Specification Search is a feature in the Master Data Information app for Business Central that lets you find items on sales order lines and purchase order lines by searching across the master data on the item card. You can search on attributes like color, size, and vendor, not just the item number and description. If your search returns a single unique item, Business Central inserts the line automatically without prompting you to choose.
You activate Specification Search in the Master Data Information Setup under the detailed app setup. Find the line called Search Item Functionality and turn it on. This is hidden by default.
You then mark which master data fields to include in the search using the Include in Specification Search column on the information code list. You configure what the search returns in the item search setup, and you build the underlying search index by running Calculate Strings in the item search string.
When you search for an item that has a variant code, Business Central inserts both the item and the matching variant code on the line automatically.
What Specification Search does in Business Central
Specification Search gives you a smarter way to find items on sales orders and purchase orders. Instead of relying only on the item number or the item description, you can search across the master data information stored on the item card.
Standard Business Central already lets you create an order line and search by writing part of a description. For example, you can type that you are looking for a wheel and find a back wheel. That search is fine, but it only looks at standard fields.
With the Master Data Information app, you extend the search to include any master data you have set up. Say you are looking for a t-shirt that should be red and extra large. The color and size are not part of the item description. They are two separate pieces of master data on the item card. Specification Search finds the item based on those attributes.
You can combine criteria freely. You do not need to write everything, and you can add more terms to narrow the results. You can also search on vendor information. For example, if you know you buy a particular item from a supplier in China, you can search by the vendor and then add that it is a bike you are looking for to filter further.
When a search returns several matches, you pick the one you want from the list. You can select items with variant codes or without. If you choose a line that has a variant code, the search inserts both the item and the variant code on the order line automatically. If your search returns only one unique item, no list appears. Business Central inserts the line straight away.
How to activate Specification Search
The functionality is hidden by default. If you go into the information code list without activating it first, you will not see the relevant column.
To turn it on, go into Master Data Information Setup and open the detailed app setup. Find the line called Search Item Functionality and activate it. This is what makes the search logic possible, both for setting it up and for using it on the order lines.
Choosing which master data to include in the search
For each item you can define master data information such as colors, sizes, and other specifications that are part of the Master Data Information app. Any of these parameters can become search parameters.
After activating the search functionality, go into the information code list where you define your master data information. You will see a column called Include in Specification Search. Check the master data you want the search to use.
You decide what belongs in the search. Some master data is worth searching on, while other fields, such as a last service date or a complaints note, are not. Mark only the specifications you actually want to filter by.
Configuring the item search setup
Next, go into the item search setup once. A setup record is inserted by default. Here you define what the search includes after the first calculation and what gets updated automatically every time you change items, master data, or vendor information.
You decide whether the search should include the item number and description, variant codes, and vendor number. You also control how the item list appears, including whether it is sorted ascending or descending.
Calculating the search strings
Finally, go into the item search string. The first time you do this it will be empty. Select Calculate Strings, let it run, and you are up and running.
The calculation creates the logical strings used for searching. Each string is built from the item master data and the vendor information. For a purchase item with a vendor assigned, you will see the vendor details included in the search string. All the master data becomes part of the search string, and this is what Business Central filters on when you search from a purchase order line or a sales order line.
Once the strings are calculated, you have a quick way of finding the right items every time you create an order.
Q&A
What is Specification Search in Business Central?
It is a feature in the Master Data Information app that lets you find items on sales order lines and purchase order lines by searching across the master data on the item card, such as color, size, and vendor, instead of only the item number and description.
How do I activate Specification Search?
Go into Master Data Information Setup, open the detailed app setup, find the line called Search Item Functionality, and activate it. The functionality is hidden by default.
How do I choose which master data fields are searchable?
Open the information code list and use the Include in Specification Search column to check the master data fields you want the search to use. Leave out fields you do not want to search on, such as a last service date or complaints notes.
What happens if my search returns only one item?
Business Central does not show a list. It inserts the line automatically with that item.
Does Specification Search handle variant codes?
Yes. You can search and select items with or without variant codes. If you choose a line that has a variant code, the search inserts both the item and the matching variant code on the order line automatically.
What do I need to do before I can use the search?
After activating the functionality and choosing your searchable master data, configure the item search setup, then go into the item search string and run Calculate Strings to build the search index.