Searching and Finding Tasks

As your organization grows and you create more tasks, finding specific tasks becomes increasingly important. PawPlacer offers robust search capabilities to help you quickly locate the tasks you need.

Quick Search from Dashboard

The most accessible way to find tasks is through the Quick Search feature on your dashboard:

1. Type your search term in the search bar at the top of the dashboard
2. Results will appear automatically as you type
3. The search looks through:

• Task names
• Task descriptions
• Pet names (for associated tasks)
• Team member names (for assigned tasks)

4. Click on any search result to open the task directly

This search provides immediate results across all your boards and is the fastest way to find specific tasks.

Search Results Categories

The Quick Search organizes results into categories:

• Tasks: All matching tasks across all boards
• Pets: Pets whose names match your search
• Events: Events that match your search terms
• Adopters: Potential adopters whose information matches (if applicable)

This categorization helps you quickly find exactly what you're looking for, even when search terms might apply to different types of items.

Advanced Search Techniques

To make your searches more effective:

• Use specific terms rather than general ones ("vaccine" instead of "medical")
• Include pet names when searching for pet-specific tasks
• Search for tag names to find all tasks with particular tags
• Search by team member names to find tasks assigned to specific people
• Include dates in your search to find tasks due on specific days

Filtering Tasks on Boards

When working on a specific board, you can filter tasks without using the search:

1. Click on the tag filter at the top of a board
2. Select one or more tags to filter by
3. The board will show only tasks with those tags
4. Clear the filter to see all tasks again

This is useful when you want to focus on specific categories of tasks within a board.

Finding Tasks Through Pet Profiles

If you're looking for tasks related to a specific pet:

1. Navigate to the pet's profile
2. Scroll to the "Tasks" section
3. All tasks associated with that pet will be listed there

This provides a direct way to see everything that needs to be done for a particular animal.

Finding Your Assigned Tasks

To see tasks specifically assigned to you:

1. Look at your dashboard's "Today's Tasks" section for immediate priorities
2. Check the Schedule View for upcoming assigned tasks
3. Use Quick Search with your name to find all your assignments

Common Search Scenarios

Here are some typical search scenarios and how to handle them:

Finding Overdue Tasks

• Search for specific dates that have passed
• Check your dashboard, which highlights overdue items

Finding Tasks for a Specific Process

• Search using terminology specific to that process
• Use tag filtering if you've tagged tasks by process type

Finding All Tasks for an Adoption Case

• Search for the adopter's name
• Search for the pet's name
• View the pet's profile tasks section

Search Limitations

Be aware of these limitations when searching:

• Search doesn't include archived tasks unless you've toggled them to be visible
• Very short search terms (1-2 characters) may not trigger results
• Search is limited to content you have permission to access

Search Best Practices

• Be specific with your search terms
• Try alternative keywords if you don't find what you're looking for initially
• Use consistent naming conventions for tasks to make them easier to find later
• Check multiple categories in search results if you don't immediately see what you need
• Regularly review and clean up old tasks to keep search results relevant

Effective use of search can save you significant time and ensure that important tasks don't get overlooked in a busy environment.