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Getting Started > Working with Records > Finding Records > Searching for Records in the Action Bar

Searching for Records in the Action Bar

You can use the Search section of the Action bar to search for records. Before creating a new account, contact, and so on, it is a good idea to determine if the record already exists. In the first field in the Search section in the Action bar, you can select the record type that you want to search. You can select All to search all record types, or you can select an individual record type. You can set the default record type for the Search section. For more information, see Setting Your Default Search Record Type.

NOTE: Your user role and the type of search that your company uses determine which record types you can search in the Search section of the Action bar.

About the Different Types of Search

If you search a single record type, the search results are displayed in a List page, and you can then work with the list of records. You can further refine the list using the list management features of Oracle CRM On Demand, and you can save search results as a new list. For more information about managing lists of records, see Working with Lists. If you search all record types, a Search Results page is displayed with different sections for each type of record found in the search. When you search using text-based search fields, the searches are case insensitive unless the text case-sensitive appears grayed out in the input field. The grayed-out text disappears when you click the field.

You can also go to the Advanced Search page, which allows you to search several record types at once and to search using date fields. Advanced search also provides better filtering capabilities. For more information, see Using Advanced Search.

Oracle CRM On Demand supports two types of search: targeted search and keyword search. Your company administrator determines which type of search is used by default for your company, by selecting the search type on the company profile page. In general, targeted search provides better query performance. For more information about targeted search and keyword search, see About Targeted Search and About Keyword Search.

For targeted searches, your administrator can specify a default value for one or more of the search fields in the Action bar. You can see the filter condition as tooltip text by resting your pointer on the search field in the Action bar, unless the field is a check box field. The tooltip text is not available for check box fields. You can change the value in the search field, but you cannot change the filter condition for a search field in the Action bar. To change the condition, you must go to the Advanced Search page.

The Search section in the Action bar supports type-ahead search in certain fields for targeted search only. For more information, see Support for Type-Ahead Search in Targeted Search.

NOTE: For targeted search only, a Book selector might be displayed in the Search section in the Action bar. You can use the Book selector to narrow the search so that only the records belonging to a particular user book (typically referred to as a user) or custom book (typically referred to as a book) are searched. For more information, see Using the Book Selector.

What Happens If a Search Returns Only One Record

You can specify how a record is displayed if it is the only record returned by a search. The record can be opened directly in a record Detail page, or it can be shown in a list page. This behavior is controlled by the Navigate Directly to Detail Page If Only One Record Is Returned setting, which can be specified in your user profile and at company level. For information about changing this setting, see Updating Your Personal Details.

The following procedure describes how to search for a record in the Action bar.

To search for a record in the Action bar

1. If the Action bar is hidden, show it.

   For information about showing and hiding the Action bar, see About Showing or Hiding the Action Bar.

2. In the Action bar, in the first field in the Search section, select a record type, or select All to search all of the record types that are available for searching.

   NOTE: When you select the option to search all record types, Custom Object 01, 02, and 03 record types are included in the search, but Custom Object 04 and higher record types are not included. A search of all of the record types that are available in the search is slower than searching a single record type.

3. Depending on your setup, enter the value that you want to search for in either a single text field or in several text fields.
4. Click Go.

   TIP: If a message appears indicating that your search request has timed out, you can use Advanced Search to refine your criteria further. For more information, see Using Advanced Search. You can also find more information about optimizing searches and lists on the Training and Support Web site. To access the Training and Support Web site, click the Training and Support global link at the top of each page in Oracle CRM On Demand.

5. Click the link in the record that you want.

   The Detail page for the record opens.