Skip to main content
Question

Search Feature

  • May 22, 2026
  • 0 replies
  • 201 views
Forum|alt.badge.img+12

I'm trying to create a search feature where a user can search for let's say John Smith or a Tax id or PIN.  For the standard search, if the user searches for John Smith, it does not return any records, even though there is a John Smith.  I'm assuming this is happening because the first and last name are in different fields.

I kind of want an ai search but only search one table and any fields or combination of fields in that table.

Is this possible?

    MarkShnierYou
    Forum|alt.badge.img+22

    The low tech solution is to train your users to use the syntax format below in the filter box

    john AND smith

    The AND must be in upper case.  The other words are not case sensitive.  Is that good enough?

     

    You can edit the report description to include this as a helpful "Pro Tip".

    Mark Shnier. Your Quickbase Coach
      Forum|alt.badge.img+12

      I already had a report like that.  It works, I was hoping QuickBase had come up with a better solution.  I did a combined field of all the possible fields I would want them to search on but it doesn't work unless you but the And in between each search item.

      Forum|alt.badge.img+11
      • Denin
      • Registered
      • May 22, 2026

      Unless I'm misunderstanding, I'm pretty sure you can achieve this in a few ways:

      • Using dashboards, add search widget and configure the widget to provide results for any field
      • Create a formula field and concatenate the fields you want to provide results, make sure those fields are checked as reportable in field settings
      • Can create a code page that queries the table and returns the results in a table, then you can search it any which way you want.
        RoyWanyoike
        Forum|alt.badge.img+13
        • RoyWanyoike
        • Registered
        • May 26, 2026

        Never done this before but basically my thought would be to include a formula text field which will be our search field with all the fields you want to search and then mark it searchable in fields. 

        [First Name] & " " & [Last Name] & " " &

        [Tax ID] & " " &

        [PIN] & " " &

        You can add other fields you want to use to search. Use this field in reports or also in widgets and you will get your matching records beause the combined text is indexed. 

         

        Roy Wanyoike
          MarkShnierYou
          Forum|alt.badge.img+22

          Carol,

          Let's nail this in three steps.

          Make a new formula field called Search Target with the formula

          List(" ", [First Name], [Last Name], [Tax ID], [PIN])

          Put that field on the report and observe that the search for John Smith works.

          Then, you can make a new formula rich text field called Hidden Search Target.

          "<a name=" & URLEncode([Search Target]) & "</a>"

          add that to a report.  Either name the rename the field like a dot . or else do a column override on the report to have a . or blank for the column name and put the field at the far right of the report where users will not really notice it.

          That allows you to make a hidden column with all the possible search terms you want without cluttering up the report with extra visible fields.

          Mark Shnier. Your Quickbase Coach
            Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement