Global Search

Understanding Membrain's Global Search Feature

Membrain's Global Search is a powerful tool designed to help you swiftly locate Projects, Companies, and Contacts. This comprehensive guide provides insights into effectively using this feature, ensuring that you can find what you need when you need it.

Basic Search Principles

Membrain searches primarily in the Name of Projects, Companies, and Contacts. If you know the name or even part of the name of what you're looking for, simply type it into the search bar. This is the most straightforward way to find your desired item. Furthermore, if you're trying to locate a contact, you can also search using their Email Address or Phone Number. For those wanting a bit more precision in their searches, Membrain offers advanced techniques. Wildcards, for instance, can be incredibly handy.

Deciphering Global Search Results

When you use the Global Search, the results are displayed in two distinct sections. The first is the Global Search Hero Result. This is essentially the best match for your search, providing you with the most relevant information at a glance.

The second section is the Grouped Results, where items are categorized by type—Account Growth Projects, Sales Projects, Prospects, and so on. Within these categories, Membrain sorts results based on their relevance and then alphabetically.

It's essential to note that for ease of navigation, if there are more than seven items in a category, the additional results are tucked away. You can easily view these by clicking on the "+ [amount of items] More" link. Closed or resolved projects, as well as retired contacts, have special display rules to ensure clarity and reduce clutter.

Interactive Features & Actions

One of the standout features of Membrain's Global Search is its interactivity. Hovering over any search result gives you a quick preview, offering a snapshot of essential details without having to click into the item. If you're in a hurry, hitting the Enter key will take you directly to the top search result's page.

Additionally, if you're unable to find what you're looking for, Membrain allows you to create a new project or Contact/Company directly from the Global Search page. This ensures that you can quickly add new items without disrupting your workflow.

Power User Tips

Understanding and Using Wildcards

Wildcards are special characters that represent one or more other characters in search queries, allowing for a more flexible and comprehensive search. In Membrain's Global Search, wildcards can significantly enhance the precision and breadth of your results. Here's a breakdown of how to use them effectively:

  • Starts with: If you're certain about the beginning of a name or term but unsure about the rest, use the Something* format. For example, if you're looking for a project that starts with "Scan" but can't recall the complete name, typing Scan* will fetch results like "Scandia", "ScannerProject", and so on.

  • Ends with: If you remember the end part of a term, the *Something format is your best bet. For instance, *dial might return "Scandial" or "Predial".

  • Contains: When you recall only a part of the term and are unsure where it appears, use the *Something* format. This is especially helpful when you remember a middle portion. For instance, *can* can return results like "Scandia", "Decanter", or "CanaryProject".

  • Starts and Ends with: For times when you know the beginning and end of a term but are fuzzy in the middle, the Some*thing format comes in handy. For example, Sc*nia might lead you to "Scandia".

Understanding and effectively using wildcards can significantly improve your search efficiency. It allows you to cast a wider net, ensuring you don't miss out on potential results just because of a memory lapse or minor misspelling.

Utilizing Prefixes for Targeted Searches

Membrain provides a variety of prefixes that allow you to narrow down your search and find exactly what you're looking for with precision. Here's a breakdown of these prefixes and what they correspond to:

  • CRM: This prefix is used to search specifically within Companies & Contacts. For instance, if you're trying to find information related to Elon Musk, you could use CRM: Elon Musk.

  • P: Refers to Prospects. If you're looking for a specific prospect, simply use this prefix followed by the name, such as P: John Doe.

  • SP: This stands for Sales Projects. If you remember a particular sales project's name, use this prefix. For example, SP: Quarterly Review.

  • AGP: Represents Account Growth Projects. To find a specific account growth project, you might use something like AGP: Client Expansion.

  • T: This is the prefix for Tickets. If you're trying to locate a ticket, perhaps something like T: Tech Support Issue would be your search term.

Additionally, for those who wish to search for Companies & Contacts via their External Identifier, the special EID: prefix can be utilized. This is particularly handy for users who manage or reference external databases and need to find associated records in Membrain quickly.

Conclusion

Membrain's Global Search function is a robust and versatile feature, ensuring that you can always find the Projects, Companies, and Contacts you need with ease. By understanding its various functionalities, you can make your Membrain experience even more efficient. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to our team at support@membrain.com. Happy searching!