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Search in Libraries

Learn how to get the most out of the search experience in Libraries

Updated over 2 weeks ago

Table of contents

  1. Overview

  2. How keyword search works

  3. How to use advanced search commands

  4. How faceted search works

  5. Tips to improve your results

  6. Search ranking explained

1. Overview

When you're trying to find the right asset fast, the search function in Libraries is your go-to tool. You can search using keywords or use filters to narrow things down. In both cases, the quality of your asset metadata plays a major role in how useful the search results will be.

Tip: Use clear, consistent metadata and tags for all assets. It’s the easiest way to improve search results for everyone.

2. How keyword search works

When you type in a search term, Frontify scans across asset metadata and ranks the results based on relevance. The more closely the asset metadata matches your query, the higher it ranks.

Here’s what happens when you search:

  1. Your keyword is compared against asset names first.

  2. Then, Frontify checks the asset description.

  3. Finally, it looks at tags, legal metadata, and custom metadata.

You can also use some basic commands to be more specific about what you’re looking for. Keep reading for more details.

Note: For date properties in custom metadata, use the yyyy-mm-dd format (e.g., 2025-04-01).

3. How to use advanced search commands

To narrow or refine your search results, try the following tools:

Exact match

Put your search in quotes to find an exact match across any metadata field.

  • "Princess Peach" → Only results with that full phrase

  • "Men" in tights → Excludes results with "women"

You can also click the Exact match toggle in the search bar (available in Libraries UI).

Boolean operators

Use AND, OR, and NOT to build complex queries and narrow down which asset you're looking for.

Boolean operators are:

  • AND - assets with both keywords

  • OR - assets with either or both keywords

  • NOT - assets with the first keyword, but without the second keyword

Here are some examples of how to use them:

  • "Bluetooth" AND "Speaker"

  • "Noise Cancelling" NOT "Over-Ear"

  • ("Sony" OR "Bose") AND "Smart Speaker"

Use parentheses for logic

Group parts of your search to combine logic:

("Bluetooth" OR "Wireless" OR "Portable") AND ("Speaker" OR "Soundbar") AND NOT "Discontinued"

Cross-field search

Frontify finds assets where different parts of your search appear in different metadata fields. For example:

  • Searching for Bluetooth Speaker can find an asset with “Speaker” in the title and “Bluetooth” in the description or anywhere else in the metadata.
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4. How faceted search works

Faceted Search lets you filter results using metadata. You can apply filters like:

  • Tags (e.g., logo, campaign, social)

  • File type

  • Custom metadata fields

  • Orientation

It’s perfect when you want to refine a broader search or explore a specific asset group.

Tip: Use consistent tags across your assets so filters work more effectively.

To learn more, read the Faceted Search article.

5. Tips to improve your results

  • Use specific keywords: The more precise, the better.

  • Try exact match: Use quotes when you know the exact phrase.

  • Refine with filters: Combine keyword search with Faceted Search.

  • Check suggested tags: If enabled, review and adjust them to ensure they reflect the asset content.
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6. Search ranking explained

Search results are ranked in this order:

  1. Asset title and OCR data

  2. Asset description

  3. Tags, legal metadata, and custom metadata

  4. User value (e.g., how often an asset is used or viewed)
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Tip: Make sure your most important keywords are in the title or description to increase visibility.

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