HomeGuru CommunityProduct TrainingTemplatesContact SupportDeveloper Network
Guides

Getting started as a Read Only user

Suggest Edits

Hi! We're so glad you are going to become one of the many happy Guru users! With Guru, you can instantly find the information you need, without having to dig through multiple systems or ask a teammate. Guru will search through your company's scattered apps, chats, and docs while you stay in your workflows. This is going to save you the time and energy we know you deserve!

This article will outline some of Guru's functionality that a new user needs. It will provide a strong foundation for Guru usage as it focuses on the everyday core actions you will take.

💡

Tip

Click the question mark in the bottom right hand side of the web app to learn more about Guru's features! You'll be able to ask the AI bot questions or search Guru's Help center articles.

Also linked is the Guru Community which is a place where you can connect with other Guru teams, ask questions, upvote ideas, and share product feedback directly with our Product team.

Don't be shy! Join us in a live workshop to learn more.

🚶Take the first step

Here's some key tasks to get you started!

Sign In

After receiving an invitation from a Guru admin to join a Guru workspace, sign in at app.getguru.com using your email and a password, Google authentication, or you'll be told to use a single sign-on (SSO) identity provider like Okta or Azure. 

Set up notifications 

Guru is going to send you notifications for the important things you need to be aware of. Pick the place where you spend most of your time to receive them. You can choose from email, Slack, or MS Teams (you can only choose one). 

Download browser extension 

Guru will work over your web based tools. Whether you're answering emails in Gmail, reviewing a sales prospect's record in Salesforce, or filling out an RFP in Google Docs, install Guru's browser extension so that you can ask or search by keyword or phrase for what you need without ever leaving the tab you're on.

In order to use Guru while online, download and pin the browser extension. It will work in Chrome, Edge, and Opera. Your IT team might have done this already for you, but double check! 

Guru Core Actions 

At Guru, our mission is simple: help every team find trusted information so they can do their best work. With Guru, you’ll find answers faster, skip the shoulder taps, and work more efficiently.

Your Admins have already customized Guru for your team, so you’ve got access to knowledge from tools like file storage, ticketing systems, CRMs—or right inside Guru’s built-in wiki.

Getting started is easy: just think of what you need to know, and open up Guru. 💡

👥

Access required

Inquire with your Admins or Experts to confirm whether your plan has Guru's generative AI features.

Admins are users who manage your team's Guru workspace, permission content, and setup/maintain apps and integrations. To find out who your teams Admins are navigate to Manage, then click Admins to view the list.

Search in Guru

Search with Guru in the web app, browser extension, and Slack or MS Teams. In the web app and browser extension, simply type in your keywords and hit enter. In either place, you can filter your search to narrow down your results. Guru will only show results for the content you have permission to view. 

Ask Guru Questions 

Ask Guru questions via the web app, browser extension, and Slack. Asking is as simple as thinking of your question, then typing it with a question mark at the end. The question mark is what triggers Guru to provide an AI generated answer, not just search results. Guru will show you answers using the content you have permission to view.

Use Guru in a chat tool

Guru in your chat tool is going to be like having your best colleague right by your side. You'll be able to search for Guru Cards and document knowledge, right from the channels where decisions are being made. Your team's Admin will add the Guru bot so all you have to do is use it! 

For teams who use Slack, and in addition to what's been mentioned above, Guru will also answer your questions. You can use Guru as that first shoulder tap by calling on the bot yourself with the mention of @Guru, or by working in a channel where Guru has been tasked to provide an AI generated answer to any message that ends with a question mark. 

Other Things to Know

Learn your role in Guru

You've been added as a user in Guru. You'll only be able to see and ask questions about content your Admins have given you permission to view.

Card Verification 

Verification is the process by which an expert from your company reviews the content on a Card and adds a green check mark. This is how you'll know the content you are seeing is trusted. There may be times when you see a red exclamation point which signifies that the content has not been reviewed by an Expert and shouldn't be trusted. As a viewer of the Card, you can always request verification which will notify the verifier that they have been asked to review the Card contents. 

Card Comments

On the Card itself, users are able to add comments. Comments are how you'll share your thoughts, suggest edits, or even ask questions! Comments allow the whole team, regardless of role, to ensure that their knowledge is accurate and comprehensive. 

Summarize and Translate Card Content

Guru uses generative AI to help you quickly and efficiently consume knowledge. On a Card, click the lightning bolt to summarize the content, pull out action items, and/or translate it.  

Announcements

Experts can send announcements and request read receipts. They'll do this when the Card is important for you to review. After you read an announcement you'll want to check the 'I read it' box and add an emoji reaction. You can also see those read receipts so click into the percentage read link to see the others who have opened and/or marked the announcement as read.  

Create your own Guru custom lists

Guru's web app has a My Library tab where you can see the lists of Cards you deem is your most important knowledge. 

  • Following: Following a Card or Author means Guru will send you notifications when a followed Card is updated or when a followed author publishes. Following helps you stay updated without the need for manual checks or reminders. 

  • Favorites: Guru allows users to create their own greatest hits library by playing favorites. Each Card or folder can be favorited and organized into a list. Favorites can be used as a way to create your own checklist of items to read or as a list of knowledge to keep near your fingertips. 

Ask an Expert 

If you ever want to ask a question directly to one of your team's experts, you can by clicking 'ask expert'. You'll find this button under your avatar in the web app and on any answer given to a question you've asked. To see the questions you've asked or have been asked of you, go into Tasks and under questions and you'll see the list! 

Employee Profile

In the event that you want to learn more about the folks who have created your knowledge, click their name or search for them. Every Guru user has an employee profile that shows who the person is, their contact information, the Cards they've published, the authors they're following, and how they fit in your organization. Connecting "who" and "what" unlocks insights that lead to more effective conversations, deeper collaboration, and better business outcomes.

Checklist for getting started as a new Guru user

  • Set up notifications in email, Slack, or MS Teams

  • Download and pin the browser extension in Chrome, Edge, or Opera

  • Search in the web app, browser extension, Slack, or MS Teams

  • Ask questions via the web app, browser extension, and Slack

  • Utilize Guru in Slack or MS Teams for searching, documenting knowledge, and answering questions (Slack only)

Updated 5 days ago