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The Precedent handbook

Find decisions

Find what the team decided before starting the next discussion. Search by reference, words, or meaning, then read the reasoning behind the result.

Search the record

  1. Choose Search in the sidebar. With an empty query, results show the newest decisions first.
  2. Enter a topic, title, or reference. At Acme Robotics, try “catalog search”, “Postgres”, or “AR-041”.
  3. Use a status filter and the node filter to narrow the results. Choose Owned by me for your records or Review due for decisions needing attention.
  4. Open a result to read its rationale, alternatives, review trigger, linked decisions, and evidence. Check its status before relying on it.

The node filter includes local decisions, explicitly inherited ancestor guidance, and visible workspace-wide guidance. To discover records attached anywhere below a node instead, open that node and choose Browse subtree.

The status filters include All, Decided, Drafts, and Superseded or reversed. A draft is not yet a confirmed choice; a superseded record should lead you to its successor.

Choose a search mode

The mode controls appear when you enter a query.

ModeUse it for
HybridThe default: combines exact words and meaning. Start here for most questions.
KeywordKnown wording, product terms, or a decision reference.
SemanticA concept described in different words from the original decision. Results depend on the deployment’s embedding setup.

If you cannot find a decision

Clear the node and status filters, try a shorter query, and switch to Keyword if you know the title or reference. Confirm you are in the right workspace using the workspace switcher.

Search respects visibility. A restricted decision may be absent because you cannot access any of its nodes. Ask a workspace admin to check access; an empty result does not prove the decision was never recorded.

If the decision has not been recorded and you have write access, use Capture it now from an empty result or choose New decision.

Explore the surrounding context

Open a node to browse decisions for that domain, project, or team. Use linked decisions and the impact map on a record to understand what relies on it. For a question that spans several records, use Ask AI and follow its citations back to the source decisions.

Organize with nodesArrange domains, projects, and teams in a hierarchy and choose where decisions apply.Ask AIAsk questions about your record and follow the citations.