Using Global Search
Global search lets you find any record in TerraSitu instantly — without navigating through menus. Surveys, observations, projects, sites, and customers are all searchable from one place.
Opening global search
Click the search bar in the top navigation bar, or press Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+K (Mac) from anywhere in the app.
The search modal opens immediately. If you have recent searches, your last five queries appear as quick-access chips so you can re-run a previous search with a single click.
What you can search
Global search covers all five core entity types:
| Entity | What gets matched |
|---|---|
| Surveys | Survey name, discipline type, description |
| Observations | Title, notes, species names |
| Projects | Project name, description, objectives |
| Sites | Site name, description, access notes |
| Customers | Organisation name, contact name |
Results from all entity types appear together, grouped by type, so you can see at a glance whether your term matches a project name, a species observation, or a site description.
Keyboard navigation
You can navigate global search entirely from the keyboard:
- ↑ / ↓ — move focus between results
- Enter — open the highlighted result
- Esc — close the search modal and return to the page
Recent searches
When you open global search with an empty query, your five most recent searches appear as chips below the input. Click any chip to run that search again immediately. To clear a recent search, click the × button on its chip.
Recent searches are stored per user and persist across sessions.
Search tips
- Search by species name — type a common or scientific name (e.g. "Growling Grass Frog" or "Litoria raniformis") to find every observation that mentions that species.
- Search by project keyword — type a keyword from a project name (e.g. "riparian" or "heritage") to surface matching projects, their associated sites, and related surveys all at once.
- Use partial words — you do not need to type the full name. Typing "koala" will match "Koala scat search — Transect T1" and any observation notes mentioning koalas.
- Narrow by entity type — if results are too broad, add a qualifier like "wetland survey" or "flora site" to narrow them down.
Related articles
- Getting Started with TerraSitu — Core workflow overview
- Submitting Observations — Recording observations in the field
- Creating a Project — Setting up projects and sites