Making a find request

To find records using search criteria, you type the criteria (the value or values to find) into fields in a find request, which looks like a blank record. When you perform the find, FileMaker Pro searches for records that match the criteria you entered. Matching records replace any previous found set.

To make a find request:

  1. In Find mode, from the Layout pop-up menu, select a layout that contains the fields you want to search for.
  2. In the find request, select a field to use for finding, then type a value in the field.

    You can use the Insert Operators list in the layout bar to help you enter criteria. For example, the search criteria Jo@n can be used to find the first names John and Joan. See Finding text and characters for more information on using operators.

    You can click Omit to exclude records matching a specific set of criteria.

  3. Click Perform Find in the status toolbar, or choose Requests menu > Perform Find.

    Your find request returns a found set of records. The highlighted area of the pie chart Pie chart icon in the status toolbar indicates the portion of the total records displayed.

To show all records:

  • In Browse mode, click Show All in the status toolbar, or choose Records menu > Show All Records.
  • In Find mode, choose Requests menu > Show All Records.

You do not need to choose Show All Records before performing finds. FileMaker Pro always searches all records in the tables you specify unless you have narrowed the existing found set.

Tips

  • You can click the pie chart to switch between your found set and the omitted records in the database.

Notes 

  • To access a list of recent finds, in Find mode, click Saved Finds. Or in Browse mode, click the down arrow next to Find (Windows), or click and hold Find (macOS). Then choose a find request from the Recent Finds list.
  • To cancel a find operation before it is finished and leave the previous found set unchanged, press Esc (Windows) or Command-period (macOS).
  • Finds on unindexed fields (for example, calculation fields referencing related fields) can take longer than finds on indexed fields. See Defining field indexing options.
  • If a field’s values are indexed, you can use the index to enter values in find requests. See Using a field index.
  • You can’t enter search criteria in container fields, summary fields, global fields, or web viewers.
  • To find data in container fields, create a text or number field that describes or identifies the contents of the container field. Then perform a find on that field. See Using data in container fields.
  • When you perform a find in a related field, FileMaker Pro displays all the records that have a related record matching the criteria you enter. For example, in an Invoice file that is displaying line items as related records in a portal, you could find all invoices listing a computer by typing Computer in the Item field in the portal.
  • To delete recent finds, click the down arrow next to Find or click Saved Finds (Windows), or click and hold Find or click Saved Finds (macOS). Then choose Clear All Recent Finds from the list.
  • In Find mode, this badge Magnifying glass icon in fields confirms you’re in Find mode. (It does not appear in check boxes, pop-up menus, or radio buttons.)

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