---
name: discovery-data-product-overview
title: Start getting value from your data
description: Learn what IBM Watson® Discovery can do to help you find answers, recognize patterns, and gain insights from your data.
last-updated: 2023-03-23
---

> ## Documentation Index
> The table of contents for this documentation set is at https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?format=markdown
> The index for all IBM Cloud docs is at: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use these files to discover more information as needed.

# Start getting value from your data
{: #product-overview}

Learn what IBM Watson® Discovery can do to help you find answers, recognize patterns, and gain insights from your data.
{: shortdesc}

Find checklists of the high-level steps to follow to achieve the following goals:

- [Pinpoint answers](#product-overview-answers)
- [Extract meaning](#product-overview-enrich)
- [Enhance your chatbot](#product-overview-chat)
- [Find trends](#product-overview-mining)
- [Analyze contracts](#product-overview-contracts)

## Pinpoint answers
{: #product-overview-answers}

Help customers find answers faster. Analyze content from various connected data sources, pinpoint the most relevant passage or phrase, and return the right information when someone asks for it.

![Shows the search bar with search results after it.](images/dr-search.png){: caption="Search bar with search results" caption-side="bottom"}

If pinpointing answers is your goal, complete the steps that are listed in the following table.

| Step |  Task | Related information |
|------|-------|---------------------|
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create a *Document Retrieval* project. | [Creating projects](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-projects&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Add up to 5 collections that connect to external data sources or contain uploaded files. | [Creating collections](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-collections&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Run test queries to assess the quality of the initial results. | [Previewing the default query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-query-results&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Take actions to improve your results. For example, you can customize the search bar to enable autocompletion. | [Improving your query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-improvements&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Deploy your search solution. | [Deploying your project](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-deploy&format=markdown) |
{: caption="Checklist for getting answers" caption-side="top"}

## Extract meaning
{: #product-overview-enrich}

Use award-winning natural language processing technology to enrich your data and ensure that the right information is found when someone searches for answers.

![Shows a custom machine learning facet.](images/nlu-search.png){: caption="Machine learning facet for filtering search results with custom enrichment values" caption-side="bottom"}

If extracting meaning is your goal, complete the steps that are listed in the following table.

| Step | Task | Related information |
|------|------|---------------------|
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create any project type. | [Creating projects](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-projects&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Add collections that connect to external data sources or contain uploaded files. | [Creating collections](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-collections&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Chunk large documents into many smaller documents so you can apply more targeted enrichments to the content. | [Using Smart Document Understanding](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-configuring-fields&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Enhance your data by applying built-in NLU enrichments. | [Applying prebuilt enrichments](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-nlu&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Identify and promote terms and patterns from your data with special significance to your use case. | [Adding domain-specific resources](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-domain&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Submit test queries to assess the results. | [Testing your project](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-test&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create a facet that surfaces the enriched data from your documents. | [Facets](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-facets&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Take actions to improve your results. | [Improving your query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-improvements&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Deploy your solution. | [Deploying your project](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-deploy&format=markdown) |
{: caption="Checklist for extracting meaning" caption-side="top"}

## Enhance your chatbot
{: #product-overview-chat}

Delight your customers by fortifying your chatbot with an answer to every question. Discovery is designed to work seemlessly with watsonx Assistant to search and deliver answers from help content that you already own.

![Shows a chat bot with emphasize the answer enabled.](images/convo-search.png){: caption="Answer finding enabled in the watsonx Assistant web chat" caption-side="bottom"}

If enhancing your chatbot is your goal, complete the steps that are listed in the following table.

| Step | Task | Related information |
|------|------|---------------------|
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create a *Conversational Search* project. | [Creating projects](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-projects&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Add a collection that connects to an external data source or contains uploaded files. | [Creating collections](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-collections&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Run test queries to assess the quality of the initial results. | [Previewing the default query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-query-results&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Take actions to improve your results. | [Improving your query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-improvements&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Connect your project to a virtual assistant that is built with Watson Assistant. | [Deploying your project](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-deploy&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | From the Watson Assistant user interface, deploy the web chat that is associated with your assistant. | [Deploying your assistant](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watson-assistant?topic=watson-assistant-web-chat-overview&format=markdown){: external} |
{: caption="Checklist for enhancing your chatbot" caption-side="top"}

For a more detailed look at these steps, take a tutorial that walks you through them. For more information, see [Power your assistant with answers from web resources](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-tutorial-assistant-fred&format=markdown).

Alternatively, you can add a generative language service named NeuralSeek between the Watson Discovery and watsonx Assistant services. For more information, see [Use NeuralSeek to return polished answers from existing help content](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watson-assistant?topic=watson-assistant-tutorial-neuralseek&format=markdown){: external}.

## Find trends
{: #product-overview-mining}

Uncover patterns, trends, and relationships in structured and unstructured data. Use text analytics to gain insights into social media, e-commerce trends, and user behavior. Or start to address problems by finding their root cause.

Only users of installed deployments or Premium or Enterprise plan-managed deployments can create this type of project.
{: note}

![Shows the content mining application user interface.](images/mining-search.png){: caption="Analyzing data with the Content Mining application" caption-side="bottom"}

If finding trends in your data is your goal, complete the steps that are listed in the following table.

| Step | Task | Related information |
|------|------|---------------------|
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create a *Content Mining* project. | [Creating projects](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-projects&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Add a collection that connects to an external data source or contains uploaded files. | [Creating collections](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-collections&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Use the built-in Content mining application to analyze your data. | [Analyzing your data with the content mining application](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-contentminerapp&format=markdown) |
{: caption="Checklist for finding trends" caption-side="top"}

## Analyze contracts
{: #product-overview-contracts}

Accelerate the pace at which experts can analyze complex documents.

Only users of installed deployments or Premium or Enterprise plan-managed deployments can create this type of project.
{: note}

![Shows the Contract Info tab for a contract document query result.](images/contract-search.png){: caption="Analyzing contracts" caption-side="bottom"}

If analyzing contracts is your goal, complete the steps that are listed in the following table.

| Step | Task | Related information |
|------|------|---------------------|
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Create a *Document Retrieval for Contracts* project. | [Creating projects](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-projects&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Add up to 5 collections that connect to external data sources or contain uploaded files. | [Creating collections](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-collections&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Run test queries to assess the quality of the initial results. | [Previewing the default query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-query-results&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Take actions to improve your results. | [Improving your query results](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-improvements&format=markdown) |
| ![checkbox](images/checkbox.png) | Analyze the data. | [Understanding contracts](https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/discovery-data?topic=discovery-data-contracts-schema&format=markdown) |
{: caption="Checklist for analyzing contracts" caption-side="top"}