From template engagement letters and tips on implementing ISQM to the latest on inheritance tax changes and Companies House ID requirements – the wealth of information on icaew.com is one of the things that members and finance practitioners tell us they most value.

However, the volume of articles, helpsheets, podcasts, webinars and guidance can be overwhelming.

Listening to user feedback that finding information quickly can be a challenge, ICAEW has introduced new and improved search functionality on the website.

The new tool (icaew.com/search) uses machine learning to improve user experience. It learns what you are searching for and what you click on, using this information to continually evolve and optimise the results it offers, surfacing content that might otherwise have been buried deep down the list.

The more people use the new site search, the more information it will build up to improve the way it works for everyone.

What has changed this week?

In combination with machine-learning, the new search tool enables users to better order and filter search results.

Users can now sort results by ‘relevance’ or by ‘date’, enabling them to look for the latest content or the closest match to their search terms. The tool also now enables users to filter results by a date range. For example, to narrow searches to the last Budget users can chose to display results from the previous six or 12 months.

Users can also now filter the results by content type - so if they’re looking for an article, a podcast or an event, for example. This will further help users to find specific pieces of content that have been useful in the past – a webinar update on personal taxation, for example – or to find content that best suits their learning style or schedule.

Finally, users will see that how search results are presented on icaew.com has also changed. Following on from feedback, the design has changed to provide clearer information about authors, dates and summaries.

Still can’t find what you’re looking for?

The new system detects when searches are made for something that isn’t present on ICAEW.com or where users are struggling to find answers that seem relevant. ICAEW monitors and investigates these incidents, ensuring that colleagues across the organisation are aware wherever ‘content gaps’ are identified.

ICAEW recognises that when users can’t find what they need this is frustrating. Sometimes the simplest answer is to talk to a member of staff from the teams that are primed ready to help you. Those human-contact options are offered underneath the new search bar, so you don’t have to go hunting for them.

The new update is just the first of a series of improvements ICAEW plans to make to search. Any feedback users have would always be most welcome – please share your thoughts through the site survey which pops up on most icaew.com webpages.