diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js b/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js
index 45f24e9f2..07672b944 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/help-panel.js
@@ -1,4 +1,10 @@
 import React from 'react';
+import { connect } from 'react-redux';
+
+import { searchableFieldsSelector } from '../selectors/chartSelectors';
+import { CANVAS_MARGINS } from '../constants/styles';
+import { hideHelp } from '../actions/app-actions';
+
 
 const GENERAL_SHORTCUTS = [
   {key: 'esc', label: 'Close active panel'},
@@ -8,17 +14,19 @@ const GENERAL_SHORTCUTS = [
   {key: 'g', label: 'Toggle Graph mode'},
 ];
 
+
 const CANVAS_METRIC_SHORTCUTS = [
   {key: '<', label: 'Select and pin previous metric'},
   {key: '>', label: 'Select and pin next metric'},
   {key: 'q', label: 'Unpin current metric'},
 ];
 
+
 function renderShortcuts(cuts) {
   return (
     <div>
       {cuts.map(({key, label}) => (
-        <div key={key} className="help-panel-shortcut">
+        <div key={key} className="help-panel-shortcuts-shortcut">
           <div className="key"><kbd>{key}</kbd></div>
           <div className="label">{label}</div>
         </div>
@@ -27,20 +35,135 @@ function renderShortcuts(cuts) {
   );
 }
 
-export default class HelpPanel extends React.Component {
-  render() {
-    return (
-      <div className="help-panel">
-        <div className="help-panel-header">
-          <h2>Keyboard Shortcuts</h2>
+
+function renderShortcutPanel() {
+  return (
+    <div className="help-panel-shortcuts">
+      <h2>Shortcuts</h2>
+      <h3>General</h3>
+      {renderShortcuts(GENERAL_SHORTCUTS)}
+      <h3>Canvas Metrics</h3>
+      {renderShortcuts(CANVAS_METRIC_SHORTCUTS)}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+
+const BASIC_SEARCHES = [
+  {term: 'foo', label: 'All fields for foo'},
+  {term: 'pid: 12345', label: 'Any field matching pid for the value 12345'},
+];
+
+
+const REGEX_SEARCHES = [
+  {term: 'foo|bar', label: 'All fields for foo or bar'},
+  {term: 'command: foo(bar|baz)', label: 'Command field for foobar or foobaz'},
+];
+
+
+const METRIC_SEARCHES = [
+  {term: 'cpu > 4%', label: 'CPU greater than 4%'},
+  {term: 'memory < 10mb', label: 'memory less than 4mb'},
+];
+
+
+function renderSearches(searches) {
+  return (
+    <div>
+      {searches.map(({term, label}) => (
+        <div key={term} className="help-panel-search-row">
+          <div className="help-panel-search-row-term">
+            <i className="fa fa-search search-label-icon"></i>
+            {term}
+          </div>
+          <div className="help-panel-search-row-term-label">{label}</div>
         </div>
-        <div className="help-panel-main">
-          <h3>General</h3>
-          {renderShortcuts(GENERAL_SHORTCUTS)}
-          <h3>Canvas Metrics</h3>
-          {renderShortcuts(CANVAS_METRIC_SHORTCUTS)}
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+
+function renderSearchPanel() {
+  return (
+    <div className="help-panel-search">
+      <h2>Search</h2>
+      <h3>Basics</h3>
+      {renderSearches(BASIC_SEARCHES)}
+
+      <h3>Regular expressions</h3>
+      {renderSearches(REGEX_SEARCHES)}
+
+      <h3>Metrics</h3>
+      {renderSearches(METRIC_SEARCHES)}
+
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+
+function renderFieldsPanel(currentTopologyName, searchableFields) {
+  const none = <span style={{fontStyle: 'italic'}}>None</span>;
+  return (
+    <div className="help-panel-fields">
+      <h2>Fields and Metrics</h2>
+      <p>
+        Searchable fields and metrics in the <br />
+        currently selected <span className="help-panel-fields-current-topology">
+          {currentTopologyName}</span> topology:
+      </p>
+      <div className="help-panel-fields-fields">
+        <div className="help-panel-fields-fields-column">
+          <h3>Fields</h3>
+          <div className="help-panel-fields-fields-column-content">
+            {searchableFields.get('fields').map(f => (
+              <div key={f}>{f}</div>
+            ))}
+            {searchableFields.get('fields').size === 0 && none}
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <div className="help-panel-fields-fields-column">
+          <h3>Metrics</h3>
+          <div className="help-panel-fields-fields-column-content">
+            {searchableFields.get('metrics').map(m => (
+              <div key={m}>{m}</div>
+            ))}
+            {searchableFields.get('metrics').size === 0 && none}
+          </div>
         </div>
       </div>
-    );
-  }
+    </div>
+  );
 }
+
+
+function HelpPanel({currentTopologyName, searchableFields, onClickClose}) {
+  return (
+    <div className="help-panel-wrapper">
+      <div className="help-panel" style={{marginTop: CANVAS_MARGINS.top}}>
+        <div className="help-panel-header">
+          <h2>Help</h2>
+        </div>
+        <div className="help-panel-main">
+          {renderShortcutPanel()}
+          {renderSearchPanel()}
+          {renderFieldsPanel(currentTopologyName, searchableFields)}
+        </div>
+        <div className="help-panel-tools">
+          <span title="Close details" className="fa fa-close" onClick={onClickClose} />
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
+
+
+function mapStateToProps(state) {
+  return {
+    searchableFields: searchableFieldsSelector(state),
+    currentTopologyName: state.getIn(['currentTopology', 'fullName'])
+  };
+}
+
+
+export default connect(mapStateToProps, { onClickClose: hideHelp })(HelpPanel);
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/components/search.js b/client/app/scripts/components/search.js
index 8671e3e92..4d64762c9 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/components/search.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/components/search.js
@@ -4,11 +4,12 @@ import { connect } from 'react-redux';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
-import { blurSearch, doSearch, focusSearch } from '../actions/app-actions';
+import { blurSearch, doSearch, focusSearch, showHelp } from '../actions/app-actions';
 import { slugify } from '../utils/string-utils';
 import { isTopologyEmpty } from '../utils/topology-utils';
 import SearchItem from './search-item';
 
+
 function shortenHintLabel(text) {
   return text
     .split(' ')[0]
@@ -16,6 +17,7 @@ function shortenHintLabel(text) {
     .substr(0, 12);
 }
 
+
 // dynamic hint based on node names
 function getHint(nodes) {
   let label = 'mycontainer';
@@ -38,6 +40,7 @@ function getHint(nodes) {
    Hit enter to apply the search as a filter.`;
 }
 
+
 class Search extends React.Component {
 
   constructor(props, context) {
@@ -95,7 +98,7 @@ class Search extends React.Component {
 
   render() {
     const { inputId = 'search', nodes, pinnedSearches, searchFocused,
-      searchNodeMatches, searchQuery, topologiesLoaded } = this.props;
+      searchNodeMatches, searchQuery, topologiesLoaded, onClickHelp } = this.props;
     const disabled = this.props.isTopologyEmpty;
     const matchCount = searchNodeMatches
       .reduce((count, topologyMatches) => count + topologyMatches.size, 0);
@@ -130,7 +133,9 @@ class Search extends React.Component {
             </label>
           </div>
           {!showPinnedSearches && <div className="search-hint">
-            {getHint(nodes)}
+            {getHint(nodes)} <span className="search-help-link" onClick={onClickHelp}>
+              Help!
+            </span>
           </div>}
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -138,6 +143,7 @@ class Search extends React.Component {
   }
 }
 
+
 export default connect(
   state => ({
     nodes: state.get('nodes'),
@@ -148,5 +154,5 @@ export default connect(
     searchNodeMatches: state.get('searchNodeMatches'),
     topologiesLoaded: state.get('topologiesLoaded')
   }),
-  { blurSearch, doSearch, focusSearch }
+  { blurSearch, doSearch, focusSearch, onClickHelp: showHelp }
 )(Search);
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/selectors/chartSelectors.js b/client/app/scripts/selectors/chartSelectors.js
index 5792a56b2..4e146a9ea 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/selectors/chartSelectors.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/selectors/chartSelectors.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { createSelector, createSelectorCreator, defaultMemoize } from 'reselect'
 import { Map as makeMap, is, Set } from 'immutable';
 
 import { getAdjacentNodes } from '../utils/topology-utils';
+import { getSearchableFields } from '../utils/search-utils';
 
 
 const log = debug('scope:selectors');
@@ -95,6 +96,12 @@ export const dataNodesSelector = createSelector(
 );
 
 
+export const searchableFieldsSelector = createSelector(
+  allNodesSelector,
+  getSearchableFields
+);
+
+
 //
 // FIXME: this is a bit of a hack...
 //
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/utils/search-utils.js b/client/app/scripts/utils/search-utils.js
index 77d67cc35..390a813ed 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/utils/search-utils.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/utils/search-utils.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Map as makeMap } from 'immutable';
+import { Map as makeMap, Set as makeSet, List as makeList } from 'immutable';
 import _ from 'lodash';
 
 import { slugify } from './string-utils';
@@ -247,6 +247,40 @@ export function updateNodeMatches(state) {
   return state;
 }
 
+
+export function getSearchableFields(nodes) {
+  const get = (node, key) => node.get(key) || makeList();
+
+  const baseLabels = makeSet(nodes.size > 0 ? SEARCH_FIELDS.valueSeq() : []);
+
+  const metadataLabels = nodes.reduce((labels, node) => (
+    labels.union(get(node, 'metadata').map(f => f.get('label')))
+  ), makeSet());
+
+  const parentLabels = nodes.reduce((labels, node) => (
+    labels.union(get(node, 'parents').map(p => p.get('topologyId')))
+  ), makeSet());
+
+  const tableRowLabels = nodes.reduce((labels, node) => (
+    labels.union(get(node, 'tables').flatMap(t => (t.get('rows') || makeList)
+      .map(f => f.get('label'))
+    ))
+  ), makeSet());
+
+  const metricLabels = nodes.reduce((labels, node) => (
+    labels.union(get(node, 'metrics').map(f => f.get('label')))
+  ), makeSet());
+
+  return makeMap({
+    fields: baseLabels.union(metadataLabels, parentLabels, tableRowLabels)
+      .map(slugify)
+      .toList()
+      .sort(),
+    metrics: metricLabels.toList().map(slugify).sort()
+  });
+}
+
+
 /**
  * Set `filtered:true` in state's nodes if a pinned search matches
  */
diff --git a/client/app/scripts/utils/string-utils.js b/client/app/scripts/utils/string-utils.js
index 788431693..0687bc0ff 100644
--- a/client/app/scripts/utils/string-utils.js
+++ b/client/app/scripts/utils/string-utils.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ export const formatMetric = makeFormatMetric(renderHtml);
 export const formatMetricSvg = makeFormatMetric(renderSvg);
 export const formatDate = d3.time.format.iso;
 
-const CLEAN_LABEL_REGEX = /\W/g;
+const CLEAN_LABEL_REGEX = /[^A-Za-z]/g;
 export function slugify(label) {
   return label.replace(CLEAN_LABEL_REGEX, '').toLowerCase();
 }
diff --git a/client/app/styles/main.less b/client/app/styles/main.less
index 9d1d47832..31d4bec21 100644
--- a/client/app/styles/main.less
+++ b/client/app/styles/main.less
@@ -1339,6 +1339,16 @@ h2 {
     text-align: left;
   }
 
+  &-help-link {
+    cursor: pointer;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    text-transform: uppercase;
+
+    &:hover {
+      text-decoration: underline;
+    }
+  }
+
   &-label {
     position: absolute;
     pointer-events: none;
@@ -1482,62 +1492,158 @@ h2 {
 // Help panel!
 //
 
-@help-panel-width: 400px;
-@help-panel-height: 420px;
 .help-panel {
-  position: absolute;
-  -webkit-transform: translate3d(0, 0, 0);
-  top: 50%;
-  left: 50%;
-  width: @help-panel-width;
-  height: @help-panel-height;
-  margin-left: @help-panel-width / -2;
-  margin-top: @help-panel-height / -2;
   z-index: 2048;
   background-color: white;
   .shadow-2;
+  display: flex;
+  position: relative;
+
+  &-wrapper {
+    position: absolute;
+    width: 100%;
+    height: 100%;
+
+    display: flex;
+    justify-content: center;
+    align-items: flex-start;
+  }
 
   &-header {
     background-color: @weave-blue;
-    padding: 36px;
+    padding: 12px 24px;
     color: white;
 
     h2 {
       margin: 0;
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      font-size: 125%;
     }
   }
 
+  &-tools {
+    position: absolute;
+    top: 6px;
+    right: 8px;
+
+    span {
+      .btn-opacity;
+      padding: 4px 5px;
+      margin-left: 2px;
+      font-size: 110%;
+      color: #8383ac;
+      cursor: pointer;
+      border: 1px solid rgba(131, 131, 172, 0);
+      border-radius: 10%;
+
+      &:hover {
+        border-color: rgba(131, 131, 172, 0.6);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+
   &-main {
-    padding: 12px 36px 36px;
+    padding: 12px 36px 36px 36px;
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: row;
+    align-items: stretch;
+
+    h2 {
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      line-height: 150%;
+      font-size: 125%;
+      color: #8383ac;
+      padding: 4px 0;
+      border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(131, 131, 172, 0.1);
+    }
+
+    h3 {
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      font-size: 90%;
+      color: #8383ac;
+      padding: 4px 0;
+    }
+
+    p {
+      margin: 0;
+    }
   }
 
-  h3 {
-    text-transform: uppercase;
-    font-size: 90%;
-    color: #8383ac;
-    padding: 4px 0;
+  &-shortcuts {
+    margin-right: 36px;
+
+    &-shortcut {
+      kbd {
+        display: inline-block;
+        padding: 3px 5px;
+        font-size: 11px;
+        line-height: 10px;
+        color: #555;
+        vertical-align: middle;
+        background-color: #fcfcfc;
+        border: solid 1px #ccc;
+        border-bottom-color: #bbb;
+        border-radius: 3px;
+        box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 #bbb;
+      }
+      div.key {
+        width: 80px;
+        display: inline-block;
+      }
+      div.label {
+        display: inline-block;
+      }
+    }
   }
 
-  &-shortcut {
-    kbd {
-      display: inline-block;
-      padding: 3px 5px;
-      font-size: 11px;
-      line-height: 10px;
-      color: #555;
-      vertical-align: middle;
-      background-color: #fcfcfc;
-      border: solid 1px #ccc;
-      border-bottom-color: #bbb;
-      border-radius: 3px;
-      box-shadow: inset 0 -1px 0 #bbb;
+  &-search {
+    margin-right: 36px;
+
+    &-row {
+      display: flex;
+      flex-direction: row;
+
+      &-term {
+        flex: 1;
+        color: #5b5b88;
+      }
+
+      &-term-label {
+        flex: 1;
+      }
     }
-    div.key {
-      width: 100px;
-      display: inline-block;
+  }
+
+  &-fields {
+    display: flex;
+    flex-direction: column;
+
+    &-current-topology {
+      text-transform: uppercase;
+      color: #8383ac;
     }
-    div.label {
-      display: inline-block;
+
+    &-fields {
+      display: flex;
+      align-items: stretch;
+
+      &-column {
+        display: flex;
+        flex-direction: column;
+        flex: 1;
+        margin-right: 12px;
+
+        &-content {
+          overflow: auto;
+          // 160px for top and bottom margins and the rest of the help window
+          // is about 160px too.
+          // Notes: Firefox gets a bit messy if you try and bubble
+          // heights + overflow up (min-height issue + still doesn't work v.well),
+          // so this is a bit of a hack.
+          max-height: ~"calc(100vh - 160px - 160px - 160px)";
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 }