> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://liiguide.docs.laws.africa/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://liiguide.docs.laws.africa/finding-information/federated-search-on-africanlii.md).

# Federated search (AfricanLII)

This guide is to help users find related content either in the AU materials on AfricanLII.

## How to conduct Federated Search

1. Go to <https://africanlii.org/>

<figure><img src="https://227071419-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2UXalKQWf0ZOYCnHrwN6%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-ae03136a4ef12f825bd311dc7e7cdad04a6c61bd%2Fliiweb--AL1.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. Enter search terms or a document name in the search bar, and click **Search**
3. The documents that match your search are shown including the respective **jurisdiction** the documents belong in.
4. Narrow the results by using the **filters** on the left to pinpoint what you’re looking for.
5. Use the Sort by option to sort results by relevance or date.

## Focus results with filters

Here’s an example. A search for "[refugees ](https://africanlii.org/search/?q=refugees)"returns over 1840 documents.

<figure><img src="https://227071419-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2UXalKQWf0ZOYCnHrwN6%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-bea2d2ac6734a760f6877b845dc2b5aaa739ae66%2Fliiweb--AL%202.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Apply multiple filters to refine your search. Let’s look for Gazettes with the term refugees from 2023 in South Africa.

<figure><img src="https://227071419-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F2UXalKQWf0ZOYCnHrwN6%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-7f100113c689afba42c41abb583d44d35524b923%2Fliiweb--AL%203.png?alt=media" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Federated search makes it easy to find related information from various jurisdictions and regional bodies.