# Smart search & filters

> Find any contact, lot or sale in seconds, from a global search box to multi-criteria filters on bids, invoices, estimates and consignments.

- URL: https://www.selloff.auction/features/smart-search
- Language: English
- Domain: CRM
- Last updated: 2026-10-07
- Français: https://www.selloff.auction/fr/fonctionnalites/recherche-intelligente.md

## At a glance

- Global search across lots, lot numbers, contacts and sales from any page
- Exact matches on lot references, lot numbers and contact numbers flagged first
- Advanced contact search on contact data, tags, bids, invoices, consignments and activities
- Advanced lot search with comparison operators and comma-separated lists of values
- Results ready for export or bulk actions

## One search box for the whole database

A global search window, opened from the header on any page or with a keyboard shortcut, looks across lots (by ID, title or reference), lot numbers in the sale you are working on, contacts (by number or name) and sales (by number or name) at once. Results are grouped in tabs, exact matches are flagged first, and a history tab brings back the records you opened recently.

The dashboard also has its own quick contact search by name or contact number.

## Advanced contact search

The contact list searches keywords across all contact fields and filters by type: prospects, clients, suppliers, consignment representatives, brokers or auction agents. The advanced search goes much further, with operators such as "starts with", "contains", "is empty" or "is not":

- contact data, birth date, external references and remarks
- email status and marketing subscriptions
- tags, collecting areas, activities, opportunities and campaigns
- consignments, bids and invoices, with sales, lot ranges and minimum amounts

## Advanced lot search

Lots can be filtered by consignment or receipt number, consignor name or reference, reference catalogue, packaging type, quantity or weight, main category, catalogue image size, tags, status and sale. Estimates, low and high estimates and reserves accept "greater than", "less than" and "equals". The description can be searched as free text.

## From results to action

Search results feed straight into daily work: export the lot inventory to Excel, assign selected lots to a catalogue, or apply a bulk change to estimates and reserves. Contact searches can be kept as [smart lists](https://www.selloff.auction/features/segmentation-smart-lists.md).

## Related features

- [Segmentation & smart lists](https://www.selloff.auction/features/segmentation-smart-lists.md): Classify contacts with tags and collecting areas, then save dynamic lists that update themselves from bids, invoices, consignments and activities.
- [Client records & history](https://www.selloff.auction/features/client-records.md): One record per contact with addresses, ID and bank details, tags, consignments, bids, invoices and a complete activity history shared by the whole team.
- [Lot references & barcode labels](https://www.selloff.auction/features/lot-references-barcodes.md): Give every lot a unique reference in your chosen format, print barcode labels on Zebra printers from the browser and scan them at every step.
- [Catalogue building & numbering](https://www.selloff.auction/features/catalogue-building.md): Assign lots to a sale, order them by category or any field, number them automatically or by scanning, and check the catalogue for errors before it goes live.

## Frequently asked questions

### How do I find a lot quickly during a sale?

Open the global search and type the lot number: Selloff looks it up in the sale you are working on, alongside lot IDs, titles and references. Exact matches are flagged at the top, so the right lot is one click away.

### Can I search for several consignment or receipt numbers at once?

Yes. The advanced lot search accepts comma-separated lists with "starts with", "contains", "equals" or "does not equal", so you can pull the lots of several consignments or receipts in a single search.

### Can I save a contact search and reuse it?

Yes. The criteria of the advanced contact search can be saved as a [smart list](https://www.selloff.auction/features/segmentation-smart-lists.md), which recalculates its results each time you open or export it.