DrillerDB's global search gives you instant access to projects, contacts, employees, invoices, and more from anywhere in the app. No need to navigate through sections first - just search and go.
Quick Start: Search
- Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows)
- Type your search term (at least two characters)
- Click a result to jump straight to it
- Use a prefix like
p:to search one type only - Press Escape to close search
Where to Find It
The global search bar sits in the top bar of every page. Open it instantly:
| Platform | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Mac | Cmd+K |
| Windows/Linux | Ctrl+K |
The keyboard shortcut works from anywhere in the app. Press Escape to close the search or clear the input.
Basic Search
To search across everything at once:
- Click the search bar or press the keyboard shortcut
- Type your search query (two characters or more)
- Results appear as you type, grouped by category
- Click any result to go directly to that item
Without a prefix, DrillerDB searches across all types at once - projects, contacts, employees, invoices, notes, lab samples, and app navigation - and groups the results by category.
Example: Type "smith" to find projects, contacts, and employees with "smith" in their name or details.
Search Prefixes (Power User Feature)
When you know the type of thing you're looking for, add a prefix to search that type only. Type the prefix, a colon, then your search term.
Prefix Quick Reference
| Prefix | Searches | Example |
|---|---|---|
p: | Projects | p:12345 or p:smith |
c: | Contacts | c:ABC Company |
e: or emp: | Employees | emp:john |
i: or inv: | Invoices | i:1042 |
wo: | Work orders (searches projects) | wo:ABC Company |
n: | Notes | n:casing |
s: | Lab samples | s:coliform |
nav: | Navigation (sections and Settings) | nav:billing |
Use a prefix when you know what you're after. Typing p:12345 searches only projects, so the match comes back faster and cleaner.
What Each Prefix Finds
Projects - p: searches project IDs (well keys), client names, and addresses.
Contacts - c: searches business names, contact names, and locations.
Employees - e: or emp: searches active employee names and email addresses.
Invoices - i: or inv: searches invoice numbers and associated customers.
Work orders - wo: finds pump and service work, which is stored with your projects, so it searches the projects list.
Notes - n: searches project and well-log notes.
Lab samples - s: searches water-test and lab sample records.
Navigation - nav: jumps to any section of the app, including specific Settings pages.
Jump to Any Section with nav:
The nav: prefix takes you straight to a section without clicking through menus. You can also type a plain keyword and DrillerDB will suggest matching pages.
Main sections: Dashboard, Projects, Pump/Service, Scheduling, Maps, Contacts, Reports, Equipment, Products & Services, Invoices, Compliance, Geology, Communications, Settings, and more.
Settings pages: jump directly to a specific Settings tab:
nav:users- Users & Permissionsnav:billing- Billing (Stripe, subscription)nav:integrations- Integrations (QuickBooks, Stripe, API)nav:notifications- Notificationsnav:security- Security (two-factor, password)nav:branding- Branding (logo, colors, theme)nav:api- API Keys
For example, typing "billing" suggests the Billing settings page.
Ask a Question
Global search doubles as a quick way into help. Start your query with a question word or a ? and DrillerDB offers documentation and help answers instead of records.
?how do I send an invoicehow do I add a user
What Happens When You Click a Result
| Result type | Where it takes you |
|---|---|
| Project | The project detail page |
| Contact | The contact's record |
| Employee | The employee's page |
| Invoice | The invoice |
| Note | The related project's Activity tab |
| Lab sample | The related project's Lab tab |
| Navigation | The section or Settings page |
The search closes as soon as you pick a result, and the input clears so it's ready for your next lookup.
Tips for Effective Searching
Start simple. A few characters is usually enough - the results narrow as you type. Typing "joh" often finds "John Smith".
Use a prefix for speed. When you know the type, a prefix like p:12345 searches only projects instead of everything.
Search is case-insensitive. "john", "John", and "JOHN" all return the same results.
Partial matches work. Search uses "contains" matching, so "mai" matches "Main Street".
Refine when needed. Each category shows the top matches. If you don't see what you want, add more characters to make the search more specific.
Use section tools for advanced filters. Global search is best for fast lookups by name or ID. For date ranges, statuses, or assigned employees, open the section - like the Projects list - and use its own filters.
Security and Privacy
Global search respects DrillerDB's security model:
- Authentication required: you must be logged in to search.
- Multi-tenant isolation: results are always filtered to your company - you never see another company's data.
- Permission-based: search respects your role. Sections you can't access won't appear as navigation results.
Troubleshooting
No results appearing? Make sure you've typed at least two characters, then check your spelling or try a different term.
Getting the wrong type of result? Add a prefix to narrow the search - for example c: for contacts or p: for projects.
Shortcut not working? Some browser extensions override keyboard shortcuts. Try clicking the search bar directly, or close any conflicting browser search first.
Related Topics
- Navigation Basics - Moving around the app
- Dashboard Overview - Interface orientation
- Projects - Project management
- Search & Filters - Filtering the projects list