Find anything you've stored
Find anything you've stored
Once you have been using my-id.ca for a few months, the problem stops being "where do I type this" and becomes "where did I put that". Global search is built for the second problem.
It is the search box in the app header, on every page.
What it searches
| Source | What matches |
|---|---|
| Businesses | Businesses you are connected to |
| Templates | Your personal templates |
| Documents | Your documents, by name and content |
| Files | Uploads, scans, and photos, by filename |
| Field names | The labels of fields you have filled — "policy number", "employer" |
| Field values | The content of those fields — the actual policy number |
Those last two are the ones worth learning. Most search boxes make you remember which document something is in. This one lets you search for the thing itself: type a phone number and it tells you every place that number appears in your account.
Two ways to search
The header panel. Type and results appear grouped by source, a handful per group. Good for jumping straight to something.
The full search page. Click through to see everything, with filters:
- Source — all, or one specific group
- Date range — all time, last 7 days, last 30 days
- Status — all, draft, in progress, completed, signed
Use the full page when you are browsing rather than jumping — "what did I sign in the last 30 days" is a filter question, not a keyword question.
Keyboard shortcuts
| Shortcut | Does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl/Cmd + Alt + F | Focus global search |
| Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + F | Open a dedicated field search (names and values) |
| Shift, Shift (double-tap) | Open a file-only search |
| Esc | Close the panel |
The double-tap-Shift file search is the fastest route to "I know I uploaded that scan somewhere".
Searching well
- Search for the detail, not the container. The last four digits of an account number will find the document faster than guessing what you named it.
- One distinctive term beats three vague ones. "Aviva" finds more than "insurance policy document".
- If nothing comes back, widen the source. A result you expected under Documents may live under Files because it was uploaded rather than filled.
- Empty results usually mean it was never saved. Search cannot find what is only in your email. That is the argument for treating my-id.ca as your one trusted place.
What search does not cover
- Notes — search inside the Notes page instead, or ask the AI assistant.
- The text inside scanned images — a photo of a letter is found by its filename, not by its contents. If the contents matter, extract them into a document or a note.
- Anything outside your account — search is not a web search.
When search is not the right tool
If you are not looking for a specific thing but asking a question — "when does my passport expire", "which of my documents still need signing" — use the AI assistant instead. Search finds items; the assistant answers questions and can act on the answer. There is a link straight to AI chat from the search panel.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- What is the difference between field names and field values?
- Field names searches labels — 'policy number', 'employer'. Field values searches the content you saved in them — the actual policy number. Searching by value is how you find a document when all you remember is one detail from inside it.
- Does search cover my notes?
- Not from the global search box today. Use the search field inside the Notes page, or ask the AI assistant, which can search notes directly.
- Can other people see what I search for?
- No. Search only ever covers your own account, and results are scoped to you.