How to use the Artshell search bar
Introduction
The Artshell search bar lets you quickly find information in your account using keywords, specific fields, and search operators.
Searches are performed within the section you are currently in: you can therefore search for Artworks, artists, Contacts , or events using the search bar available in that section.
Depending on the information you're looking for, you can use:
- the free search, to search for a word quickly, but in a more general way;
- the search operators, to locate specific information, such as an ID, a tag, or a filled-in field;
- the advanced search, to combine multiple criteria, exclude values, or search within a range.
In this guide, we'll look at how to use these different modes and choose the one that best suits your needs.
How to open the search bar
To open the search bar, click the icon
in the horizontal menu at the top.
You can also open it using the keyboard shortcut:
- ⌘ + K on a Mac;
- Windows + K on Windows.
Once the search bar is open, enter the term or select the operator you want to use, then press Enter to view the results.
The operators and fields available in the search bar may vary depending on which section of Artshell you are in.
Tip
If you are unsure which operator to use, click on Search suggestions within the search bar. You can view the descriptions of the available operators and choose the one that best suits your search.
Free text search
A general search is the fastest way to find content when you don't know the category in which the information was posted.
Type a word or phrase directly into the search bar and press Enter. A free-text search is particularly useful for quick searches, but it may return a large number of results because it does not limit the search to a specific field.
Example
If you are on the Artworks page and want to search for content related to the term "Fontana," enter:
Fountain
Artshell will search for the term within the fields of the Artworks section.
If, on the other hand, you already know the field where the information you're looking for is located, use the field search to get more precise results.
Search a specific field using "in":
Use the in: operator when you want to search for a value within a specific field of the record. This operator is common to all main sections and allows you to tell Artshell exactly which field to search for the entered value, avoiding the broader results of a free-text search.
After selecting in:, choose the field where you want to search and enter the value.
Example
If, in the section Artworks you want to search for a work by its ID, you can use:
in:ID 1234
Artshell will then search specifically for the value 1234 within the ID field.
Use search operators
Search operators allow you to narrow your search based on specific criteria, such as searching within a particular field, checking whether a field has been filled in, or searching for content associated with a tag.
The available staff members vary depending on which section of Artshell you are in.
Click the section name to go to the corresponding paragraph:
Artworks
| Operator | Function |
|---|---|
#tag |
Search for artworks associated with a specific tag. |
@Artist, Contact |
Search for artworks associated with a specific artist or contact. |
in: |
Search for a value in a specific field, such as ID, Collection, Location, Year, or Technique. |
is: |
Search for artworks where a checkbox or dropdown field has the selected value. |
isnot: |
Search for artworks where a checkbox or dropdown field has no value selected. |
empty: |
Search for artworks where a specific field is empty. |
full: |
Search for artworks where a specific field is filled in. |
online: |
Search for artworks published online. |
offline: |
Search for unpublished artworks online. |
Artists
| Operator | Function |
|---|---|
#tag |
Search for artists associated with a specific tag. |
in: |
Search for a value in a specific field, such as Nationality or Movement. |
empty: |
Search for artists for whom a specific field is empty. |
full: |
Search for artists for whom a specific field is filled in. |
Contacts
| Operator | Function |
|---|---|
#tag |
Search for contacts associated with a specific tag. |
in: |
Search for a value in a specific field, such as Company, Address, or Contact Type. |
is: |
Search for contacts where a checkbox or dropdown field has the selected value. |
isnot: |
Search for contacts where a checkbox or dropdown field does not have the selected value. |
empty: |
Search for contacts where a specific field is empty. |
full: |
Search for contacts where a specific field is filled in. |
Events
| Operator | Function |
|---|---|
#tag |
Search for events associated with a specific tag. |
@Artist, Contact |
Search for events associated with a specific artist or contact. |
in: |
Search for a value in a specific field, such as Curated by, Organizer, or Activity Type. |
Note: |
Search for events based on activity attributes. |
empty: |
Search for events in which a specific field is empty. |
full: |
Search for events in which a specific field is filled in. |
online: |
Search for events posted online. |
offline: |
Search for events that haven't been posted online. |
Advanced Search
In addition to the operators available in the search bar, you can use specific characters and commands to build more targeted searches—for instance, to search for an exact value, exclude specific results, search within a range, or combine multiple criteria.
Search for an exact match using quotation marks " "
Quotation marks allow you to search for an exact phrase or value, ensuring that Artshell interprets the text enclosed within them as a single value.
They are particularly useful when the value contains characters that Artshell also uses as search operators, such as the hyphen - .
Example
If, in the section Artworks you want to search for the ID: ABC-123
Use: in:ID"ABC-123"
In this way, Artshell considers ABC-123 as a single value and does not interpret the hyphen as an exclusion command.
Exclude a value using a hyphen -
The hyphen allows you to exclude a term or value from the search results.
Example
If you want to search for content associated with the #modern tag, excluding content that also has the #surrealism tag, use:
#modern-#surrealism
Artshell will display content associated with the #modern tag, excluding content that is also associated with #surrealism.
Important
For the hyphen to work, do not insert a space after it.
The search must therefore be: #landscape-#water and not #landscape - #water
Search for a range using . .
Use two consecutive periods .. to search within a range of values.
Example
If you want to search for artworks created between 1950 and 1970 in the Artworks section, you can use:
in: 1950–1970
Artshell will search for values within the specified range.
This syntax is particularly useful for performing searches on numeric fields, such as the years of creation of the artworks.
Search for alternative values using OR
The OR operator allows you to search for content that meets at least one of the specified criteria, rather than necessarily all of them.
What do AND and OR mean?
When you combine multiple search criteria, you can use two different approaches:
- AND (AND): Only results that meet all the specified criteria are displayed. For example, if you search for two tags, Artshell will show only the content associated with both.
- OR (OR): Results that meet at least one of the specified criteria are displayed. For example, when searching for two tags, Artshell will display content associated with the first, the second, or both.
If you enter multiple criteria without specifying a logical operator, Artshell automatically uses the AND operator. To use the OR operator, you must explicitly enter it.
Example
If you want to find content associated with the #acrylic or #abstract tags, use:
#acrylic OR #abstract
Artshell will display content associated with at least one of the two tags.
Group multiple criteria using parentheses ( )
Round parentheses allow you to group multiple criteria and specify how they should be interpreted within a complex search.
Example
To find artworks created using oil and tempera techniques that are currently set to available, use:
(in: Oil painting OR in: Tempera painting) is: available
This feature is particularly useful for creating more complex searches by combining multiple operators.
Important
Be very careful not to insert any extra spaces between the parentheses and the operators.
What type of search should I use?
If you're not sure which search mode to choose, refer to this table to find the one that best suits the information you're looking for.
| If you want... | Example | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Search for a word or name without knowing which field it's in | Find artworks containing the word "Fontana" |
Free text search |
| Search for a contact or an artist associated with other content | Find the artworks associated with a specific artist or contact |
@ |
| Search for a location associated with a piece of content | Find artworks stored in a specific location or the events taking place there |
in:Location |
| Search for content in a specific field when you know where it was entered and the field is not a drop-down menu | Search for the ID of a work without a hyphen | in: |
| Search for a value within a field with predefined options | Search for all certified artworks in the Artworks section | is:Certified |
| Find the " records " where a specific field is empty | Search the Contacts section for all contacts that have the Phone field empty | empty:Phone |
| Exclude a value from a field with default options | Find artworks for which a specific value is not selected | isnot: |
| Find the " records " where a specific field is filled in | Search the Events section for those that have filled out the "Curated by" section : | full:Edited by |
| Exclude certain content from the results | Search for content by tag #Art , excluding those with tags #Design |
Hyphen - |
| Search for content that meets at least one of several conditions | Search for content by tag #acrylic or #abstract |
OR |
If the search does not return the expected results
If the search bar doesn't return the results you expect, you can try a few things:
- Check which section you're in. The search is performed within the current section. So make sure you're on Artworks, Artists, Contacts, or Events, depending on the content you want to find.
- Check the terms and tags you entered. Make sure they are spelled correctly and match the information on records.
- Check the operators used. Some characters, such as the hyphen, have a specific function in the search. If you're searching for a value that contains them, you may need to use quotation marks.
- Try a more specific search. If you get too many results, use an operator such as
in:to limit the search to a specific field. - Refresh the page. If the bar isn't responding properly, try reloading the page to resolve any temporary loading issues.