Search bar - increase character limit past 250?

Is your search target a single field, or perhaps just a few fields?  I imagine so.

My suggestion is to create a single record in a new table called Search. Add just 1 record ot that table.  It will be record ID#1.  

Make 1 field as a large text field data entry field.

On the search target table put a formula numeric field with a formula of 1.

make a relationship to the details table and lookup the search target text.

Make a report where the [search target text lookup] contains the search target field in the details table.

Use that report as a report link field report on your search target single record.

So you should be able to just edit the search record, save,  and see the hits on the embedded report.

Trying to set this up. First problem for me might be not understanding data entry. 

-  Make 1 field as a large text field data entry field.
So the Search table will have 1 field only, and it will be Text?


- On the search target table put a formula numeric field with a formula of 1.
I can make the formula field, but how do I make the value = 1?

- Make a relationship to the details table and lookup the search target text.
So the table I wish to search is the Parent and the newly created Search table is the Child? What should the reference field be? I can enter the Lookup field as the one field I created in the Search table. 

- Make a report where the [search target text lookup] contains the search target field in the details table.
I don't understand this. Does this mean I should make a Table Report with the Lookup Search field and the field I wish to search in as columns? 

Use that report as a report link field report on your search target single record.
This report should show up on the Search table records or the table I wish to search in? 

So you should be able to just edit the search record, save,  and see the hits on the embedded report.
I would paste the string of values into the one text field here? Would they be separated by "OR"? 

I appreciate the help. 

Yes the Search table will have only 1 large text field and only 1 record.  It will be [Record ID#]. It looks like you called that field [ID#1] 

To make a field that calculates to 1 the formula is 1.  Just a 1 will calculate to 1.  1 is the [Record ID#] of the one and only Search record. call this [Link to Search table (=1)]

On the relationship, the Search table is the Parent.  The child table is you table that will be searches with all the records.  When you make the relationship, do not use the field that QuickBase offers to you.  Use the  field you just created [Link to Search table (=1)].

Lookup the Search text field [ID#1] down to the details table.  call it [Search text for ID#1]

Make a table report where the filter is

where  [Search text for ID#1] contains [ID#1]  (assuming that your search target field is [ID#1]

Run the report and let me know that you get the expected hits.  The report columns would be the [ID#1] field and any other fields you want, but not that [Search text for ID#1] field.

There should be is  OR in the data you enter in the search box.  But ideally it would be good to separate the search text elements by a semicolon ;

Post back if you get it working that far and we will continue.

Did what you said and achieved a lot of success! 

After some testing, here are my results: 

• Using this method, I am able to search for up to 100 items
• Searching for 101+ items results in the message "There are too many criteria in your query"
  
• It only works with "OR" separating the search terms
• When I try with semi-colons, I get no results

If you have any suggestions to further optimize this, please let me know! I

If not, thank you very much for the helpful solution. 

Oh, also - I wasn't sure if there was a difference between a "text" field and a "data entry" field. I am entering the search terms in a text field. If there is another type of field for data entry, perhaps that would increase my results. 

That said, the face that it was exactly 100 made me think it was by Quickbase's design. 

Can you post a screen shot of your report filter.  I believe that you can get past that limit and that you are not filtering the report as i intended.

Here's a link to a screen shot - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bxrtv4klVbV6Y2M5ZU5uU3VuTk0/view?usp=sharing

I meant, can you tell me how the filter in the report is configured.

I'm still trying to understand the filter on your report.

I'm looking to see if it reads like 

Where Search field - ID#1 Contains ID#1

in my suggested solution, the search terms are a semi colon delimiter list, without the ORs.