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Quick Start

Switch to Technical Guide Explore a more in-depth, data-science view of how Thothful generates queries.
1. What This Tool Does

Thothful helps you get better, more varied Google results from a single research topic.

Instead of one search, you get a list of different, AI-crafted queries that approach your topic from multiple angles.

You still use your preferred search engine (for example, Google).

This tool just helps you ask better questions.

2. Basic Workflow
  1. Enter a topic (required)
    A short 4–6 word phrase that describes what you want to learn or do.
  2. Refine the context (optional but powerful)
    Add or edit:
    • Also Known As – other ways people describe this topic
    • I Want to Know About – specific aspects or questions
    • Related Fields – expert domains connected to your topic
  3. Generate queries
    The system uses your topic and hints to generate 10+ diverse search queries.
  4. Use the queries
    Click any query to open it in your browser (e.g., Google). Each query is designed to return results aligned with your intent.
3. Why Your Inputs Matter

The tool uses AI and semantic analysis to explore the "meaning space" around your topic.

Your inputs act as steering hints, not text to be copied verbatim.

  • Topic – defines the core meaning and scope
  • Also Known As – supplies synonyms and alternate labels
  • I Want to Know About – tells the AI which angles you care about
  • Related Fields – keeps results grounded in relevant disciplines

For each generated query, the system selects a few of your hints and passes them to the AI as guidance. Different combinations of hints lead to different query angles.

4. Crafting a Great Topic (Most Important Step)

Your topic has the biggest impact on the results. Aim for 4–6 words that answer:

"What specific thing does a specific person want to learn or do?"

Good Examples

  • beginner AWS Python hosting
  • Italian cooking for beginners
  • sustainable home vegetable gardening
  • machine learning for medical diagnosis

These are clear, specific, and still open to exploration.

Weak Topics and How to Fix Them

Weak Topic Issue Better Version
Weak Topic
cooking
Issue
Too broad
Better Version
Italian cooking for beginners
Weak Topic
AWS
Issue
Too broad
Better Version
AWS Lambda Python deployment
Weak Topic
learning to setup my first AWS environment...
Issue
Too long and wordy
Better Version
budget AWS Python web hosting
Weak Topic
Python
Issue
Too ambiguous / broad
Better Version
Python web scraping tutorial

If your topic is too broad, results scatter.

If it's too long or ultra-specific, queries become repetitive.

5. Understanding the Input Fields

5.1 Topic (Required)

Your main subject in 4–6 words.

Quick check: If someone saw only this phrase, would they roughly know what you're looking for?

5.2 Also Known As (Optional)

Other names, phrases, or abbreviations people use for this topic.

Example – "beginner AWS Python hosting":

  • aws python setup tutorial
  • deploy python app to aws
  • first aws project python
  • cloud hosting python beginners
Tips:
  • Include both formal and casual phrasings
  • Include acronyms and common shorthand
  • Think about what different communities might say

5.3 I Want to Know About (Optional)

Specific questions or aspects you care about.

Example – "beginner AWS Python hosting":

  • ec2 instance setup steps
  • rds postgresql configuration
  • aws free tier limitations
  • security groups for web apps
  • connecting domain name to aws
  • estimated monthly costs
Tips:
  • Be concrete: "ec2 instance setup steps" is better than "servers"
  • Imagine the sections of a guidebook or table of contents
  • Include your real questions, not abstract concepts

5.4 Related Fields (Optional)

Which expert domains are connected to this topic?

Example – "beginner AWS Python hosting":

  • cloud computing
  • devops
  • web development
  • system administration

These tags help keep queries grounded in relevant disciplines.

6. Using "Suggest Ideas"

If you're not sure what to add, click Suggest Ideas.

The system will propose:

  • Several "Also Known As" phrases
  • Several "I Want to Know About" items
  • Several "Related Fields"

Treat these as a draft, not a checklist:

  • ✅ Keep items that match your intent
  • ❌ Remove items that aren't relevant
  • ✏️ Edit vague items to be more specific
  • ➕ Add any missing questions or perspectives

The goal is to end up with a set of hints that truly reflect what you want to explore.

7. Reading Your Results

After generation, you get a list of queries (typically 10+). Each query:

  • Represents a distinct angle on your topic
  • Is written in a search-friendly length (about 5–12 words)
  • Has been deduplicated so you don't see near-identical phrasing

Each query is clickable and will open in your search engine (for example, Google) in a new tab.

You may also see summary metrics, such as:

  • Queries generated / after dedupe – shows how much variety survived duplicate removal
  • Mean pairwise distance – a numeric indicator of how different the queries are from each other (higher = more diverse)

If you see only a few queries after deduplication, your topic or hints may be too narrow or repetitive.

8. Example Walkthrough

Goal: Learn about renewable energy options for a house.

  1. Pick a topic
    • ❌ renewable energy (too broad)
    • ❌ solar panels wind turbines geothermal home installation costs benefits (too long)
    • ✅ residential renewable energy options
  2. Click "Suggest Ideas" and review the suggestions.
    • Keep items about solar, batteries, and costs if that's your focus.
    • Remove wind turbine items if you know they're not relevant.
    • Add your own items, such as "solar panels for small homes" or "net metering policies".
  3. Generate queries and click the ones that match the lines of inquiry you want to follow.
9. Troubleshooting & Tips

Queries feel repetitive

  • Broaden your topic slightly.
  • Add more varied "I Want to Know About" items that cover different aspects (costs, setup, maintenance, policy, etc.).

Queries feel off-topic

  • Make your topic more specific and clearer about intent.
  • Remove any "Also Known As" items that point in the wrong direction.

You get only a few queries

  • This usually means many candidates were filtered out as duplicates.
  • Broaden the topic or add more diverse hints.

"Suggest Ideas" doesn't match what you want

  • Rewrite your topic to better describe your goal, then click Suggest Ideas again, or
  • Skip suggestions and define "Also Known As" and "I Want to Know About" manually.
10. Quick Reference Checklist
  • ✅ Topic is 4–6 words
  • ✅ Topic describes a specific goal or learner
  • ✅ You've reviewed and edited suggested ideas
  • ✅ "I Want to Know About" covers different aspects, not repetitions
  • ✅ You're using the generated queries as starting points, not final answers

If you follow this checklist, you'll consistently get richer, more relevant search queries from your initial topic.