Search Guide

GovScout's search engine is designed to understand what you are looking for, not just match keywords. This guide explains how the search works and how to get the best results.

How Natural Language Search Works

Traditional contract search tools require you to construct queries using exact keywords, NAICS codes, and Boolean operators. If the contracting officer used different terminology than your search terms, you miss the opportunity.

GovScout uses semantic search powered by AI embeddings. When you type a search query, the system:

1. Analyzes the meaning of your query, not just the individual words
2. Compares it semantically against all active contract opportunity descriptions
3. Ranks results by how closely the opportunity's scope of work matches your query's intent
4. Applies filters for set-aside type, agency, NAICS code, and other structured criteria

This means a search for "cloud migration services" will also find opportunities described as "cloud infrastructure modernization," "data center consolidation to cloud," or "IT environment migration to AWS."

Writing Effective Search Queries

The more specific your query, the better your results. Here are examples ranging from basic to advanced:

Basic (broad results):

"IT services"

Better (more focused):

"managed IT services for federal civilian agencies"

Best (specific and detailed):

"managed IT services including help desk support, network monitoring, and patch management for civilian agencies with FedRAMP requirements"

Tips for Better Queries

• Include the type of work -- "cybersecurity assessment" is better than just "cybersecurity"
• Mention your target agencies -- "Department of Veterans Affairs" or "DoD" helps narrow results
• Reference specific technologies -- "AWS GovCloud," "ServiceNow," "Splunk" help match technical requirements
• Describe the scope -- "enterprise-level" vs. "small office" signals the contract size you are targeting

Using Filters

After running a search, you can refine results using filters:

• Set-Aside Type -- Filter by small business, 8(a), HUBZone, SDVOSB, WOSB, or unrestricted
• NAICS Code -- Narrow to specific industry codes
• Agency -- Focus on particular departments or agencies
• Posted Date -- Show only recently posted opportunities
• Response Deadline -- Filter out opportunities with deadlines that are too soon
• Contract Type -- Filter by firm-fixed-price, time-and-materials, cost-reimbursement, etc.

Filters work in combination with your natural language query to give you precise, relevant results.

Saved Searches

When you find a search query and filter combination that works well, save it for reuse:

1. Run your search and apply any desired filters
2. Click Save Search and give it a descriptive name
3. Toggle Recurring to automatically re-run the search daily
4. Configure notification preferences for new matches

Saved searches appear on your dashboard for quick access. Recurring saved searches will automatically notify you when new opportunities matching your criteria are posted on SAM.gov.

Searching via Chat

You can also search for opportunities using the AI chat assistant. Click the chat bubble on your dashboard and type a query like:

"Search for cloud migration contracts for civilian agencies"

The assistant performs the same natural language search and displays results as structured cards in the conversation. From there, you can ask it to score results, save them to your pipeline, or check deadlines -- all without leaving the chat.

Search Limits by Tier

Upgrade your plan to unlock more search capacity and features.