The fast path: keyboard search
The fastest way to find anything in the docs:
Search is full-text across all four tabs (CRM+, Raise, Volunteer, Virtuous). You don’t need to switch tabs to find content — search ranges across the entire docs set.
What search returns
Search ranks results by relevance. Each result shows:- The page title
- The group and tab it belongs to
- A short preview of the matching content
When you find what you need, follow the page’s internal table of contents and the cross-links to get deeper context. Search is the starting point, not the destination.
Strong searches vs. weak searches
A few patterns that improve search results:
Two principles: mention the product (CRM+, Raise, Volunteer) when the topic differs across them, and use specific terms (the actual field name, the actual concept) rather than generic ones.
Searching across products
If you don’t specify a product, search returns matches across all four tabs. For cross-cutting topics (rate limits, error handling, pagination, security), this is useful — you can compare how each API handles the same concern. Example searches that benefit from cross-product results:Structured browsing
When you don’t yet know what you’re looking for, browse by group:
The left sidebar shows the full hierarchy for the current tab. Click between groups to expand and collapse. Use the search shortcut whenever browsing feels slower than searching.
In-page navigation
Once you’re on a page, several elements help you navigate within it and back out:The table of contents (right sidebar)
Every page longer than a few sections has a table of contents in the right sidebar showing the page’s headings. Click any heading to jump there. As you scroll, the current section highlights. For long pages (Best Practices, Integration Recipes), the table of contents is the fastest way to skip to the section you want.Anchor links
Every heading on every page has an anchor link. Hover over a heading to reveal the link icon; click to copy a direct URL. Use anchor links to:- Share a specific section with a teammate
- Bookmark a specific subsection you reference often
- Link to specific guidance from a partner’s own internal docs
Breadcrumbs (top of page)
The top of each page shows the path: Tab → Group → Page. Click any breadcrumb segment to go back up a level.Closing CardGroup (every page)
Every page closes with a<CardGroup cols={2}> containing four suggested next-read pages. These are curated — the most natural next pages from where you are. Follow them when you want to go deeper on the topic you just read.
Cross-link patterns built into the docs
The docs are designed as a connected web, not a flat list. Cross-links between pages follow consistent patterns:
Following cross-links is often faster than searching — the docs already know what’s related to what you’re reading.
Linking back to the docs from outside
When you want to share a specific docs section with a teammate or paste a link into your team’s internal docs:
URLs are stable. Mintlify hosts the docs and Virtuous owns the domain — links you save today will work indefinitely.
URL deep-linking
Beyond standard page URLs, a few special parameters let you deep-link into specific behaviors:
Example:
https://docs.virtuous.org/volunteer/overview?assistant=How%20do%20I%20detect%20deleted%20users%3F opens the Volunteer Overview page with the AI Assistant pre-populated with “How do I detect deleted users?”
This is useful for:
- Linking from your team’s onboarding docs to “ask the assistant about X”
- Emailing a teammate a specific question pre-loaded into the assistant
- Embedding “ask about this” links in your customer-facing support content
Common navigation patterns
A few patterns that emerge naturally:“I’m new — orient me”
- Visit docs.virtuous.org
- Pick the relevant product tab (CRM+, Raise, or Volunteer)
- Read the Overview, Quickstart, and Authentication pages in the Get Started group
- Move to Core Concepts
”I’m building something — show me how”
- Search for the workflow or recipe matching your task
- Or browse the relevant product’s Workflows / Recipes groups
- Follow the cross-links to Concepts (for reference) and Best Practices (for architectural patterns)
“I’m reviewing my integration’s quality”
- Browse the relevant product’s Best Practices group
- Use the Decision tables at the top of each page to find what applies to you
- Compare your implementation against documented patterns
”I’m debugging”
- Search for the specific error code, field name, or symptom
- Or use the AI Assistant (Cmd+I) to describe what’s happening
- Check Error Handling, Rate Limits, and Error Recovery Patterns pages
”I’m hunting a specific field”
- Search for the field name directly
- The Concepts pages have comprehensive field reference
- Or jump to the API Playground for the relevant endpoint
When search isn’t returning what you want
A few troubleshooting tips:
When search and browsing both come up short, the AI Assistant is often the right next step. See AI Assistant.
Where to go next
AI Assistant
The in-docs AI chat — when you have a question you’d rather ask than search.
Contextual Menu
Pull docs content into your external AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, etc.).
API Playground
Test endpoints directly in the docs and copy the resulting code into your project.
Documentation Overview
The full orientation to the docs structure — tabs, groups, and conventions.