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. Guru is going to save you the time and energy we know you deserve!

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

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Tip

Click the question mark in the bottom right hand side of the web app if you ever want to learn how to use 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.

Housekeeping

First up, some basic housekeeping. These tasks should take less than 10 minutes and are crucial steps in setting yourself up for success.  

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. 

• Learn how to sign in

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). 

• Learn about notifications 

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! 

• Learn how to download and pin the browser extension 

Guru Core Actions 

Giving every team in the world trusted information so they can do their best work is Guru's mission. With Guru, you'll find information faster, do less shoulder tapping, and increase efficiency.

Your Guru team has been customized by your Admins, giving you the permission to find information across your tech stack. Information can be connected from file storage, ticketing and project management tools, CRMs, and/or stored natively in Guru via its built-in wiki.

To get started, just think of the knowledge you need to find and open up Guru.

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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. 

• Learn how to search with Guru

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.

• Learn how to ask Guru questions  

Train Guru's AI

Regardless of where you ask Guru questions, it's critical that you provide feedback for the AI generated answer. This is how you help the AI get smarter. Click the thumbs up if the answer was helpful and click the thumbs down if it was incorrect or incomplete. Your Experts will be reviewing feedback within Guru's AI Training Center and will update answers accordingly. 

• Learn more about the AI Training Center 

• Learn more ways to improve answer accuracy and quality

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! 

• Learn more about Slack functionality (search, create, verify)

• Learn more about MS Teams functionality 

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, 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. 

• Learn how to ask questions in Slack 

Using Guru as a Wiki

Hierarchy and Permissions 

Guru has a built-in wiki. Knowledge is stored on Cards, which can be found in folders, housed in a Collection. You'll only be able to see Collections and folders your Admins have given you permission to view. Of that knowledge, you will be given either an editor or reader role. You can navigate to Cards inside of Guru's web app, but in most instances you will be searching and asking Guru questions in your workflows. 

• Learn more about groups, permissions, and roles

Card Verification 

Verification is the process by which an expert 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. 

• Learn how to request verification

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. 

• Learn how to comment on Cards 

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.  

• Learn how to use AI when viewing Cards 

Card Edit History

Each Card has a viewable history. You can check it to see when the Card was created, last verified, as well as the other Cards that link to it. You can also see the Card's revision history so you can compare edits when you want to see what's been updated on a Card. 

• Learn how to access a Card's edit history

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.  

• Learn how to receive an announcement 

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. 

  • Learn how to follow a Card or Author 

• 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. 

  • Learn how to favorite a Card or folder

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! 

• Learn how to ask an expert

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.

• Learn how to set up your profile and access a teammate's profile

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

• Train Guru's AI by clicking thumbs up or down button on a answer

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

• If using Guru as a wiki, review 'Using Guru as a Wiki'