Search Transcripts


GoTranscribe's powerful search feature lets you find any word or phrase across all your transcripts instantly. Whether you're looking for a specific quote, topic, or speaker, search helps you locate exactly what you need.


Getting Started

  1. Click Search in the sidebar navigation
  2. Type your search term in the search box
  3. Results appear automatically as you type (after a brief delay)

Search Features

Full-Text Search

Search across all transcript content. Every word spoken in your recordings is searchable, making it easy to find specific quotes or topics.


Folder Filtering

Narrow your search to specific folders using the Folder dropdown. This is useful when you want to search within a project or category.


Search Subfolders

Enable the Search Subfolders toggle to include all nested folders in your search. This lets you search across your entire library or a folder hierarchy.


Date Filters

Filter results by when transcripts were created or last modified:

  • Created: Find transcripts from the last 7, 30, or 90 days
  • Updated: Find recently edited transcripts

Timestamped Results

Search results show the exact timestamp where each match occurs. Click on a result to jump directly to that moment in the transcript.


Speaker Context

Results display which speaker said the matching text, helping you quickly identify who mentioned a specific topic.


Highlighted Matches

Your search terms are highlighted in the results, making it easy to spot what you're looking for at a glance.



Advanced Search Operators

For more precise searches, you can use special operators to refine your results.


Exact Phrase: "..."

Search for an exact sequence of words by wrapping them in quotes.


Example: "action items"  finds only results where those two words appear together in that exact order, not instances where "action" and "items" appear separately.


Exclude Words: -

Remove results containing a specific word by prefixing it with a minus sign.


Example: budget -forecast  finds all mentions of "budget" except those that also mention "forecast".


Wildcard: *

Match words that start with certain letters using an asterisk.


Example: market*  matches:

  • market
  • marketing
  • marketplace
  • markets

Either/Or: |

Find results containing any of multiple words using the pipe symbol.


Example: revenue | sales  finds all instances of either "revenue" or "sales" - useful when different speakers use different terms for the same concept.


Grouping: (...)

Combine operators using parentheses for complex searches.


Example: (Q1 | Q2) revenue  finds discussions about revenue that mention either Q1 or Q2.


Another example: (meeting | call) -internal  finds external meetings and calls.


Fuzzy Matching: ~

Find words that are similar to your search term, allowing for typos or name variations.


Example: Smith~1  matches words within 1 edit of "Smith":

  • Smith
  • Smyth
  • Smiths

The number after ~  controls how different the matches can be (higher = more variation allowed). This is particularly useful for names that may be spelled differently.



Quick Tips

  • Be specific: Use unique words or phrases for more accurate results
  • Search speaker names: Find all contributions from a specific person
  • Combine filters: Use folder + date filters together for precise results
  • Use quotes for phrases: "next steps"  is more precise than next steps
  • Start broad, then narrow: Begin with a general search, then add filters or operators


Common Use Cases

Find a specific quote or decision

Use exact phrase search: "we agreed to proceed"  or "approved the budget"


Find discussions about a topic, excluding certain contexts

Combine terms with exclusions: pricing -competitor  to find pricing discussions that don't mention competitors


Find all mentions by a specific speaker

Search for the speaker's name, then scan results for their contributions


Search within a project

  1. Select the project folder from the Folder dropdown
  2. Enable "Search Subfolders" if the project has sub-folders
  3. Enter your search term

Find recent discussions on a topic

  1. Enter your search term
  2. Set the "Created" or "Updated" filter to the last 7 or 30 days

Search for product or feature mentions

Use wildcards: feature*  finds feature, features, featured, etc.


Find action items or follow-ups

Try: "action item"  or "follow up"  or "to do"



Troubleshooting

No results found?

  • Check for typos in your search term
  • Try using fewer or more general words
  • Remove filters to search more broadly
  • Try wildcard matching: meet*  instead of meeting
  • Use fuzzy matching for names: Anderson~1

Too many results?

  • Use exact phrase search with quotes
  • Add more specific terms
  • Use the -  operator to exclude irrelevant words
  • Filter by folder or date


Need Help?

If you have questions about search or any other GoTranscribe feature, contact our support team.

Searching Your Transcripts