Smarter search: AI opens up information at VluchtelingenWerk

The complaint they heard most was clear: "I can't find what I'm looking for." For an organization that helps people every day with reliable, up-to-date information, that was an important signal. So when the website was rebuilt, VluchtelingenWerk decided to look beyond design and navigation and rethink search itself.

From search engine to conversation

The website's existing search ran on SOLR. Technically reliable, but hard to steer in practice. Important pages often didn't come out on top, and anyone searching for how to donate ended up in the wrong place.

For the marketing and communications team, improving the search felt like working in a black box: they had little control over the results. So during the website rebuild they decided to take a different route. Instead of small improvements they chose a clear change of course: if they were going to overhaul it, they would do it properly, with AI.

With vragen.ai, all content was reindexed, not only on titles and keywords but on the full text. Visitors now ask a question and get a relevant answer right away, instead of a list of links. First reactions are positive. Users who notice that the search has changed feel the difference most. Because of the soft launch, not everyone knows about the new feature yet, but those who do use it see the added value immediately.

Managing expectations is essential

A single word gives the system very little to go on when it has to decide which source is relevant. The more context someone gives, the better and more precise the answer. There is an important lesson in that for organizations that want to start with AI: technology on its own is not enough. Explaining to users what the tool is, what it can do and how to get the best out of it matters just as much.

VluchtelingenWerk now makes that clearer where the search starts, with an invitation to ask a question and get an answer straight away. That helps visitors get the most out of the tool. It is also an important part of using AI responsibly: setting clear expectations, being transparent about how it works and leaving room for nuance.

Answers with nuance, tested by subject-matter experts

VluchtelingenWerk works with sensitive social subjects, where care and factual accuracy are essential. Using AI therefore called for trust and thorough testing. They deliberately tested with the policy team: subject-matter experts who look critically at wording, tone and nuance. They asked wide-ranging and sometimes pointed questions to properly assess how the AI performed.

The outcome was a positive surprise. The answers stayed factual, nuanced and clearly in line with the organization's tone of voice. Where nuance was needed, the AI stayed measured rather than assertive.

What stood out was that content which is less appealing from a communications point of view, such as the organization's positions on complex issues, now serves as a valuable source. When someone asks "What does VluchtelingenWerk think about this?", the AI brings up the right positions. Existing content gains meaning and gets put to better use.

Recommendations with AI

Besides answering questions, VluchtelingenWerk also uses vragen.ai to show targeted recommendations underneath pages. Where this used to be set up by hand, the model now analyzes the content and meaning of a page and links relevant content to it automatically. These recommendations are generated in real time and can differ depending on the context of the page. At the same time there is room for human oversight. With a human in the loop, editors can pin recommendations manually when needed. That keeps the balance between smart automation and editorial control.

Implementation without a major rebuild

The technical implementation ran through an integration with Drupal. An API connected all the different content types, including metadata, to the knowledge base. The existing article structure proved a strong and reliable basis for that. Indexing also laid bare how much content there was. They had run clean-up rounds before, but it was still a large body of information. With AI in place, that wealth of content stops being an obstacle and starts being an asset.

The launch of the rebuilt website went relatively fast. Attention went mainly to the new navigation and the most important pages. vragen.ai was tested less extensively beforehand than is perhaps usual, but it quickly turned out that the foundation was solid. The real optimization only started after launch, based on the questions users actually ask.

From answer to action

The next step is already lined up. Where the AI now mainly gives good, complete answers, in future it should also help work out the right next step for the visitor. Think of clear calls to action: when someone asks about donating, the AI can recognize that signal and point them to the right page. The length of the answers is also being looked at. In some cases a more compact answer actually helps encourage visitors to click through and read the source page.

A step toward modernization

Inside larger organizations, change can be nerve-racking, and that goes double for AI. By starting with one concrete application on the website, the team shows that AI doesn't have to be abstract or threatening. It can simply be useful.

The VluchtelingenWerk marketing and communications team is leading the way here. With their subject knowledge and the room to experiment, they took the first step, which is generating enthusiasm across the rest of the organization too.

According to product owner Robin, letting go of the traditional search engine takes some getting used to. "It might sound scary to hand your search over to AI. But what comes out of it now, you couldn't organize by hand at this scale. This is a different way of working. Conversational, and in the end much more pleasant for the user."

Learning from questions

An unexpected bonus of the new search is that the organization can learn from the questions visitors ask. Analyzing questions in clusters shows at a glance what is on visitors' minds, which subjects keep coming up, and where information is still missing or not clear enough. So the search doesn't only help visitors find answers faster, it also gives VluchtelingenWerk valuable insight for improving their content and their services.

Looking ahead

VluchtelingenWerk sees this development as a first step. The focus now is on refining the answers further, so they line up fully with what the organization wants and stands for.

After that there is room to broaden the use of AI, in more places within the organization and with clear communication about this new way of searching. The bigger picture VluchtelingenWerk has in mind? A situation where people no longer consciously visit a website, but ask a question and are helped from there. By investing now in quality content, a clear structure and responsible use of AI, VluchtelingenWerk is working toward that future step by step, with an eye for nuance and for the people who need this information.