How does free text search work?

In Trail, all free-text searches work the same way regardless of what you are looking for (items, reservations, maintenance, etc.).

This guide helps you perform effective searches and narrow down results with the right search terms.

Quick list – remember these!

  1. Each word is its own search term.
  2. Minimum of 3 characters for Trail to return results.
  3. Use OR if you want multiple alternative matches.
  4. Use – (minus) to exclude words from the results.
  5. Use " " (double quotes) when searching for an exact phrase.
  6. Advanced search supports free-text search and provides additional structured filters.

Search techniques in more detail

  1. Each word is its own search term

The more words you type, the more precise the results become. You can combine multiple search terms to narrow down the results.

Example:

  • Apple → Shows all Apple products.
  • Apple Macbook → Shows only Apple Macbook models.

Free-text search works in a similar way across different pages.

  1. Type at least three characters

The search only starts returning results once you type at least 3 letters of a word.

Example:

  • la → no results
  • lap → starts suggesting words that contain these three letters in sequence

Exception: 2-character words. If the search word is only 2 characters long, Trail will only return exact matches.

  • VR → finds only items that contain the exact word “VR”

  1. Searching multiple words with the OR operator

Use OR between search terms when you want to look for multiple alternatives at the same time.

Examples:

  • tables OR chairs → shows results containing either word
  • I12345 OR I12346 OR I12344 → displays those specific item units

  1. ➖ The minus operator for exclusion

Adding a minus sign before a word excludes matching results. Great when results are broad and you want to filter out a subset.

Examples:

  • Nikari -chairs
  • Vehicles -vans

  1. Using double quotes

Double quotes ( " " ) let you search for an exact phrase. Useful when you want to prevent the search from splitting the words into separate search terms.

Examples:

  • "Case 700x800x1700mm" → shows results where the entire phrase appears exactly as written
  • "102 Meeting room Cloud" → searches for the specific room name

  1. Advanced search

You can search for items in two ways, or by combining them in the same search:

  • Free-text search in the item list
    • By default, free-text search looks through the following fields: identifier, My identifier, RFID, category, model, location, department, description, serial number, registration number, responsible user, current user.
    • Additional fields can be included if needed.
  • Advanced search
    • Advanced search provides dedicated fields for many information fields.
    • These filters can be used alone or together with free-text search for more precise results.