--- title: Smart Search description: Learn how Zello AI Message Search lets you ask questions in plain language and get instant answers from your network's Message Vault. --- [Skip to content](https://support.zello.com/zw/ai-message-search-for-message-vault#main-content) English Show submenu for translations [More support](https://support.zello.com/zw/kb-tickets/new?hsLang=en) [![wordmark@2x](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2024%20Trial%20series/wordmark@2x.png?width=92&height=16&name=wordmark@2x.png)](https://zello.com/) Open main navigation Close main navigation - English Show submenu for translations - [More support](https://support.zello.com/zw/kb-tickets/new) - [Contact us](https://zello.com/contact/new-ticket/) [Contact us](https://zello.com/contact/new-ticket/) Hello. How can we help you? - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [Zello Work](https://support.zello.com/zw?hsLang=en) 2. [Using Zello](https://support.zello.com/zw/using-zello?hsLang=en) 3. [Features](https://support.zello.com/zw/using-zello?hsLang=en#features) August 31, 2026 # Smart Search This article is written for: ✅ Zello Work  ❌ Zello Friends & Family. Smart Search, formerly AI Message Search, is currently in beta. If you're a Zello Work Plus-tier customer and want to test it out, contact us at paidsupport@zello.com. Message Vault stores a complete record of your network's communications, but finding specific information in it traditionally means filtering by date, sender, or channel. Smart Search changes that: ask a question in your own words and get a direct answer back, with the supporting messages shown alongside it. Ask *"How many safety issues were reported this week?"* or *"Who has been most active on the operations channel?"* and you'll get an answer in seconds. This makes it much easier to track incidents, investigate issues, spot trends, or check in on team activity. This article covers how to set up Smart Search, how to use it, example questions you can ask, and answers to common questions about how it works. ### **Enabling Smart Search** Smart Search is enabled on a per-network basis by Zello. You'll also need to have: - [Message Vault](https://support.zello.com/zw/zello-work-message-vault?hsLang=en) enabled on your network - [Transcriptions](https://support.zello.com/zw/transcriptions?hsLang=en) enabled (required to search voice messages) Admins and users with Message Vault access will see the AI search box appear in Message Vault once the feature is turned on. Users without Message Vault access will not see it. *With Smart Search enabled ![With AI Message Search](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/With%20AI%20Message%20Search.png?width=670&height=124&name=With%20AI%20Message%20Search.png)* *Without Smart Search enabled ![Without AI Message Search](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Without%20AI%20Message%20Search.png?width=670&height=70&name=Without%20AI%20Message%20Search.png)* ### **How to use Smart Search** Once Smart Search is enabled for your network, follow these steps to use it: 1. Log in to your network at \[yournetworkname\].zellowork.com. 2. Select **Message Vault**. ![](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-May-05-2026-06-40-59-4857-PM.png?width=250&height=677&name=undefined-May-05-2026-06-40-59-4857-PM.png) 3. Type your question into the search box and press Enter. ![](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-May-05-2026-06-40-59-7850-PM.png?width=670&height=267&name=undefined-May-05-2026-06-40-59-7850-PM.png) 4. Review the answer and the supporting messages cited below it. ![](https://support.zello.com/hs-fs/hubfs/undefined-May-05-2026-06-41-00-3654-PM.png?width=670&height=186&name=undefined-May-05-2026-06-41-00-3654-PM.png) Answers typically take 3 to 15 seconds. New messages become searchable about 10 seconds after they're recorded. ### **Example prompts** Smart Search can handle a wide range of questions, from specific topics to general activity on your network. Here are a few examples to give you a sense of what you can ask: - *"What safety issues came up this week?"* - *"Which channels have had the most activity in the last 30 days?"* - *"Has anyone reported problems with the POS system recently?"* - *"Who has been most active on the operations channel this month?"* - *"How many voice messages were sent yesterday?"* By default, answers draw from the last 30 days of messages. To search a different period, include a time frame in your question (e.g., *"last week"*, *"in March"*). ### **Frequently asked questions** **What types of messages does it search?** Voice messages (through their transcriptions), text messages, alerts, and location data. Images are not searchable in this release. Voice messages in 1:1 conversations are not searchable either, because transcriptions aren't generated for them. **How far back can it search?** Smart Search covers the last 30 days of messages from before it was enabled on your network, plus every message recorded after that. The sooner you turn it on, the more history you'll have available to search later. **Who can use Smart Search?** Access is limited to network admins and users who have been granted Message Vault access. Users without Message Vault access won't see the AI search box. **Is it available on trial networks?** Yes. Smart Search is turned on automatically for trial networks so prospective customers can try it out. **Is it compatible with different Message Vault retention periods?** Yes. Smart Search works with all Message Vault retention periods, from 30 days up to 2 years. **How many supporting messages does it show?** Each answer shows up to 25 supporting messages, even if more were used to generate the response. **Does it work in languages other than English?** Yes. Smart Search works in multiple languages for both your questions and the answers. **Does it work with Anonymized Message Vault?** Yes. 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