The search window in Business Central lets you find items, customers, or vendors by filtering on structured master data instead of guessing at item numbers. You define each criterion as either a “need to have” or a “nice to have”, and the system returns matches ranked by how well they fit.
You must include at least one “need to have” criterion before you can search. Without one, the search returns an error because there is nothing to narrow the result.
“Need to have” criteria filter the result list. “Nice to have” criteria do not exclude items. Instead, they show up as mismatches, so you can see how close each item is to a perfect match.
You can pre-fill search criteria by entering an item number, a customer or vendor number, or a template code. Templates let you set up reusable criteria sets for product groups such as T-shirts, bikes, or customers.
The same search window is reused when you work with the information matrix, so you can fill in the matrix directly using specification search.
How the search window uses master data
The point of the search window is to find the right item, customer, or vendor by filtering on master data rather than knowing the exact record up front. Because the master data is stored in a structured way behind the scenes, you can build very complex searches and still get a clear result.
You add filters in the filter window to describe what you are looking for. To get any result at all, you need at least one criterion marked as “need to have”. This tells the system what is non-negotiable.
Pre-filling criteria with numbers or templates
You can pre-fill the criteria lines in two ways.
The first is by entering a number. If you are searching the item list, you enter an item number. If you are searching customers or vendors, you enter a customer number or vendor number. For example, if you enter item number 1150, the system clears the template code and shows the master data for that item. If you enter item 1100, it shows all the master data for that item.
The second is by using a template code. Templates let you save a predefined set of search criteria for a product or record type. If you sell T-shirts, you can build a T-shirt template. If you sell bikes, you can build a bike template. For customers, you can build a customer template. The template pre-fills the search criteria so you do not start from scratch every time.
Need to have versus nice to have criteria
Every criterion can be set to one of several types, and this determines how it affects the result.
- Need to have: The item must match this. It filters the list.
- Need not to have: The item must not match this, so it is excluded from the list.
- Nice to have: The item does not have to match. If it does not, it shows up as a mismatch instead of being filtered out.
- Nice not to have: The item ideally should not match, and a match shows up as a mismatch.
- No demand: The criterion is not used for this search.
If you mark every criterion as “nice to have” and try to search, the result will not make sense because the search returns all items in the template. That is why at least one “need to have” criterion is required.
Reading the mismatch list
The mismatch list shows how well each result fits your criteria. If you set material aluminium as a “need to have” criterion, you might get 16 matching items. All of them have aluminium as the material, but the other criteria may not be fulfilled.
You can sort the list by the number of mismatches. An item with zero mismatches fulfils all the “nice to have” criteria as well. An item with one mismatch might differ on a single point, for example a product type that is a back wheel instead of a front wheel, while everything else matches. An item with three mismatches differs on three criteria, such as product type and wheel diameter.
This makes it easy to see at a glance which records are a perfect fit and which are close enough to consider.
Combining criteria with standard Business Central filters
You can add more than one value to a criterion. If you set city bike as a “need to have” criterion and search, you only get the items that match that requirement.
To search for several values in the same criterion, you enter them directly rather than selecting them on top of each other. You can use standard Business Central filtering syntax here. For example, to find sport bikes and flow bikes, you type the values separated by the standard filter character. This is the same filtering functionality you already know from Business Central.
Adding “nice to have” criteria on top of this does not change the matched result set, but it changes the mismatch count. If you add gear type and tire type as “nice to have” criteria, you keep the same matches, but some items now show one mismatch and some show two, depending on how well they fit.
Using the search window with the information matrix
The same search window appears when you work with the information matrix. If your input data is based on specification search, you see exactly the same window and can use this functionality to fill in the information matrix.
When you use it this way, it does not mark the item. Instead, it fills in the item directly, so you skip the marking step and just press OK. The underlying logic is the same.
Q&A
Why do I get an error when I search in the search window?
You get an error because there is no “need to have” criterion. You must set at least one criterion as “need to have” before you can search. If every criterion is “nice to have”, the search has nothing to filter on and would return all items in the template.
What is the difference between need to have and nice to have criteria?
A “need to have” criterion filters the result list, so only items that match it are returned. A “nice to have” criterion does not exclude items. If an item does not match a “nice to have” criterion, it still appears in the list but is counted as a mismatch.
How do I exclude items from the search result?
Set a criterion as “need not to have”. Items that match that value are excluded from the list. If you use “nice not to have” instead, matching items still appear but show up as mismatches.
How do I search for multiple values in the same criterion?
Enter the values directly rather than selecting them one on top of the other. You can use standard Business Central filter syntax, for example listing several bike types in one filter. This is the same filtering functionality used elsewhere in Business Central.
Can I save and reuse search criteria?
Yes. Set up templates for your different record types, such as a T-shirt template, a bike template, or a customer template. The template pre-fills the search criteria so you do not have to define them each time.
Can I use the search window to fill in the information matrix?
Yes. When your input data is based on specification search, the same search window appears. It fills in the item directly without marking it, so you just press OK. The logic is the same as in the regular search.