, which is separate from your Fess login session.

Q: I Can’t Get an Answer to a Specific Question

A: The following are possible causes:

  • There is no relevant information in the documents being searched

  • The question is too vague for the search to work properly

  • A rate limit has been reached (the maximum number of requests per minute, or the maximum number of concurrent requests, has been exceeded)

Try rephrasing your question, or wait a while and try again.

Q: Is There a Limit on the Number of Characters I Can Enter?

A: You can enter up to 4000 characters per question. A character counter is displayed below the text box, and it switches to a warning display as you approach the limit. If your question is long, shorten it by focusing on the key points.

Q: Can I Ask Questions in Languages Other Than English?

A: Yes, in most cases you can also ask questions in other languages. Based on your browser’s or the screen’s display language, the AI tries to respond in the same language whenever possible. However, this is a best-effort behavior, and in some cases the response may not be in the language you intended.

Notes

About AI Responses

  • AI responses are generated based on search results

  • The accuracy of responses is not guaranteed

  • For important decisions, always check the original documents (sources)

  • For the latest information, refer to the official documentation

About Privacy

  • The questions you enter are used for search and for AI processing by the configured LLM provider

  • If the system is configured to use an external LLM service (such as OpenAI or Gemini), the content of your questions and the search results are sent to that service. If you want processing to stay entirely in-house, ask your administrator about using a locally running provider (such as Ollama)

  • Conversation history is temporarily kept in the server’s memory and is deleted when the session times out, when you click “New Chat”, or when the server restarts

  • As with regular search, role (permission) and label-based access control applies, so documents you are not permitted to view are not used as a basis for answers

  • Depending on the system configuration, logs may be recorded

References