You can use the Community search bar to find content in the Community. Suggested search results display as you type in the search bar, but you can also view all the results categorized by posts, users, or places.
To reduce the number of search results or to more easily find the ones you want, you can sort or filter the search results. You can also adjust the number of results that display per page.
Note: To search, you do not need to be signed in to the Community.
Search from Home Page
To search from the Community Home page, enter text in the Search bar. You can enter words, partial words, phrases, or questions.
Enter Optional Search Modifiers
By default, search results include any of the words as you enter. Optionally, you can use search modifiers for a more precise search. There are three options:
- To search for an exact phrase, enclose the phrase in quotes [1].
- To add an additional key word, enter a plus sign followed by a word [2].
- To exclude a key word from the search results, enter a minus sign followed by a word [3].
Search Tips
The Instructure Community platform uses an open source search tool that supports several standard search functions to improve search functionality:
- Stemming
- Boolean operators
- Wildcards
- Prefix Search
Stemming
Stemming enables a search engine to compare the roots of search terms to community content. For example, if a user enters speakers as the query, the search engine reduces the word to its root speak and returns all content containing the root such as speaking, speaker, and speaks.
Boolean operators
Boolean operators are used in keyword searches to combine or exclude search terms. Search supports these basic Boolean operators:
- The OR operator is used by default, meaning that if there is no Boolean operator, the OR operator is used. To search for documents that contain either quizzes or exams use the query quizzes exams or quizzes OR exams. You can also use the symbol || in place of OR.
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The AND operator matches documents where both terms exist in the text of a single document. The symbol && can be used in place of the word AND.
- To search for documents containing exams and quizzes, use the query exams AND quizzes.
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The + operator requires the term you enter after the + symbol to exist somewhere in the field of a single document.
- To search for documents that must contain quiz and may contain multiple choice use the query +quiz multiple choice.
- The - operator excludes documents that contain the term after the symbol. To search for documents that contain quiz but not multiple choice, use the query quiz -multiple choice.
Wildcard search
Wildcard searches are used as a placeholder for any sequence of characters or words. You can use single character or multiple character wildcard searches within single terms (not within phrase queries).
- To perform a single character wildcard search use the ? symbol.
- For example, to search for text or test you can use the search te?t.
- To perform a multiple character wildcard search use the * symbol.
- For example, to search for test, tests or tester you can use the search test*.
Search by Location
If you are searching from a Community page other than the Home page, you can search specific areas of the Community. To select a search location, click the Search Location drop-down menu.
Select Search Location
In the Search Location drop-down menu, select one of the following options:
- All Community: search the entire Community
- This category: search the location of the current page
- Blog, Events, This board: search the location of the current blog, events, or forum board
- Knowledge base: search all knowledge bases (question forums, guides, groups, etc.)
- Users: search only user profiles
View Suggested Results
As you type search criteria text, suggested search results display.
Each search result displays a title and details [1]. Details may include partial content, the number of comments or replies, and the result location.
Words that match your search text are highlighted [2].
To open suggested result content, click the result title link [3]. Alternatively, you can view all results.
View All Results
To view all results after entering search criteria, press the Enter key on your keyboard or click the Search icon [1].
To view search results, click any of the following tabs:
- Posts [2]: view results located in product guides, question forums, groups, release notes, and other Community knowledge bases
- Users [3]: view Community user profiles that match your search
- Places [4]: view entire guides and Community locations that match your search
View Posts
The Posts tab [1] displays search results contained in guides, question forums, and other knowledge bases.
The total number of results displays [2].
Each result displays a location icon [3]. You can also view information about the author and the result location. To view an author's profile, click the author link [4]. To view all the contents of a location, click the location link [5].
To open a result, click the title link [6].
To view the result content within the current page, click the See more link [7].
Question forum posts that are solved display a check mark [8].
Note: The Posts page contains a default number of results per page. However, you can change the number of results per page.
Sort Posts
By default, results on the Posts page are sorted by best match to your search text. To sort by other post criteria, hover the cursor over the Sorted by menu [1]. Then, select one of the following sort options:
- Date [2]: sort results by created date
- Views [3]: sort results by number of views
- Likes [4]: sort results by number of likes
- Replies [5]: sort results by number of replies
- Best Match [6]: sort results by number of words that match your search text
To reverse the sort order, click the sort option again.
Filter Posts
By default, the Posts page displays all matching results. However, you can use filters to limit the results by location, author, date, metadata, type of post, and features the posts contain.
View User Results
The Users tab [1] displays search results contained in user names or ranks [2].
The total number of results displays [3].
Note: A default number of results displays on the Users page. However, you can change the number of results per page.
View User Details
Each result displays a user name link [1]. To open a user profile, click the user name link.
Each result also displays a Community rank [2], a full name [3], a number link to the posts the user has made [4], and the date the user joined the Community [5].
Sort User Results
By default, results on the Users page are sorted by best match to your search text. To sort by other user criteria, hover the cursor over the Sorted by menu [1]. Then, select one of the following sort options:
- Username [2]: sort users by username
- Rank [3]: sort users by rank
- Posts [4]: sort users by number of posts they have posted
- Registration Date [5]: sort users by the date they joined the Community
- Best Match [6]: sort users by the number of words that match your search text
To reverse the sort order, click the sort option again.
View Places Results
To view search results that are collections of posts (such as entire guides) or places in the Community, click the Places tab [1]. Each search result displays a title, description, and other details [2].
To open a search result, click the title link [3].
