Loclie

Finding Local Content

Using the Ask Bar

Find what you're looking for using natural language questions with Loclie's Ask Bar.

Time to complete: 5 minutes

What is the Ask Bar?

The Ask Bar is Loclie's natural language search feature. Instead of using strict keywords, you can type questions the way you would naturally ask them, and the search finds relevant businesses, events, attractions, amenities, jobs, clubs, groups, experiences, and campaigns.

Key features:

  • Natural language queries
  • AI-powered hybrid search (semantic + keyword)
  • Location-aware results (uses your selected town)
  • Full-screen results panel with HeroCards
  • Voice input support (microphone button)
  • Quick search typeahead as you type
  • Real-time pipeline stage feedback (streaming)
  • Popular questions with customisable quick-tap buttons
  • Session caching (results preserved when navigating back)

Where to Find It

On the home page:

  • The Ask Bar appears prominently on the Loclie home page
  • It has a text input field, a microphone button (on the left), and an orange send button (on the right)

Note: The Ask Bar is currently available on the home page. To search from other pages, navigate back to the home page first.

How to Use the Ask Bar

Basic Usage

  1. Tap the Ask Bar input field on the home page
  2. Type your question in plain English (or tap the microphone button for voice input)
  3. Tap the orange send button (or press Enter)
  4. A full-screen results panel slides up from the bottom
  5. Scroll vertically through the results to see all matches
  6. Tap any result card to view full details
  7. Tap the X button (top right) or the background overlay to close results

Example:

You type: "Where can I get coffee near me?"
Loclie shows: A full-screen panel with an AI answer text and HeroCards for matching cafes
Tap a card: Opens that cafe's full business page

Below the Ask Bar, you will see a "Popular questions" box with quick-tap buttons. The default questions are:

  • "What cafes are open now?"
  • "What's on this weekend?"
  • "Where are the nearest public toilets?"
  • "Are there any jobs available?"
  • "Where can I get petrol?"

Tap any question to instantly submit it. You can customise your popular questions by tapping the "customise" link (with settings icon), which takes you to your dashboard settings.

Understanding Results

When the Ask Bar finds matching entities, it displays them in a full-screen results panel that slides up from the bottom of the screen.

The results panel shows:

  • Header - The original question, total result count, and a close (X) button
  • AI Answer text - A natural language response explaining what was found
  • Suggested questions - Follow-up question buttons (when the AI suggests alternatives)
  • Result sections - Grouped by entity type (Businesses, Events/What's On, Attractions, Amenities, Jobs, Clubs, Groups, Experiences, Promotions)

Result display by type:

  • Businesses - Full HeroCard with image, name, categories, opening hours, accommodation/food info
  • Events and Campaigns - HeroCard with event/campaign details, displayed together in a "What's On" section
  • Attractions - HeroCard with attraction name, type, and description (parks, trails, lookouts, museums, beaches)
  • Jobs - HeroCard with job title, business name, and details
  • Clubs - HeroCard with club name and description (organized venues like RSLs, bowling clubs)
  • Groups - HeroCard with group name and description (informal community groups like book clubs, walking groups)
  • Experiences - HeroCard with experience details
  • Amenities - MiniCards in a grid, with an interactive map view showing markers for amenities with coordinates
  • Campaigns - HeroCard with promotion details (can also appear attached to business cards)

Types of Questions You Can Ask

1. Finding Businesses

Simple queries:

  • "Coffee shops"
  • "Restaurants in Byron Bay"
  • "Hardware stores"

Specific requests:

  • "Pizza places that deliver"
  • "Pet-friendly cafes"
  • "Gyms with personal trainers"

With constraints:

  • "Vegan restaurants open now"
  • "Mechanics that do Saturday service"
  • "Bookstores with kids sections"

2. Finding Events

Timeframe queries:

  • "What's on this weekend?"
  • "Events today"
  • "Concerts in November"

Category queries:

  • "Food and wine events"
  • "Live music this week"
  • "Family-friendly activities"

Location-specific:

  • "Events in Ballina"
  • "Markets near me"
  • "Beach events this month"

3. Finding Jobs

Job queries:

  • "Jobs in Byron Bay"
  • "Hospitality jobs near me"
  • "Part-time work available"

Specific industries:

  • "Chef positions"
  • "Retail jobs"
  • "Trade work"

4. Finding Attractions

Attraction queries:

  • "Parks near me"
  • "Walking trails"
  • "Museums and galleries"

Specific places:

  • "Dog parks"
  • "Lookouts with views"
  • "Beaches nearby"
  • "War memorials"

Note: Parks and playgrounds are now classified as attractions (places you want to visit), not amenities.

5. Finding Amenities

Amenity queries:

  • "Where are public toilets?"
  • "Hospitals in town"
  • "Caravan parks"

Specific services:

  • "Where can I charge my EV?"
  • "Public WiFi locations"
  • "Parking near me"

Note: Amenities are infrastructure you need -- toilets, hospitals, police stations, schools, parking, and caravan parks.

6. Finding Campaigns

Campaign queries:

  • "Special offers today"
  • "Restaurant deals"
  • "What's on sale?"

Promotional content:

  • "Current promotions"
  • "Business specials"
  • "Limited time offers"

7. Recommendations

Open-ended questions:

  • "Best breakfast spots?"
  • "Where should I eat tonight?"
  • "Good places for a date?"

Specific needs:

  • "Where can I buy fresh seafood?"
  • "Romantic restaurants for anniversary?"
  • "Places with outdoor seating?"

8. Practical Questions

Services:

  • "Who does car repairs?"
  • "Where can I get a haircut?"
  • "Dentists accepting new patients?"

Shopping:

  • "Where to buy surfboards?"
  • "Organic grocery stores?"
  • "Gift shops for tourists?"

Urgent needs:

  • "Pharmacy open late?"
  • "Emergency vet?"
  • "Accommodation available tonight?"

Quick Search / Typeahead

As you type in the Ask Bar, a dropdown appears showing instant entity matches:

  • Businesses, events, and clubs are matched by name
  • Tap a result to go directly to its detail page without running a full search
  • Press Enter or tap Send for the full AI-powered search instead

This is useful when you already know the name of what you are looking for and want to jump straight to it.

Streaming Pipeline Feedback

When you submit a question, you will see real-time progress indicators showing what the Ask Bar is doing:

  1. "Searching..." -- scanning local businesses, events, attractions, and more
  2. "Ranking results..." -- sorting by relevance using AI reranking
  3. "Found N results, selecting best matches..." -- AI is filtering to show only the most relevant results

The mascot animation changes colour at each stage (blue, amber, purple) to give you a visual sense of progress. Results begin appearing as soon as they are ready, before the full AI answer is complete.

Clarification Options

For broad queries like "What's on?" or "Things to do", the Ask Bar may show clarification buttons instead of immediate results.

How it works:

  • Clarification options help narrow your search: "Events & entertainment", "Food & dining", "Community events", etc.
  • Tap an option to automatically run a more specific search
  • Clarification is skipped when you include time context like "this weekend" or "tonight" -- in that case, the Ask Bar searches directly

Example:

  • You type: "What's on?"
  • Ask Bar shows buttons: "Events & entertainment", "Food & dining", "Community events", etc.
  • Tap "Events & entertainment" to see event results

Session Caching

Your Ask Bar results are preserved in your session. If you tap a result card to view its detail page and then navigate back, your previous results will still be there -- no need to search again.

Best Practices

✅ DO: Be Conversational

Good examples:

  • "Where can I get the best coffee in town?"
  • "I need a plumber urgently"
  • "Looking for Italian food with parking"

Why it works: Natural phrasing helps identify what you're looking for

✅ DO: Include Details

Good examples:

  • "Gluten-free bakeries open Sunday morning"
  • "Dog-friendly beaches near Lennox Head"
  • "Budget-friendly accommodation for families"

Why it works: More details = more targeted results

✅ DO: Try Different Phrasings

If you don't find what you need:

  1. Start with: "Mexican restaurants"
  2. Try refining: "Mexican restaurants with outdoor seating"
  3. Or broaden: "Restaurants in Byron Bay"

Why it works: Different keywords may match different listings

Single Keywords vs Longer Phrases

Single keywords work fine:

  • "pizza"
  • "events"
  • "shops"

But longer phrases may give better results:

  • "Where can I get pizza delivered?"
  • "What events are happening this weekend?"
  • "What shops are in the town center?"

Why: The Ask Bar handles single keywords well through built-in patterns, but adding more context can help surface more targeted results

❌ DON'T: Use Complex Technical Terms

Poor examples:

  • "QSR establishments with drive-thru facilities"
  • "Culinary experiences featuring indigenous ingredients"

Better alternatives:

  • "Fast food restaurants with drive-through"
  • "Restaurants with native Australian ingredients"

Why: Keep it natural and conversational

Example Searches

Scenario 1: New to Town

You: "What are the must-see places in Ballina?"

Ask Bar shows:

  • A full-screen results panel slides up
  • AI answer text with an overview of the area
  • Business HeroCards for popular venues
  • Attraction HeroCards for parks, trails, and points of interest
  • Amenity section with map for local facilities

Action: Scroll down through sections, tap any card to see full details

Scenario 2: Quick Lunch

You: "Healthy lunch options open now near me"

Ask Bar shows:

  • AI text answer with lunch suggestions
  • Business HeroCards for matching cafes and restaurants
  • Each card shows name, categories, opening hours status, and image

Action: Scroll through results, tap a card to visit the business page

Scenario 3: Weekend Plans

You: "Family activities this Saturday"

Ask Bar shows:

  • AI answer summarising weekend options
  • "What's On" section with event and campaign HeroCards
  • Each card shows event name, date, venue, and image

Action: Browse event cards, tap to see full event details

Scenario 4: Special Occasion

You: "Romantic restaurants for anniversary dinner"

Ask Bar shows:

  • AI answer with dining suggestions
  • Business HeroCards for fine dining restaurants
  • Each card shows image, categories, and opening hours

Action: Scroll through options, tap one to view full business page with hours and booking

You: "Hospitality jobs in Byron Bay"

Ask Bar shows:

  • AI answer about available positions
  • Jobs section with HeroCards for matching positions
  • Each card shows job title, business name, and job type

Action: Browse opportunities, tap cards to see full job descriptions and apply

How the Ask Bar Works

Ask Bar automatically uses your selected town or detected location.

Examples:

  • "Cafes near me" → Uses your current location
  • "Events in Byron Bay" → Searches Byron Bay specifically
  • "Best breakfast" → Uses your default town

Ask Bar understands time-related keywords in queries.

Examples:

  • "Open now" → Shows currently open businesses
  • "This weekend" → Saturday and Sunday events
  • "Tonight" → Evening events today
  • "Tomorrow morning" → Next day morning events

The Ask Bar uses hybrid search combining:

  • Semantic search (AI embeddings) - Understands the meaning of your question, not just keywords
  • Keyword search (full-text search) - Matches exact terms across business names, descriptions, event titles, job postings, amenity types, attraction descriptions, club descriptions, group descriptions, and categories

This means queries like "Where can I eat tonight?" will find restaurants even if they do not use the word "eat" in their listing.

Results with Entity Cards vs Text-Only Responses

Entity cards (primary):

  • When matching businesses, events, attractions, jobs, amenities, clubs, groups, experiences, or campaigns are found, they appear as HeroCards in the full-screen panel
  • Results are grouped by section (Businesses, What's On, Attractions, Jobs, etc.)
  • Tap any card to view its full detail page

Text-only response (fallback):

  • When no specific entities match, you will see an AI-generated text answer
  • Provides general information, suggestions, or explains why no results were found
  • May include suggested follow-up questions you can tap to try

Ask Bar Tips

When to Use the Ask Bar

Use when:

  • You want to type naturally
  • You have a specific question
  • You need multiple criteria at once
  • You prefer conversational search
  • You want to discover across multiple categories at once

Examples:

  • "Best brunch spot for groups?"
  • "Kid-friendly activities on rainy days"
  • "Late-night food options"
  • "Jobs at cafes near me"
  • "Special offers this week"

Tip: The Ask Bar works great for discovery and can show results from multiple categories (businesses, events, jobs, etc.) in one search. You can also browse categories directly on the dedicated pages.

Browsing Through Results

Mobile and Desktop:

  • Results appear in a full-screen panel that slides up from the bottom
  • Scroll vertically to browse through all result sections
  • Tap any HeroCard to open its full detail page
  • Tap the X button (top right) to close results and return to the Ask Bar
  • Tap the dark background overlay to close results
  • A bouncing chevron at the bottom indicates more content to scroll

Troubleshooting

"No entity cards showing, only text response"

Why this happens:

  • No specific businesses, events, attractions, jobs, amenities, clubs, groups, or campaigns match your query
  • Question is too general or informational
  • Search criteria too narrow for your town

Try:

  • Make your question more specific to places/events/jobs
  • Include location keywords ("near me", "in [town]")
  • Use category words ("restaurants", "events", "jobs")

Example:

  • Generic: "What is Loclie?" - Gets text response only
  • Specific: "Cafes in Byron Bay" - Gets business HeroCards

"No results found"

Try:

  • Rephrase your question more generally
  • Remove specific constraints
  • Check spelling
  • Try a different category
  • Broaden your location

Example:

  • Instead of: "Michelin star French bistros"
  • Try: "French restaurants"

"Results don't match my question"

Try:

  • Add more details and keywords
  • Be more specific about location
  • Include time constraints
  • Rephrase using different words
  • Include entity type ("businesses", "events", "jobs")

Example:

  • Instead of: "Food"
  • Try: "Where can I get Thai food for dinner?"

"Can't see all results"

Try:

  • Scroll vertically within the full-screen results panel
  • Look for the bouncing chevron at the bottom indicating more content
  • Check if there are multiple sections (Businesses, Events, Jobs, etc.) below the fold

Search Tips

For better results:

  • Include location ("in Byron Bay" or "near me")
  • Specify time ("open now", "this weekend")
  • Add category ("restaurants", "events", "shops")
  • Use descriptive words ("romantic", "budget", "family-friendly")
  • Try synonyms if first search doesn't work

Pro Tips

1. Start Broad, Then Narrow

Search 1: "Coffee"
See many business cards...

Search 2: "Coffee shops with wifi"
Fewer, more relevant cards...

Search 3: "Coffee shops with wifi open Sunday"
Precisely targeted results!

2. Use "Near Me" for Location-Based

"Bakeries near me" → Business HeroCards in your town
"Best bakeries" → Top results in your selected town
"Events near me" → Event HeroCards for your area

3. Combine Multiple Criteria

"Vegan restaurants with outdoor seating open now"

Shows business HeroCards matching:
- Diet: Vegan
- Feature: Outdoor seating
- Status: Open now

4. Explore Multiple Entity Types

"Byron Bay weekend" → Might show multiple sections:
- What's On section with event and campaign HeroCards
- Businesses section with relevant venue HeroCards
- Attractions section with parks, trails, and beaches
- Amenities section with map and MiniCards
- Clubs section with organized venue HeroCards
- Groups section with community group HeroCards

5. Save Your Favourite Finds

After browsing results:

  1. Tap cards to view full details
  2. Save businesses/events to favourites from their detail pages
  3. Note effective search phrases for future use
  4. Try similar queries to discover more

Privacy

What we track:

  • Search queries (to improve results)
  • Clicked results (to rank better)
  • Search patterns (anonymous analytics)

What we DON'T track:

  • Personal information without consent
  • Queries outside our platform
  • We don't share your data with third parties

Learn more: Privacy FAQ

Next Steps

Now that you've mastered the Ask Bar:

Keep discovering with natural language search!

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