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Question

Box Metadata Search Or Filter

  • May 22, 2025
  • 2 replies
  • 5 views
C
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Hi,

 

I was looking to use the Box Metadata search feature but I would like to do an OR search.  Our usecase is that we have a custom metadata template which has first name and nickname field which we want to search based on.  I was trying to avoid doing two searches so I would like to search for files where firstname or nickname equals 'Dan'.

 

Does anyone have any experience doing a search like this?

 

Thanks,

 

Dan

 

    2 replies

    C
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    Hey Dan,

     

    Not sure if this is helpful at this point, but here goes.

     

    Just to confirm, you are using a metadata template?

     

    If so, what attribute are you using for the name fields?

     

    I have a template where I use the "Text" attribute field, and users can enter a person's name. It's an open field, so people can type anything. When I tested this today in advanced search, I confirmed the following:

    1. metadata text is not case sensitive. If your staff originally typed the name 'Daniel' in the metadata field, and then someone searched 'daniel', the file would still be pulled up.
    2. metadata text is searchable at word level. I do not have separate text fields for first and last name; I enter the entire name in one text field. So for you, I would type "Daniel Cody". If I did a metadata search and typed in only 'cody', the file would still be pulled up. I do it this way (one field for an entire name) because so many people I work with are from other countries, and Firstname Lastname is too culturally specific to the naming conventions of one group to have any value for me.
    3. metadata text must otherwise be consistent. Files with metadata 'Daniel' will not be searchable based on the term 'Dan'. This means you have to train your staff on the importance of consistency in data entry, and likely ban the use of nicknames and any shorthand. Have staff who do metadata entry run searches based on metadata themselves; they'll get why consistency matters immediately. 

    -Anthony V.

    C
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    Hi,

     

    The question was not how to use the metadata search or to get It working with different cases.  It was to do an OR search on multiple fields for example

     

    { 

    firstName: "Daniel",

    nickName: "Dan",

    }

     

    That I would want any files with firstName Daniel OR nickName "Dan" where now it returns only files that hit the case firstName "Daniel" AND nickName "Dan"

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