Attachment Searches

Users can search for documents uploaded through the Attachment field on an object based on keywords found in the file name and/or file contents or by the date the document was uploaded. 

Attachments filters on the detailed search results page.

Important Notes

  • Unreadable documents, web links, and deleted attachments are not searchable.
  • Text preview of keywords in a document and reading/extraction of keywords from an image in the document is not supported.
  • When searching for documents based on keywords within the file, note that up to 20,000 words are searched. That means if a keyword doesn't appear within the first 20,000 words, it will not appear in the search results.
  • Attachments that appear in the search results are not clickable. The associated object must be viewed on a form to access the files. Note that if an admin has selected a form for your role that isn't configured to show the attachment(s) field, you will not be able to open the files from the object.
  • If a file is unsupported (e.g., a .jpeg) or unreadable (e.g., an encrypted PDF), it will not appear in the search results even if those files match the search terms or filters.
  • The Attachments option on the Search Results page will be available only if the object type has attachment fields.
  • Attachment upload dates are based on UTC time.

Supported File Types

Only readable documents with the follow filename extensions are searchable:

  • .PDF

  • .doc and .docx

  • .xls and .xlsx

  • .ppt and .pptx

  • .txt

  • .msg (Outlook email files for Windows) and .eml (Outlook email files for Mac). Supported file types attached within an .msg or .eml file are also searchable.

Keyword Search

To perform a keyword search:

  1. Enter search terms in the search text box in the nav bar, then press Enter on your keyboard. If required, click the  icon in the search field in the nav bar after typing the search terms, then select an object type to search for attachments from a particular object type.
  2. Review the list of objects returned on the Search Results page. Files that match the search terms will appear below the related object beside Keyword(s) found in: If the object has an assessment instance that matches the terms, click Assessments to show more details.
    Objects and assessments on the Search Results page and their matching attachment files.
  3. To apply filters, including the Attachments filter options, click Go to Detailed Results. See the Filters section below for more details on these options.
  4. To access the files, click the object to view it on a form.

Filters

To apply attachment filters:

  1.  Click the  icon in the search field in the nav bar, then select an object type. Alternately, enter search terms in the search field, then click Go To Detailed Results to access the filters.
  2. Click Attachments in the Filters menu to expand the filter options. Filters are grouped based on each attachment field added to the object type. If the object type has no attachment fields, these filters will be hidden.
  3. To apply filters based on keywords found in the filename(s) and/or file contents, enter search terms in the Keyword Search field for the applicable field.
  4. To search based on the date the document was uploaded (in UTC time), select one of the following options from the By Attachment Upload Date dropdown menu:
    • Today
    • Last 30 Days
    • Last 60 Days
    • Last 90 Days
    • Last 180 Days
    • Custom (If you select this option, you must select dates in the To and From fields.)
      The By Attachment Upload Date filter with Custom selected.
  5. Review the list of objects that match the filter parameters on the Search Results page. If you conducted a keyword search, files that match the search terms will appear below the object beside Keyword(s) found in: If the object has an assessment instance that matches the filter parameters, click Assessments to show more details and any matching files. 
  6. To remove a filter, click the by the keyword or date in the Filters applied section at the top of the page.
  7. To access the files, click the object to view it on a form.