Overview
Sometimes you know exactly what kind of thing you need (only people, only products). Other times you are not sure which app holds it. The Advance Search Bar lets you switch between one focused area and all enabled areas before or after you type.
Why it matters: focused search feels calmer and respects each area’s normal search rules; “search everywhere” is brilliant when you only have a fragment of a name and want Odoo to cast a wider net.
How it works
Your company maintains a pool of business areas that the bar is allowed to use. You always work inside that pool. When you pick a single area, Odoo can use the same search fields you would see on that area’s regular search screen-so synonyms, codes, and special company rules behave consistently.
When you search across all enabled areas, Odoo looks at the usual “display name” of records in each area and returns a small sample per area so the panel stays readable.
Step-by-step guide
- Open the bar and locate the area picker (often near the search field).
- Choose one area (for example “Contacts”) if you already know the type of record.
- Type at least two characters and pause briefly.
- Click a row to open that record, or use “view all” (when shown) to open a full list with the same search idea.
- To widen your hunt, clear the single-area choice so the bar searches all enabled areas, then type again.
Fields table
| Field name | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
Area / model choice |
Selects which kind of record the bar prioritizes, or “all” when empty. |
Pick “Sales Orders” before typing a customer PO reference. |
Search text |
The letters or numbers you want Odoo to look for. |
“LED-42” for a lamp product code. |
Result row |
One match with its friendly title and sometimes extra hints in columns |
“Bright Homes Ltd – Amsterdam” for a customer. |
View all |
Opens the familiar list screen with filters applied from your search session. |
You want every open task, not only the first few shown in the bar. |
Field explanations
Area / model choice
Think “what drawer am I looking in?” If you leave it broad, Odoo checks several drawers at once but only shows a handful of matches each to keep things fast.
Search text
This is not a full sentence engine-it shines with names, references, email fragments, and codes your teams actually type in Odoo.
Result row
Depending on your personal setting, you may see only the title or a small table of helpful columns (like city or email) to tell similar names apart.
View all
Use this when you need sorting, grouping, and mass actions on a list. It carries forward the spirit of your search, including filters you turned on in the bar’s filter menu when a single area is selected.
Tips
- When two companies share a similar name, switch to one area and read the extra columns.
- If nothing appears, widen to all areas once before assuming the record does not exist.
- Combine with date filters later when you remember roughly when something was created.
Common mistakes
- Expecting accounting words to find HR records. Cross-area search looks at display names; specialized fields may need a focused area.
- Forgetting that administrators can limit the pool. If an area never appears, it may simply not be enabled for the bar at your company.