---
title: "Search function and search dockable"
description: ""
url: "https://docs.itrsgroup.com/docs/geneos/7.11.0/visualization/active-console/view-customization/search-function-and-search-dockable/index.html"
---
## Overview

The **Search** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/search16x16.png "icon") function allows you to
 define a search over all the data items known to the
 Active Console.

The search function can be accessed:

- On the **Tools** menu.
- By pressing `CTRL` + `F`.
- By clicking **Search** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/search16x16.png "icon") on the menu bar.

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-search-tool.png)

## Basic search

The **Basic** search option provides pre-configured settings that need to be enabled and selected to match the desired data items.

There are the fields and options that you can modify:

<div class="table-container">
<table class="legacy-table" style="width: 100%;mc-table-style: url('../../../Resources/TableStyles/ref_2_col_table.css');margin-left: 0;margin-right: auto;" class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table" cellspacing="0">
                    <col class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                    <col class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Column-Column1"/>
                    <thead>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Head-Header1">
                            <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadE-Column1-Header1">Field</th>
                            <th class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-HeadD-Column1-Header1">Description</th>
                        </tr>
                    </thead>
                    <tbody>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Search for</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">
                                <p>Type of data item you are searching.</p>
                                <p>Example value: Gateway, Directory, Probe, Entity, Sampler, Dataview, Cell, Headline</p>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">With name</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Use special characters, such as asterisk (*) and question mark (?) for wildcards.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">With severity</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">
                                <p>Specifies the severity.</p>
                                <p>Example value: Critical, Warning, OK, Undefined</p>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">With state</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Includes the User assigned, Snoozed, and Active options.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">Assigned to</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">
                                <p>Search for any data item per assignee. </p>
                                <p>This only works if:</p>
                                <ul>
                                    <li>There is an assignee to the data item you are looking for.</li>
                                    <li>The <strong>User assigned</strong> is set to <strong>Yes</strong>.</li>
                                    <li>the keyword exactly matches the assginee's name which is case-sensitive.</li>
                                </ul>
                            </td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyE-Column1-Body1">With entity attributes</td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyD-Column1-Body1">Specify the entity attributes you set in the workspace settings.</td>
                        </tr>
                        <tr class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-Body-Body1">
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyB-Column1-Body1"> </td>
                            <td class="TableStyle-ref_2_col_table-BodyA-Column1-Body1"> </td>
                        </tr>
                    </tbody>
                </table>
            
</div>

## Target destination of the search

By default, search results display on their corresponding tabs in the Search Results dockable.

The results are displayed in a form of a list view. Using the target settings at the bottom
 of the search dialog, you can also send the results to:

- A new tab in the search view
 dockable.
- A new list view dockable, and
 therefore create a new tab.
- An existing list view
 dockable, at which point you are able to
 select the tab to place the results in, which can be
 a new tab.

For more information, see [Configure output of the query](/visualization/active-console/view-customization/../tools/reporting-tool/#configure-output-of-the-query).

The Search Results dockable is a type of list view. For more information about list view and its functions, see [List View](/visualization/active-console/view-customization/../tools/list-view/). Here is an example of Search Results dockable:

![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/active-console/ac-run-selected-report-results.png)

## Advanced search

The **Advanced** search allows you to search for any data items by specifying a path.

 Beginning Active Console 5.5.x, the Managed Entity display name is used in the user readable path.
 To perform an advance search, follow these steps:

1. Go to **Search > Advanced**.
2. Click **Add** ![](https://docscdn.itrsgroup.com/geneos/images/Icons/addItem16x16.png "icon").
3. Click the row to enter the actual path of the data item.
4. Alternatively, click the row and click the ellipsis button to edit the path.
5. Click **Search**.

Example of a path used in the **Advanced** search:

```
/geneos/gateway/directory/probe/managedEntity/sampler/dataview/rows/row
```

## File results destination

The output of a query can be either set within the **Active Console Destination**, or in your local file through **File Destination**.

For more information, see [File results destination](/visualization/active-console/view-customization/../tools/reporting-tool/#file-results-destination).

## Quick search

The **Quick** search or **Find search items** field in the Active Console toolbar allows you to find a data item by its name.

This function displays exactly the keyword you are searching for. The results are also displayed on the **Search Results** tab in the Search Results dockable.