When you’re looking for a clause, the easiest place to start is just typing a few keywords - much like you would in Google or Bing. LawVu Draft will scan your clause library and bring back anything that is relevant.
Most of the time, this first search is just a starting point. Once you see the results, you’ll usually want to refine them using filters or folders to quickly get to the right clause.
In this article:
Search Modes: Smart vs. Strict
One important thing to know is that keyword search can work in two different ways: Smart mode and Strict mode.
Smart Mode (default)
By default, search runs in Smart mode. This means it doesn’t just look for the exact words you typed - it tries to understand what you mean. So even if your keywords don’t appear word-for-word in a clause, it may still show up if the meaning is similar. Results are also ranked, so the most relevant clauses should appear first.
It looks for semantic matches, not just exact words
The search will not be literal, so that descriptions and synonyms will usually also result in the right clause being shown at the top.
Tips for Smart Mode
Smart mode works best when you use several keywords (e.g. confidential information exclusions) or a short description (e.g. liability limitation with a maximum equal to the invoiced amount).
Using only one word (like confidentiality) can be too vague, and may lead to less accurate results.
If your library supports multiple languages, you can even search in one language and view results in another. For example, you might type your keywords in French and still get results displayed in English.
Strict Mode
You can enable strict mode using the checkbox next to the search box.
Searches are literal (exact keywords only)
Grammatical variations are allowed (e.g. claim vs. claims)
Synonyms are NOT included
👉 Use strict mode when you want precise control over your results.
Tips for Strict Mode
Combine multiple keywords to narrow results
Example:
holiday entitlement
→ Finds clauses containing both words (not necessarily next to each other)
Stop words are ignored
Words like the, if, that, etc. are excluded automatically
General Tips
There are also a few small tricks that can make keyword search much more effective.
a. Use quotes for exact phrases
If you want to find an exact phrase, you can put it in quotation marks - this tells the search to keep those words together.
Example:
"holiday entitlement"
→ Finds clauses where those words appear together
b. Exclude keywords with a hyphen
If you want to exclude something, you can add a hyphen before a word.
Example:
holiday entitlement -termination
→ Finds clauses with holiday and entitlement, but not termination
c. Search beyond clause text (in enriched libraries)
In enriched libraries, search goes beyond just the clause text. It can also look at things like filenames, descriptions, or internal comments. That means you might find a clause even if your keyword doesn’t appear directly in the text itself.
Example: Searching Texas may find a “Texas shoot-out clause,” even if “Texas” isn’t in the clause text.
d. Search by clause number
You can also search by a clause’s internal number, which is helpful if someone shares a specific clause with you.
Example: Instead of sending an entire clause to a colleague by email, you can tell the colleague to insert clause 123454121 - by entering that number as a keyword, the colleague will immediately find that particular clause.
You can find the internal number of the clause through the "..." menu in the top-right corner of the clause, and then submenu Additional information
✅Works best when
Keyword search is popular because it’s quick and familiar, but it works best in certain situations:
You are searching for specific terms that narrow results, not common ones used across many clauses.
Your library is well-organized into folders
Your library is enriched with good metadata (filenames, descriptions, comments)
⚠️ Less effective when
You use very common legal terms ( Examples: obligation, contract, liability)
Your library contains hundreds of clauses
→ These terms will return too many results
Narrow results by folder
If your search brings back too many results, the easiest way to refine it is by narrowing it to a folder.
When you click on “Folder,” you’ll see which folders contain matching clauses, and you can select one to filter your results.
This is particularly helpful when you’re working with a large clause library and want to cut through the noise.
