Facebook has announced Graph Search, which is designed to help users of the social network No.1 find information within the site. Facebook says it has over than 240 billion photos and more than a trillion connections, created by more than million of its users, and Graph Search is “a new way to navigate these connections and make them more useful.” The new tool, which was introduced on February 15, is now in beta and is available for a limited preview only in English.

Pic.: A snapshot of the Introducing Graph Search page, www.facebook.com/about/graphsearch

Since the Graph Search is tailored to the specific environment of the social media platform, its algorithm differs from web search. While traditional web search uses a set of keywords and delivers you the most related, best matching results, Graph Search allows to combine phrases to “get that set of people, places, photos or other content that’s been shared on Facebook.” So, basically, the new Facebook tool is made to help its users make even more connections. Users can refine the search by specifying gender, hometown, age, etc.—the results (other users’ profiles) will be listed on the page.

What about privacy? Facebook says it was building Graph Search from the start with privacy in mind, so if you’ve marked your piece of content as private, no one will find it using the new search. “It makes finding new things much easier, but you can only see what you could already view elsewhere on Facebook,” says the company. The new feature is designed as the third pillar of the Facebook ecosystem—the two, launched earlier, are the News Feed, which shows “what’s going on around them [users],” and the Timeline, which discloses “what’s going on in their life.”

Facebook says the new tool is in its early stages of development, and there is a lot to be added, so it’s not clear yet when Graph Search will be launched globally. Learn more about the Graph Search here, on its official introduction page.