--- title: "Understanding search" url: "https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/understanding-search" language: "en" last_updated: "2026-10-21T17:42:11.025Z" --- # Understanding search Search in BakeSmart helps you quickly find orders, customers, sales, products, time cards, and more—but what it finds depends on where you are and which filters are active. Knowing how each search works, and when to widen your date range or change screens, can save time when something seems like it should be there but isn’t. ## Understanding search Most lists in BakeSmart have a search field at the top. This article explains what search finds, and why a search sometimes finds nothing even though the record exists. ## Widen the filters first A search only looks inside the list you can see. Most lists start at today's date, so a search for next week's order finds nothing until you change the dates. - **Home** starts at today's Open orders. - **Transactions** > **Orders**, **Transactions** > **Sales** and **Transactions** > **Shipping** start at today. - **Transactions** > **Invoices** starts at today and shows only Outstanding invoices. - **Time Cards** starts at today. - **Transactions** > **Payment Requests** isn't limited by date. If you can't find something, change the date range (or click **All Dates** where it's shown), then search again. ## What you can type On order lists, customer lists and the shipping list, you can type several words. Every word must match, so each extra word narrows the results. For example, *jane smith* finds orders for Jane Smith, and *smith 4412* finds Smith orders with a phone number ending in 4412. - **Names:** On order lists, a first or last name matches from the start of any word in it. *cruz* finds "De La Cruz". On other lists, type the start of the name. - **Business names:** On order lists, a business name matches anywhere in the name. *bakery* finds "Main Street Bakery". - **Phone numbers:** On order lists, type the last digits of the phone number. On the **Customers** list, type at least 4 digits from anywhere in the number. - **Email:** Type the start of the email address. On **Sales** and **Payment Requests**, the search treats what you type as one phrase. Type one thing at a time: a name, an email or a number. ## Searching for numbers On order lists: - Type 2 or more digits to find order, invoice and POS ticket numbers that contain them. *4412* finds order 14412. - A single digit finds names that start with it, not order numbers. - Letters and digits together also work. *FRO21* finds an order numbered FRO21. - To find one invoice revision, type it as shown, like 13696-R2. ## Things search can't find - **POS sales on the Orders list.** Orders taken at the POS appear only on **Transactions** > **Sales**. - **A product's SKU or barcode.** Product search matches product names and category names only. - **A gift card by name.** Look up a gift card by its full card number, or swipe it. ## Which screen to use | To find | Go to | Details | | --- | --- | --- | | An order or invoice | **Home**, **Transactions** > **Orders** or **Transactions** > **Invoices** | [How to find an order](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-an-order) | | A POS sale | **Transactions** > **Sales** | [How to find an order](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-an-order) | | A customer | **Customers** | [How to find a customer](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-a-customer) | | A product | **Products** > **Product List** | [How to find a product](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-a-product) | | A customer or order at the register | The POS | [How to look up customers and orders at the POS](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-look-up-customers-and-orders-at-the-pos) | | A gift card | **Gift Cards** | [How to Check & Manage Gift Card Balances in BakeSmart](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-check-manage-gift-card-balances-in-bakesmart) | | A time card | **Time Cards** | [Understanding Time Cards and Adjustments in BakeSmart](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/understanding-time-cards-and-adjustments-in-bakesmart) | | An inquiry | **Inquiry Inbox**, in the menu under your initials | [How to Respond to a Custom Order Inquiry](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-respond-to-a-custom-order-inquiry) | Note: SmartSearch, in the **Help** panel, searches help articles. It doesn't search your orders, customers or products. ## Related articles - [How to find an order](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-an-order) - [How to find a customer](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-a-customer) - [How to find a product](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-find-a-product) - [How to look up customers and orders at the POS](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/how-to-look-up-customers-and-orders-at-the-pos) - [Understanding and Using the Help Feature in BakeSmart](https://help.bakesmart.com/en/article/understanding-and-using-the-help-feature-in-bakesmart)