# Searching contacts

> Find a contact from the quick search, or build a filtered, sortable list of people or companies and export it.

Source: https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/searching
Last updated: 2026-10-09

There are two ways to find contacts: the quick search in the Contacts app's top bar, for finding one
contact, and the advanced search, for building a list.

## Quick search

Type into the **Type to search...** box at the top right of the Contacts app. Matching people and
companies appear as you type, with each person's company shown in brackets. Click one to open it.

![Quick search results: people with their company in brackets, and companies](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/contacts/quick-search.png?v=b06afa9d)

The quick search looks for what you type anywhere in:

- a person's full name or email address
- the business email address held for a person at a company they work for
- the name of a company a person works for, so searching for a company also lists its people
- a company's name or email address

Up to 40 results are shown, in alphabetical order. A person who works for more than one company
shows each company in the brackets, separated by a forward slash.

## Advanced search

**Contacts → List People** and **Contacts → List Companies** open the advanced search for each
contact type. **Detail Search** in the top bar opens a page with the same two searches, **Search
People** and **Search Companies**. **Detail Search** only appears if your team's permissions include
the contact search.

![The advanced person search: filters and visible columns across the top, results below](https://clockworkcrm.blob.core.windows.net/public-internal/docs/contacts/person-list.png?v=f716a9a8)

The toolbar has four parts: the filter name, **Filters**, **Show** and **Sort**. The number of
results sits at the right of the toolbar, and the time the last search took is shown in the header.

The list refreshes each time you change a filter, a column or a sort. A search only runs when it has
at least one complete filter and at least one sort.

When you open the advanced search, the first of your saved filters is loaded. If you have none, a
filter called **New Filter** is set up for you:

| Search | Default filter | Default sort |
|---|---|---|
| People | **First Name** **Contains** an empty value, which matches everyone | **Surname**, A to Z |
| Companies | **Company Name** **Contains** an empty value, which matches everyone | **Company Name**, A to Z |

## Filters

**Filters** control which contacts come back. Each filter is a field, a condition and a value, such
as **First Name** **Contains** "Sam". Each filter shows as a chip in the toolbar.

To add a filter:

1. Select **+** (**Add filter**) after the existing filters. The **Edit Filter** panel opens.
2. Choose the **Field**.
3. Choose the **Condition**.
4. Enter or pick the **Value**. **Has Value** and **Has No Value** do not need one.

The results update as you go. To change a filter, click its chip to open **Edit Filter** again. To
remove a filter, select the cross on its chip.

### Groups of filters

A contact must match every filter in a group. **Add OR group** (the layers icon) starts a new group,
and a contact is returned if it matches every filter in any one group. Groups are separated by an
**OR** label. **Add filter to this group** adds another filter to that group.

For example, one group with **Works At** **Contains** "Acme" and **Job Role** **Contains**
"Director", and a second group with **Tag** **Contains Value** "Board", returns directors at Acme
and also everyone tagged Board.

### Person fields

| Field | What it searches |
|---|---|
| **Title** | The person's title, such as Mr or Dr |
| **First Name** | The person's first name |
| **Surname** | The person's surname |
| **Job Role** | The job role on the person's own record |
| **Primary Email Address** | The email address on the person's own record |
| **Primary Telephone** | The telephone number on the person's own record |
| **Primary Mobile** | The mobile number on the person's own record |
| **Created Date** | The date the person was added |
| **Works At** | The names of the companies the person works for |
| **Business Job Roles** | The job roles held at each company the person works for |
| **Business Email Addresses** | The email addresses held at each company the person works for |
| **Business Telephone Numbers** | The telephone numbers held at each company the person works for |
| **Business Mobile Numbers** | The mobile numbers held at each company the person works for |
| **Last Updated** | When the person's own details last changed |
| **Related Data Last Updated** | When the person, or anything linked to them, last changed |
| **Tag** | The tags on the person. Person tags and tags that apply to any record can be chosen |
| **Blacklisted** | Whether any of the person's email addresses is blacklisted: their own, the ones held at each company they work for, and any Email property |

### Company fields

| Field | What it searches |
|---|---|
| **Company Name** | The company's name |
| **Address Line 1**, **Address Line 2** and **Address Line 3** | The lines of the company's address |
| **City**, **County**, **Postcode** and **Country** | The rest of the company's address |
| **Website** | The company's website |
| **Telephone** | The company's telephone number |
| **Email** | The company's email address |
| **Registration Number** | The company's registration number |
| **Type of Business** | The company's business type |
| **Business Sector** | The company's SIC codes, picked from the list of codes and descriptions |
| **Created Date** | The date the company was added |
| **Last Updated** | When the company's own details last changed |
| **Related Data Last Updated** | When the company, or anything linked to it, last changed |
| **Tag** | The tags on the company. Company tags and tags that apply to any record can be chosen |
| **Blacklisted** | Whether any of the company's email addresses is blacklisted: its own and any Email property |

Your custom properties are listed after the built-in fields. An archived property is shown with
**(Archived)** after its name. See [Custom properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/custom-properties).

### Conditions

The conditions offered depend on the kind of field.

**Text fields**, which covers the built-in text fields and Text, Multi Line, Url, Phone and Email
properties:

| Condition | Matches contacts where the field |
|---|---|
| **Contains** | Includes the value anywhere |
| **Doesn't Contain** | Does not include the value |
| **Starting With** | Begins with the value |
| **Not Starting With** | Does not begin with the value |
| **Ending With** | Ends with the value |
| **Not Ending With** | Does not end with the value |
| **Is Exactly** | Is the value and nothing else |
| **Is Not** | Is anything other than the value |
| **Has Value** | Is filled in |
| **Has No Value** | Is empty |

**Dates and numbers**, which covers the date fields and Date, Number and Currency properties:

| Condition | Matches contacts where the field is |
|---|---|
| **Greater Than** | After or above the value |
| **Greater Than Or Equal To** | On or after, or at or above, the value |
| **Less Than** | Before or below the value |
| **Less Than Or Equal To** | On or before, or at or below, the value |
| **Is Exactly** | The value |
| **Is Not** | Anything other than the value |
| **Has Value** | Filled in |
| **Has No Value** | Empty |

Dates are picked from a calendar and compared by day.

**Lists**, which covers **Business Sector** and Select and Radio properties:

| Condition | Matches contacts where the field is |
|---|---|
| **Is Exactly** | The chosen option |
| **Is Not** | Anything other than the chosen option |
| **Is Any Of** | Any one of the options you choose |
| **Is None Of** | None of the options you choose |
| **Has Value** | Filled in |
| **Has No Value** | Empty |

**Multiple Selection properties:**

| Condition | Matches contacts where the property |
|---|---|
| **Contains Value** | Includes the chosen option |
| **Does Not Contain** | Does not include the chosen option |
| **Is Any Of** | Includes any one of the options you choose |
| **Is None Of** | Includes none of the options you choose |
| **Has Value** | Has at least one option chosen |
| **Has No Value** | Has no options chosen |

**Checkbox properties** offer **Is Exactly**, **Is Not**, **Has Value** and **Has No Value**, with a
value of **Yes** or **No**. **Blacklisted** offers **Is Exactly** and **Is Not**, with **Yes** or
**No**.

**Tag, and User, Company and Person properties**, where you search for the value and pick it:

| Condition | Matches contacts that |
|---|---|
| **Contains Value** | Have the chosen tag, user, company or person |
| **Does Not Contain Value** | Do not have it |
| **Is Any Of** | Have any one of the items you pick |
| **Is None Of** | Have none of the items you pick |
| **Has Value** | Have any value |
| **Has No Value** | Have no value |

## Show

**Show** controls which columns appear in the results. **+** (**Add column**) opens a list of the
columns you can add, with a **Search columns...** box to narrow it. The cross on a column removes it.
Drag the columns to change their order.

Person columns: **Image**, **Id**, **Title**, **First Name**, **Last Name**, **Works At**, **Primary
Job Role**, **Business Job Roles**, **Primary Email Address**, **Business Email Addresses**,
**Primary Telephone**, **Business Telephone Numbers**, **Primary Mobile**, **Business Mobile
Numbers**, **Created Date**, **Last Updated**, **Related Data Last Updated** and **Tags**.

Company columns: **Image**, **Id**, **Company Name**, **Address Line 1**, **Address Line 2**,
**Address Line 3**, **City**, **County**, **Registration Number**, **Postcode**, **Country**,
**Website**, **Telephone**, **Email**, **Type of Business**, **Business Sector**, **Created Date**,
**Last Updated**, **Related Data Last Updated** and **Tags**.

Your custom properties can also be added as columns.

A new people filter shows **Image**, **First Name**, **Last Name**, **Works At**, **Primary Email
Address**, **Primary Telephone**, **Primary Mobile**, **Last Updated** and **Related Data Last
Updated**. A new company filter shows **Image**, **Company Name**, **Email**, **Telephone**,
**Address Line 1**, **Address Line 2**, **Business Sector**, **Last Updated**, **Related Data Last
Updated** and **Created Date**.

## Sort

**Sort** controls the order. **+** (**Add sort**) adds a field to sort by, so results can be sorted
by one field and then by another. Each sort chip has an arrow showing its direction: click the chip
to switch between ascending (↑) and descending (↓). The cross on a sort removes it. **Tag** and
**Blacklisted** cannot be used as a sort.

## Results

Results are shown 25 to a page. The controls under the list move between pages and change the page
size to 5, 10, 25, 50 or 100.

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Click a row | Opens the contact's record beside the list. The pencil button switches that record to editing |
| Double click a row | Opens the contact's record in a new browser tab |
| Right click a row | Opens a menu of actions for that contact |

The right click menu has:

| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Go to contact record** | Opens the contact's record |
| **Add note** | Adds a note to the contact. See [People](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/people#notes) |
| **Send email** | Starts an email to the contact. Shown when the contact has an email address and you have an email account connected |
| **Go to contact record (new tab)** | Opens the contact's record in a new browser tab |

## Saved filters

A filter holds its filters, columns and sorts together under a name. Saved filters are your own:
other users cannot see or change them.

Click the filter name at the start of the toolbar to open **Filter Settings**.

| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Filter Name** | The name of the filter. Required |
| **Load** | Lists your saved filters. Pick one to load it, or choose **New filter** to start again from the default. Shown when you have at least one saved filter |
| **Delete** | Deletes the filter after you confirm. Not available for a filter that has not been saved yet |
| **Save** | Saves the filter's name, filters, columns and sorts. Saving a filter you loaded updates it |

To save a search:

1. Set up the filters, columns and sorts you want.
2. Click the filter name in the toolbar.
3. Enter a **Filter Name**.
4. Select **Save**.

When you delete a filter, your next saved filter is loaded. If there is none, a new default filter
is set up.

If a saved filter uses a custom property that has since been removed, that part is taken out of the
filter when it loads, and a message tells you how many were removed.

## Exporting and search codes

### Exporting

The export button (the file icon at the top right) exports every contact the search finds, not only
the current page. Choose **Excel**, **CSV** or **JSON**. The export holds the columns you have chosen
under **Show**, in the order of your sorts. Export is not available until the search has at least
one complete filter.

Exports are prepared in the background. A message tells you when the export is queued, and the file
appears on the **Documents** tab of your profile. The file is named after the filter, followed by the
date and time of the export. See [Your profile](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/profile#documents).

### Search codes

**Generate Search Code** (the code icon) copies a code for the current filters to your clipboard.
The code holds the filters only, not the columns or sorts.

A search code can be used in a mailing list, where **Import Search Code** copies its filters into the
list's search criteria. See [Mailing lists](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/mailing-lists#search-criteria).

## Power dialling

When your account has at least one active phone number, the advanced search shows a **Power Dial**
button. It calls each contact in the current results, one after another.

1. Select **Power Dial**.
2. In **Configure Power Dialer**, choose the number to call from under **Select a number to call
   from**, and your microphone under **Input Device (Microphone)**.
3. Select **Get Dialing!**.

Before each call, a **Keep going?** window counts down from 5 seconds and then places the call.

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Skip** | Moves on to the next contact without calling this one |
| **Pause** | Stops the countdown. **Resume** starts it again |
| **Stop!** | Ends power dialling |

The contact being called is highlighted in the results and opened beside the list. The number used
for a person is the first of their primary mobile, primary telephone, business mobile, business
telephone and any Phone property. For a company it is the company's telephone, then any Phone
property. A contact with no number is skipped, with a message saying so.

Phone numbers are set up under **Communication Services**. See
[Communication services](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/admin/communication-services).

## Related

- [People](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/people) and [Companies](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/contacts/companies), the records you are searching
- [Custom properties](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/general/custom-properties), which can be filtered and shown like built-in fields
- [Mailing lists](https://help.clockworkcrm.com/marketing/mailing-lists), which use search codes