What is Ask Lex?
Ask Lex is Lexful’s conversational AI search that understands natural language questions and retrieves precise answers from your documentation.
Instead of:
Hunting through folders
Guessing document names
Opening multiple files
Reading entire documents
You simply:
Ask a question in plain English
Get immediate answer with sources
Click through to full documents if needed
Continue asking follow-up questions
Think of Lex as: An always-available senior technician who has memorized every document in your knowledge base.
Accessing Ask Lex
Ask Lex is available from:
Homepage: Default landing page when you log in
Icon on top right: Click “Ask Lex” icon anytime (next to search bar)
Keyboard Shortcut: Cmd/Ctrl + K (future feature)
Always accessible regardless of which organization context you’re in.
How to Ask Questions
Basic Query Structure
Best practice: Ask like you’re talking to a colleague.
Good examples:
“What’s the local administrator password for Pacific LLC?”
“Give me a summary of Pacific’s network infrastructure and recent issues”
“What is the workstation setup procedure for a new L1 technician at Pacific LLC?”
Less effective examples:
“password” (too vague - which client? which system?)
“pacific network” (unclear what you want to know)
“gimme info” (not specific enough)
Essential Components of Good Questions
1. Include Client Name (When Relevant)
Good: “What’s the backup schedule for Apex Collective?”
Vague: “What’s the backup schedule?”
Why: Lex searches across all organizations unless you’re specific. Client name helps Lex narrow results immediately.
2. Be Specific About What You Need
Good: “What’s the domain admin password for Northwind Traders?”
Vague: “password for Northwind”
Why: Specific questions get specific answers. Vague questions return broader results requiring more filtering.
3. Ask Complete Questions
Good: “How do I reset MFA for a user in Entra ID at Pacific LLC?”
Incomplete: “reset MFA”
Why: Complete questions help Lex understand context and intent, returning more relevant procedures.
4. Use Natural Language
Good: “Show me Atlantic Company’s firewall configuration”
Robotic: “firewall config atlantic query retrieve”
Why: Lex understands conversational language. You don’t need to use keywords or special syntax.
Understanding Lex Responses
Response Structure
When you ask Lex a question, you’ll see:
1. Thinking Process (Brief)
Lex shows what it’s doing: “Searching for passwords…”, “Analyzing documents…”
Usually appears for 2-5 seconds
Helps you understand how Lex is interpreting your question
2. Answer
Direct answer to your question
Synthesized from one or more documents
Includes relevant details
Formatted for readability
3. Sources
Links to documents where information came from
Click to view full document
Verify answer accuracy
Explore related information
4. Suggested Follow-Ups (Future Feature)
Related questions you might want to ask
Helps continue exploration
Example Response Breakdown
Question: “What’s the local administrator password for Pacific LLC?”
Lex thinks:
Identifying client: Pacific LLC Searching passwords... Found 3 matches
Lex answers:
The local administrator password for Pacific LLC is: ********** [Click to reveal] This password is for the domain administrator account and was last updated on December 15, 2025.
Sources:
📄 Pacific LLC - Password Management 📄 Pacific LLC - IT Asset Documentation
Response time: Typically 3-5 seconds
Common Use Cases
Use Case 1: Password Lookups
Scenario: Client locked out, need password reset
Example queries:
“What’s the domain admin password for [Client Name]?”
“Show me the local administrator password for [Client]”
“What’s the firewall admin credentials for [Client]?”
“Find the WiFi password for [Client]’s guest network”
What Lex does:
Identifies client
Searches password assets
Finds matching credentials
Returns password with reveal/copy options
Response time: 3-5 seconds
Security: Passwords are masked until you click “Reveal”. Then you can click “Copy” to clipboard.
Use Case 2: Network Context Before Client Call
Scenario: About to call angry client, need infrastructure summary fast
Example query:
"Give me a summary of [Client]'s network infrastructure and recent issues"
What Lex does:
Searches network documentation
Searches recent tickets/notes
Synthesizes infrastructure overview
Identifies recent problems
Returns comprehensive summary
Response includes:
Network topology overview
Key equipment (firewalls, switches, servers)
Recent incidents or changes
Known issues
Links to detailed documentation
Response time: 10-15 seconds (multi-document synthesis)
Value: You sound prepared before picking up phone. Client feels heard.
Use Case 3: Procedure Discovery
Scenario: New technician needs to complete task they haven’t done before
Example queries:
“What is the workstation setup procedure for a new L1 technician at [Client]?”
“How do I reset MFA for a user in Entra ID?”
“Show me the backup restoration procedure for SQL servers”
“What’s the process for offboarding an employee at [Client]?”
What Lex does:
Searches SOP documents
Finds relevant procedures
Returns step-by-step instructions
Includes prerequisites and troubleshooting
Response includes:
Procedure steps
Required tools or access
Estimated time
Common issues
Links to related procedures
Response time: 5-10 seconds
Value: New hires productive immediately. No shadowing required for documented procedures.
Use Case 4: Configuration Details
Scenario: Need specific technical information for troubleshooting
Example queries:
“What version of Exchange is [Client] running?”
“Show me the VLAN configuration for [Client]”
“What’s the backup schedule for [Client]’s file server?”
“What are the open ports on [Client]’s firewall?”
What Lex does:
Searches asset configurations
Searches technical documentation
Returns specific configuration details
Provides context if available
Response includes:
Requested configuration parameter
When it was last updated
Related configuration details
Source documentation
Response time: 3-5 seconds
Use Case 5: Contact Information
Scenario: Need to escalate or inform client stakeholders
Example queries:
“Who’s the primary contact for [Client]?”
“Show me escalation contacts for [Client]”
“What’s the emergency contact for [Client]?”
“Who handles [Client]’s billing questions?”
What Lex does:
Searches contact information
Searches organization details
Returns relevant contacts with details
Response includes:
Contact names
Roles/titles
Phone numbers
Email addresses
Best times to contact
Response time: 3-5 seconds
Advanced Lex Techniques
Follow-Up Questions
Lex maintains conversation context. You can ask follow-up questions without repeating information.
Example conversation:
You: "Show me Pacific LLC's backup server details" Lex: [Returns backup server configuration] You: "What's the admin password?" Lex: [Knows you mean Pacific LLC's backup server password] You: "When was the last successful backup?" Lex: [Continues in context of Pacific LLC backup server]
Value: Natural conversation flow. No need to repeat client name or system in every question.
Multi-Part Questions
Ask for multiple things at once:
Example:
"For [Client]'s primary domain controller: show me the admin password, IP address, backup schedule, and last reboot date"
What Lex does:
Searches for all requested information
Synthesizes into single response
Provides sources for each piece
When to use: When you need comprehensive information about specific system.
Comparative Queries (Future Feature)
Ask Lex to compare or analyze across clients:
Examples:
“Which clients are still running Windows Server 2012?”
“Show me all clients without documented disaster recovery plans”
“Compare backup strategies across our top 5 clients”
Note: Some cross-client capabilities available now; more advanced analytics coming in future releases.
Document Creation Assistance
Ask Lex to generate content:
Examples:
“Create a runbook for SQL server outages at [Client]”
“Draft a network documentation template”
“Generate a password rotation policy for [Client]”
What Lex does:
Analyzes existing documentation
Generates structured content
You review, edit, and save
Note: At GA launch, Lex provides content you copy/paste into documents. One-click save coming in future releases.
Context and Permissions
How Context Affects Ask Lex
Global Context (All Organizations):
Lex searches across entire knowledge base
Returns results from any organization
Best for cross-client queries
Available to MSP Admin and Support users
Organization Context (Specific Client):
Lex searches only that organization’s knowledge
Returns results scoped to selected client
Best for client-specific work
Automatically applied for users with single-org access
Example:
In Global Context:
You: "How many organizations do we manage?" Lex: "You manage 47 organizations"
In Org Context (Pacific LLC):
You: "How many organizations do we manage?" Lex: "1 organization" (only sees Pacific LLC)
How Permissions Affect Ask Lex
What you can search depends on your role and access:
Admin/Support with Global Access:
Search all organizations
View all documents
Access all passwords (if permission granted)
Admin/Support with Limited Access:
Search only assigned organizations
View only accessible documents
Access only permitted passwords
Viewer with Single Organization:
Search only their organization
View documents (no editing)
Access passwords (read-only)
External Client User (Viewer):
Search only their organization
See only client-facing documentation
Limited password access (based on configuration)
Lex never shows you information you don’t have permission to see.
Best Practices
Crafting Effective Questions
✅ Do:
Include client name when relevant
Be specific about what you need
Ask complete questions in natural language
Use follow-up questions for refinement
Verify answers by clicking sources
❌ Don’t:
Use single-word queries
Assume Lex knows which client you mean
Ask multiple unrelated questions in one query
Ignore source links (always verify critical info)
Using Lex Efficiently
✅ Do:
Start broad, then narrow with follow-ups
Use Lex for quick lookups during calls
Ask Lex to generate content templates
Check context setting before querying
❌ Don’t:
Browse folders when you could ask Lex
Repeat questions—use follow-ups
Accept answers without verifying sources for critical tasks
Forget that Lex searches what exists (keep docs current)
Verifying Lex Responses
✅ Do:
Click source links for critical information
Verify passwords before using them
Check document last-updated dates
Use judgment when Lex says “I couldn’t find…”
❌ Don’t:
Execute commands without verification
Use outdated passwords without checking
Assume Lex is always correct (AI can make mistakes)
Blame Lex for missing info (might not be documented)
Troubleshooting
Lex Can’t Find Information
Problem: “I couldn’t find any information about that”
Possible causes:
Information doesn’t exist in Lexful
You don’t have permission to see it
Query was too vague
Document was recently created (index lag)
Solutions:
Verify documentation exists by manual search
Check your permissions for that organization
Rephrase question more specifically
Wait 5-10 minutes if document just created
See full article: “Lex Isn’t Finding What I Need”
Lex Returns Irrelevant Results
Problem: Lex found something but it’s not what you need
Cause: Query was ambiguous or missing context
Solutions:
Add client name to query
Be more specific about system or document type
Use follow-up to narrow: “Just the firewall info”
Rephrase question differently
Lex Response is Slow
Problem: Taking 30+ seconds for simple query
Expected performance:
Simple queries: 3-5 seconds
Complex synthesis: 10-15 seconds
Very complex: 15-30 seconds
If slower:
Check status.lexful.app for platform issues
Simplify query (break into smaller questions)
Check internet connection
Try different browser
See full article: “Performance and Loading Issues”
Lex Gives Wrong Answer
Problem: Answer is incorrect or outdated
Possible causes:
Documentation is outdated
AI misinterpreted question
Multiple conflicting documents exist
Source document has errors
Solutions:
Click source links to verify
Update outdated documentation
Rephrase question for clarity
Comparing Ask Lex to Traditional Search
Traditional Keyword Search
How it works:
You enter keywords
System finds documents containing those words
Returns list of documents
You open and read each one
You extract answer yourself
Example: Search “backup schedule pacific”
Returns: 15 documents mentioning “backup”, “schedule”, or “pacific”
You open 5-10 documents
You scan through each
You find the answer
Time: 10-15 minutes
Ask Lex (Semantic Search)
How it works:
You ask natural language question
Lex understands intent and context
Lex finds relevant information
Lex synthesizes answer
You get direct answer with sources
Example: “What’s Pacific LLC’s backup schedule?”
Lex returns: “Pacific LLC performs full backups daily at 2:00 AM…”
Includes source links
You click to verify if needed
Time: 5 seconds
Key difference: Lex understands meaning and intent, not just keyword matching.
Sample Queries by Scenario
Onboarding New Employee
"What's the employee onboarding checklist for [Client]?" "Show me the workstation setup procedure" "What applications does [Client] use?"
Emergency Response
"What's the disaster recovery procedure for [Client]?" "Show me [Client]'s emergency contacts" "What's the admin password for [affected system]?"
Documentation Review
"What documentation gaps exist for [Client]?" "Which SOPs haven't been updated in 6 months?" "Show me all documents I created this week"
The Bottom Line
Ask Lex turns 10-minute documentation hunts into 5-second answers.
Core principles:
Ask naturally (like talking to a colleague)
Be specific (include client name and details)
Verify sources (especially for critical actions)
Use follow-ups (maintain conversation context)
When to use Ask Lex:
Quick lookups during client calls
Finding procedures for unfamiliar tasks
Retrieving passwords and credentials
Getting infrastructure summaries
Onboarding new team members
When to browse instead:
Exploring what documentation exists
Reviewing multiple related documents
Managing and organizing content
Creating new documentation
Best of both worlds: Lexful gives you Ask Lex for speed AND traditional navigation for exploration.
Need Help?
Contact us using the “Support” tab in your Lexful UI. If you are unable to get into your Lexful tenant, email us at support@lexful.ai