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To Find Files in Google Drive, Search Like You Talk

2 minute read

Google Drive Blue

Google recently incorporated Natural Language Processing (NLP) into the search process in Drive, which is an intricate way of saying “search like you talk.” So now you can enter phrases like, “Show me spreadsheets from Scott,” or “Find my presentations from last June” to find your files.

In the past, to really make the most of Google’s search function in Drive, you had to have a relatively in-depth understanding of the various search operators that you could use in the search bar.

Now however, with the introduction of NLP, you can just type out what you’re looking for in the same way you’d ask anyone to go find a physical file in your office.

Previously, you would have to type something like this, indicating ownership, if you wanted to find files that were created by a specific person: 

nlp-drive-screenshot-1

 

Now however, you can just simply type in the search bar a request for all spreadsheets created by the person: 
nlp-drive-screenshot-2

 

So let’s try another example. Instead of the cumbersome way you had to limit date ranges in the past, you can just ask Drive to show you all documents that were created during the month of June:

 

And just like that, you have the results that you’re looking for:

nlp-drive-screenshot-4

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

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