Patent ID: 8001111

Claim:
A method for making a trail of a repository of documents, comprising the computer-executed steps of: receiving trail definition data that specifies a trail, wherein the trail includes an ordered series of waypoints and wherein the ordered series of waypoints include: a trailhead, zero or more intermediate waypoints; and one or more trailends; wherein the trailhead is associated with a message; wherein each intermediate waypoint is associated with matching criteria and a message; wherein each trailend is associated with matching criteria and an action; wherein the trail includes a particular waypoint that is associated with particular matching criteria; wherein in the particular matching criteria associated with the particular waypoint are criteria that are satisfied when a user performs a search, against contents of documents in the repository of documents, that correctly responds to a previous waypoint that immediately precedes the particular waypoint in said trail; and storing the trail definition.data in a database; wherein the steps of receiving and storing are performed by one or more computing devices.