Searching on all docs in a high level folder

[ian.mcgregor]

how do you search in all documents inside a high level folder in the left contents? The ancestor technique doesn't work for me. 

[ian.mcgregor]

Hi Kris, Brant,

Thanks both for taking the time to reply. 

It just seems there's a real gap between the 'global' search at the top, which seems to search on the whole database, and page-level search. 

What I mean by folder is, as soon as you create a subpage below a page, conceptually that page becomes a folder, 'containing' pages below it. A grouping of documents. The fact that it's a page at that top level, so you can also add content there (e.g. overview) is useful, but that page is still really being used as a folder to group together the documents. And I want to be able to search on that group. 

The Page tree has multiple levels of hierarchy, but it's not possible to search on those levels, without knowing some special syntax or commands (which I don't, or I couldn't get it to work). To use one of our examples, E2E Solution>2. Solution Description>2.3 Component model>2.3.1 TPNI. I want to be able to just click on 2. Solution Description and search on all pages 'below' or 'inside' that level. We frequently have technological changes, process changes, business rules, downstream changes that affect multiple pages, but here you have to do the search multiple times, on each individual page. 

Anyway, just my 2c worth. 

[Kris Klima _K15t_]

Hi @ian_mcgregor 

If I understand correctly, folder = the 'container' unit in the left navigation tree under which you nest a bunch of pages (and other items).

There's a page tree search macro but since Folders are not pages, they have no content on their own so you can't use that approach.

If you insert that macro onto a page and don't specify the root page, the search will be conducted just within the hierarchy of that page that carries the page tree search macro.

Workarounds:

• 'Convert' the folder to a page.
  And then use the macro on that page.
• Use a dedicated parent page for the folder.
  You can then use the page tree search macro on that page but ... this whole setup would increase the space's complexity and create unnecessary levels of nesting.

Personal note: I'm not a fan of folders precisely because they have no content. A page serves the same purpose (of a container) and even by dropping a child pages macro there you provide readers with context and expectations.

[Brant Schroeder]

@ian_mcgregor I am not sure what you mean by high level folder.  Confluence is not structured by folders.  Here is are a couple of KBs about Confluence search:

• https://support.atlassian.com/confluence-cloud/docs/confluence-search-syntax/ 
• https://developer.atlassian.com/cloud/confluence/advanced-searching-using-cql/ 

[Brant Schroeder]

@ian_mcgregor You will need to use CQL to find pages that are ancestors of the parent page.  https://developer.atlassian.com/server/confluence/advanced-searching-using-cql/#ancestor 

[ian.mcgregor]

Okay, thanks Brant