Searching is easy when the desired results are displayed. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. But don't worry: often, a little trick is all it takes. 😉
To help you find the right search results, we have put together some tips and solutions for you here.
Basic tips & tricks
If you follow the tips below, you'll be able to better understand and directly rule out many causes of search problems:
Check your entries
Spelling and typos
Transposed letters or incorrect spellings can prevent relevant results from being displayed. If you encounter problems, check your entries.
Overlooked filters from a previous search
Existing filter settings from a previous search are often overlooked. Reset existing entries if necessary.
Imprecise search terms
If you use terms that are too general or ambiguous, the search may not be able to recognize what you are looking for. Check whether you can narrow down your search.
Technical background
Metadata & keywords
Search fields always search metadata fields. This means that only information that is stored on an object (e.g., file type or file size) or that has been tagged as keywords (e.g. description or item number) can be found. If this is not the case, a search may be unsuccessful.
Individual search fields
A search field only searches specific metadata fields. For example, if you enter a file name in a search field that only searches metadata field "product number", you will get no result.
Module-dependent search filters
If you search in the filter area of a module, only results from this module will be returned. Use the global search in the header to get cross-module suggestions in a drop-down menu.
Search logic
Some search fields require logical operators (e.g. AND, OR, NOT), quotation marks (e.g., in a full-text search), or additional filters (e.g. date, file type) to deliver the correct results.
Access
The system must have access to the relevant data sources. If the connection to the file system or database is disrupted, the objects cannot be displayed.
Different search fields or results than colleagues
If you see fewer or different search results than your colleagues or if you have different search fields, there may be several reasons for this:
Different roles & rights
Each role only has access to certain modules and content. If your user role does not correspond to that of your colleagues, you may get different search results, e.g. because rights to a certain file are restricted. Search filters may also vary depending on the role and, for example, search different metadata fields.
Different infrastructure
In some cases, browser settings or the operating system used can lead to differences. For example, a MAC processes special characters differently than a Windows computer. An old search result in the cache may display different objects.
Contact your administrator if you are missing important filters or cannot find the objects you need.
Troubleshooting
If the search does not work as expected despite the notes and tips above, you will find different approaches for each problem below.
No results, even though there are matching objects
If you cannot find a specific object or are sure that there should be results, try the following solutions:
Check that all search fields are filled in correctly. Even one incorrect value (e.g. a typo or incorrect status) can exclude files.
Pay attention to special characters, upper and lower case letters, or too many spaces.
Use partial terms instead of entire names: even a few letters are enough to get results.
Check any operators used: AND only allows one combination, OR allows alternatives.
Clear a single field as a test to narrow down possible input errors.
Reset the search completely and start again with a simple criterion.
Check whether there are synonyms and other alternatives for the search term.
Check whether the information is up to date: Sometimes the object you are looking for does not exist (anymore).
Check whether you are searching in the correct module (a search for a file will be unsuccessful in the "Collections" module).
Check whether you are searching in the correct folder. Check whether the folder containing the object you are looking for is also shared with you.
Results list is too general or confusing
If you get too many results, try the following solutions:
Combine the available filters to narrow down your search, e.g. "File type" + "Status" + "Keywords".
Use the folder structure as a filter if you know in which folder the file you are looking for is stored.
Use the sorting options above the results list to sort the list by creation date, size, or display name, for example.
Global search: The global search displays results across all modules; sorting or filtering is not possible here. Check whether you can perform a targeted search in a specific module.
The search is not responding
If the results list does not update automatically, try the following solutions:
In some modules, real-time search is disabled, which shows you results directly in the first entries. You must then actively click on "Search" after filling in the filters.
Check whether a browser add-on (e.g., ad blocker) is blocking the function.
The search is too slow
If the results list takes a long time to display results, try the following solutions:
Check above the results list how many results are displayed per page and reduce the number if necessary.
An administrator can check the database indexes. A fast search requires an efficiently set up index on fast data carriers:
Is the database optimized? Are there sufficient resources for the search queries?
Are objects being searched for that are not indexed or are indexed inefficiently?
Are fast SSDs used as data carriers?
The reset function does not delete all entries
If you cannot reset your search filters, try the following solutions:
In rare cases, user-defined or cached filters are not completely reset.
Refresh the page in your browser and reopen the module to start with a blank search.
Clear the input fields manually if the function does not respond.
The full-text search returns no or incomplete results
If the full-text search does not return the expected results, try the following solutions:
Ensure that you are using the search operators
+,-,*," "or( )correctly. The rules are interpreted strictly:Use
+for mandatory terms (must be included) and-for exclusion (must not be included)."+pear -apple"only returns documents that contain "pear" but do not contain "apple" anywhere.The wildcard
*only works at the end of a word, but not at the beginning or in the middle of a word:"app*"finds "apple tree" but not "pineapple".Quotation marks
" "only find exact phrases, including spaces or special characters:"marketing campaign 2026".Use parentheses to form logical groups:
"+(apple pear)"searches for documents containing either of the two terms.
Avoid unnecessary combinations with search operators such as
"+apple -apple".Note that upper and lower case letters are not relevant for the results of the full-text search.
"APPLE"also finds "apple" and vice versa.Please note that only searchable documents (e.g. PDF, DOCX) can be taken into account. InDesign documents cannot be searched.
If necessary, ask your administrator to check the configuration of the full-text search.
These steps should help you successfully resolve any search issues.
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