Overview
The File Search block searches the files uploaded to your workspace and returns an AI-generated answer grounded in that content. Use it to answer questions from internal documents, pull facts from PDFs, or feed source-backed context into later steps. Every answer includes citations to the files it came from.Configuration
Search Query (Required)
The question or topic to search for in your files. Example:{{step_1.output}}
Max Number of Results
Maximum number of file matches to consider when building the answer. Default: 5 Range: 1–100Context Chunk Radius
Expands page-level fallback context by including this many chunks before and after each match. Default: 0 Range: 0–10 Block-aware results are returned directly when available; this setting only affects page-level fallback.Folder (Optional)
Restrict the search to a specific folder in your file drive. Leave empty to search across all files you can access.Filters (Optional)
Add rules to narrow which files are searched. When you add more than one rule, choose And or Or to combine them. Filter fields:Distinct files only
Return at most one result per file instead of multiple hits from the same document. Default: OnOutput Format
Choose how the result is returned. Default: Plain TextError Handling
Define what happens if the block fails. Options:- Terminate Workflow: Stop execution immediately.
- Continue Execution: Proceed to the next step despite the error.
Output Data
Plain Text format
Returns a single text string: the grounded answer, followed by aReferences: list and Supporting excerpts: when available.
Accessing the answer: {{step_1.output}}
Structured (JSON) format
answer
The grounded answer to the query. Example:"Customers may return items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund."
query
The query that was searched.citations
An array of citation objects referencing the files used.hits
An array of supporting matches, each with file name, content excerpt, and score. Accessing fields:{{step_1.output.answer}}, {{step_1.output.citations[0]}}
Sample Output
Structured (JSON) format:Best Practices
- Write the query as a clear question for the most accurate grounded answer.
- Use a folder or filters to scope large workspaces and improve relevance.
- Choose Structured (JSON) when later steps need the citations or hits separately.
- Choose Plain Text when feeding the answer directly into an LLM or document.
- Keep “Distinct files only” on to avoid duplicate hits from one document.
Common Use Cases
What’s Next
- Generate content from the answer with the LLM Block
- Route results for approval with the Human Review Block
- Save answers to Google Sheets
- Learn about Variable Referencing