> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.broadstripes.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Search language basics Broadstripes search uses a simple but powerful query language that lets you find exactly the records you need. This guide will teach you the fundamentals of how to construct search queries. ## Understanding search clause structure Every search query is built from one or more **search clauses**. A search clause has three parts: 1. **Keyword** - The field you want to search (e.g., `city`, `department`, `status`) 2. **Operator** - How you want to compare the value (e.g., `=`, `!=`, `>`, `<`) 3. **Value** - What you're searching for (e.g., `Boston`, `Active`, `100`) Here's a simple example: ``` city = Boston ``` In this search: * `city` is the keyword (the field we're searching) * `=` is the operator (we want exact matches) * `Boston` is the value (what we're looking for) This search will find all records where the city field equals "Boston". ## Working with spaces and quotation marks ### The basic rule Keywords and values can only contain spaces if they're surrounded by quotation marks. ### When you need quotes If your value contains spaces, wrap it in quotes: ``` worksite = "Factory A" ``` ``` employer = "Acme Manufacturing Corp" ``` ``` CustomField = "Full Time Employee" ``` Without quotes, the search won't work correctly because the system won't know where your value ends. ### When you don't need quotes Single-word values don't need quotes: ``` department = Warehouse ``` ``` city = Boston ``` ``` status = Active ``` ### Quote usage for keywords The same rule applies to keywords. Most field names are single words and don't need quotes, but if you have a custom field with spaces in its name, you'll need to use quotes: ``` "Employment Status" = Active ``` ``` "Job Category" = "Skilled Trades" ``` ## Operator spacing Operators work with or without spaces around them, but adding spaces makes your searches easier to read. These two searches work identically: ``` city=Boston ``` ``` city = Boston ``` **Best practice**: Use spaces around your operators for clarity. Here are some common operators: | Operator | Meaning | | -------- | ------------------------ | | `=` | equals (exact match) | | `!=` | not equals | | `>` | greater than | | `<` | less than | | `>=` | greater than or equal to | | `<=` | less than or equal to | | `:` | contains (partial match) | **Examples with spacing:** Find people 19 years old and older (based on their Birth Date and the current date): ``` age > 18 ``` Find people hired on or after January 1, 2024: ``` HireDate >= 2024-01-01 ``` ``` lastname : Smith ``` ``` status != Inactive ``` ## Boolean searches with AND and OR You can combine multiple search clauses using Boolean operators to create more powerful searches. ### AND is implied When you write multiple clauses without an operator between them, Broadstripes treats them as AND: ``` city = Boston department = Sales ``` This finds records where the city is Boston **AND** the department is Sales. ### Using OR Use `OR` (in uppercase) to find records matching any of your criteria: ``` city = Boston OR city = Cambridge ``` This finds records where the city is Boston **OR** Cambridge. ### Grouping with parentheses Use parentheses to group clauses and control the order of evaluation. This is especially important when mixing AND and OR: ``` department = Sales (city = Boston OR city = Cambridge) ``` This finds people in the Sales department who are located in either Boston or Cambridge. Without parentheses, the search might not work as expected. Compare these two searches: ``` department = Sales city = Boston OR city = Cambridge ``` This could be interpreted incorrectly. Always use parentheses to make your intent clear: ``` department = Sales (city = Boston OR city = Cambridge) ``` ### More Boolean examples Find leaders at multiple locations: ``` role = any (employer : "Big Shop" OR employer : "Small Shop") ``` Find people who need outreach (haven't been contacted recently OR have a filed grievance): ``` lastcontact < "90 days ago" OR GrievanceStatus = Filed ``` ## Searching by date Broadstripes provides flexible date searching, including support for natural language dates. ### Standard date format You can search using standard date formats: ``` HireDate = 2024-01-15 ``` ``` HireDate >= "January 1, 2025" ``` ``` "Hire Date" < 6/30/2025 ``` ### Natural language dates Broadstripes understands natural language date expressions, which makes searches easier to write and maintain. Wrap these expressions in quotes: ``` CardSignedDate < "11 months ago" ``` ``` lastcontact > "2 weeks ago" ``` ``` HireDate >= "one year ago" ``` ``` LastContact < "90 days ago" ``` ### Common natural language patterns Expressions like these are supported: * `"yesterday"` * `"last week"` * `"last month"` * `"2 weeks ago"` * `"3 months ago"` * `"one year ago"` * `"90 days ago"` ### Date range examples Find people who signed cards in the past month: ``` CardSignedDate >= "one month ago" ``` Find people who haven't been contacted in over 90 days: ``` lastcontact < "90 days ago" ``` Find people hired this year: ``` HireDate >= 2024-01-01 ``` Find people whose membership expires soon: ``` MembershipExpires <= "60 days from now" ``` ## Searching for multiple values You can search for multiple values at once using parentheses. This is useful when you want to find records that match any of several options. ### Basic multi-value syntax Put your values in parentheses, separated by commas: ``` city = (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville) ``` This finds all records where the city is Boston, Cambridge, OR Somerville. ### More examples ``` status = (Active, Pending) ``` ``` department = (Sales, Marketing, "Customer Service") ``` ``` state = (MA, NH, VT, ME) ``` Note that if any value in your list contains spaces, it still needs quotes. ### Learn more Multi-value searches have additional features and options. For complete details, see the [Creating multi-value searches](https://help.broadstripes.com/docs/search/creating-multi-value-search) guide. ## Searching related records (sub-queries) One of the most powerful features of Broadstripes search is the ability to search based on properties of related records. These are called **sub-query searches** or **relational searches**. ### The concept Instead of searching for a specific value, you can search for records that have a relationship to other records matching certain criteria. ### Basic sub-query syntax Use square brackets `[]` to create a sub-query: ``` employer = [state = MA] ``` This finds all people whose employer is located in Massachusetts. You're not searching for employers directly—you're finding people whose employer meets the condition inside the brackets. ### More examples Find people who work for organizations in the healthcare industry: ``` employer = [industry = Healthcare] ``` Find people whose supervisor has a specific title: ``` supervisor = [title = "Department Manager"] ``` ### Combining with other searches You can combine sub-queries with regular searches: ``` city = Boston employer = [state = MA] ``` This finds people who live in Boston AND whose employer is in Massachusetts. *** ## Next steps Now that you understand the basics of search syntax, you can start building more complex queries by: * Combining Boolean operators for complex logic * Using date searches to find time-sensitive records * Exploring the full range of available keywords for your project For more detailed documentation, visit the [Broadstripes Help Center](https://help.broadstripes.com).