Search

One search finds messages, pages and work items by the words in them, and jumps to channels and DMs by name. It searches only what you can read: the channels you’re in and your own DMs. Owners and admins don’t see into conversations they aren’t in.

Open search#

On a computer#

In the Windows and Mac apps, and in the web app on a wide window, the search box sits in the middle of the top bar.

Select it, or press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac) in the desktop app. The web app has no shortcut.
Results drop down under the box as you type.
Use ↑ and ↓ to move, Enter to open, and Esc to close.

On a phone#

Tap the search button (a magnifying glass) at the right end of the bar at the top of Channels, DMs, Work, Pages or Schedule. Search opens full screen with the keyboard up. The web app in a narrow window works the same way.

Tap the keyboard’s search key to see all results.

What you see#

Before you type, search shows:

Recent: your last five searches in this org. Select one to search it again.
Jump to: three conversations, unread ones first.

As you type, the results come in groups:

Jump to: channels and DMs whose names contain your words.
Messages: each with who wrote it, where and when. A reply in a thread says Thread reply in and the conversation. A comment on a work item says Comment on and the item’s key, such as “Comment on WEB-42”.
Pages: by title and text.
Work items: items and initiatives, by key, title and description. Type an item’s key, such as WEB-42, to get it first.

The dropdown shows three results in each group, and a phone shows five. Select See all results for your words to open the full results.

Open a result#

A message opens its conversation at that message, highlighted for a moment, however far back it is. A thread reply opens its thread, and an item comment opens the item at that comment.
A page opens in Pages. If you’re editing a page with unsaved changes, you’re asked about them first.
A work item opens beside its channel on a wide window, or as its own page on a phone.
A channel or DM opens straight away.

Search one conversation#

To search only one channel or DM:

Select the search button at the top of the conversation (Search in this conversation), or Search in its details.
Or, with the conversation open, open search and use Search in to switch between Everywhere and that conversation, such as In # general.

In the full results, Search everywhere widens the search to the whole org again.

How words match#

Every word must match. “budget review” finds messages with both words.
Words match from their start, so “plan” finds “planning” and “plans”.
Case and accents don’t matter: “cafe” finds “Café”. Serbian matches in both Cyrillic and Latin letters.
Common words are skipped, such as “the”, “and” or “de”.
Quotes, OR and * are treated as plain characters, not as search operators.

Search looks at what people wrote in messages, pages and items. Code snippets, file names, and call and system lines aren’t searched, and deleted messages are never found.

Searching offline#

Search works without a connection, over the messages and pages already on this device.

Results from this device show first, marked On this device, and the server’s are added as soon as they arrive.
When the results come only from this device, a note over them says how far back its copy goes: “Searching this device’s copy, since” a date.
Offline, words match only from their start. Online, the server also finds other forms of a word, such as “meeting” for “meetings”.
If a message you open isn’t on this device, the app says “That message isn’t on this device. It needs a connection.”

See Offline for what the device keeps.

Tips#

Your recent searches are kept on this device only, encrypted, and cleared when you sign out or leave the org. In the web app they’re kept only until you reload or close the page.
The Pages list has its own filter, which narrows the page tree as you type. See Pages.
To find a setting, use the search in Settings. See Your settings.