Important Note: This article discusses classic functionality. For information on the modern applicant experience, refer to the Applicant Experience Knowledgebase article.

To manage applications/records, you must be able to use the applicant/user search engine. The search interface for Terra Dotta provides a great variety of search criteria, permitting the administrator to filter all the applications/records to a view that can be saved as a query. This article focuses on the Simple Search and Enhanced Simple Search functionality.

Also refer to the article detailing the Advanced Application/Record Search.

Note: Depending on your usage case of Terra Dotta, this functionality refers to searching for "applications" and "applicants" or "users" and "records". These terms are synonymous in that regard. The software will display the one relevant to your use case.

This article discusses the following topics:

Necessary Permissions
Simple Search
Enhanced Simple Search
Permissions and Access
Adding Parameters for Additional Search Criteria
- Using the Enhanced Simple Search

Necessary Permissions

Applicant/User Admin: Applicant/User search (simple)

Simple Search

Go to Applicants/Records > Search.
Enter part or all of an applicant’s/user's name in the 'Applicant Name’/'User Name' field in order to bring up a list of search results.
Enter all or part of a program title in the 'Program Name’ field in order to bring up a list of search results.
When you have finished selecting your search terms, click 'Search’ and the page displays the applications/records that fit the criteria you requested.

Note: If you enter more than one word in the search field, the system will use an 'OR’ search logic for that field. For example, if you enter the words Ben Smith in the Applicant/User Name field, the system will bring up all applications/records with the name Ben as well as all applications/records containing the name Smith. To search for an exact name, put double quotes ("Ben Smith”) around the name and it will bring up only applications/records that have those exact words.

The 'Program Terms’ list box enables you to select specific application cycles in which to search. You can select multiple application cycles by holding the Command/Control key as you click each option.

Collectively, the three main options in the simple search use 'AND’ search logic. If you enter 'Ben’ into the 'Applicant Name’/'User Name' field, 'Germany’ in the 'Program Name’ field, and 'Summer 2020’ into the 'Program Terms’ box, the system will bring up only the applications that meet all of these criteria.

By default, the Simple Search does not include applications/records that have been withdrawn. If you wish to include withdrawn applications/records in your search, you must check the box next to 'Include withdrawn applications’/'include withdrawn records' to enable this option.

Note: If you do not provide any keywords, the search displays all the active applications/records in your system.

Enhanced Simple Search

The Enhanced Simple Search allows administrative users to dynamically add new search criteria on the applicant/user search page. An administrator can select applicant/user parameters to be included as the search criteria on applicant/user search page.

Permissions and Access

The following permissions are required to utilize the Enhanced Simple Search in addition to the simple search permission:

System settings: program parameters (view)
System Settings: Applicant/User Parameters (edit)

To access the Enhanced Simple Search, simply navigate to Applicants/Users > Search.

Adding Parameters for Additional Search Criteria

To add your favorite and most-used search criteria, you will need to determine the appropriate parameters. In the screenshot above, highlighted in green are a Major parameter and an example “Data Lookup w/ Search” parameter.

Here are the steps to enable a parameter on the Simple Search (the following example uses Major as the parameter):

Navigate to Settings > Applicant/User Params.
Find the Major parameter in the list. Click the edit pencil next to this parameter.
Scroll down to find the “Enable in simple search?” setting. This is toward the bottom and indicated in the screenshot below.
Select the bubble for Yes.
Scroll to the bottom and click Update.
When you navigate to Applicants/Records > Search, the Major parameter should appear as a search criteria.

Using the Enhanced Simple Search

Like the original Simple Search, you simply:

Enter part or all of an applicant’s/user's name in the 'Applicant Name’/'User Name' field in order to bring up a list of search results.
And/or enter all or part of a program title in the 'Program Name’ field in order to bring up a list of search results.
And/or select options from the presented search criteria (e.g. Major, GPA, Class, etc.).
When you have finished selecting your search terms, click 'Search’ and the page displays the applications/records that fit the criteria you requested.

Note: If you enter more than one word in the search field, the system will use an 'OR’ search logic for that field. For example, if you enter the words Ben Smith in the Applicant Name/User Name field, the system will bring up all applications/records with the name Ben as well as all applications/records containing the name Smith. To search for an exact name, put double quotes ("Ben Smith”) around the name and it will bring up only applications/records that have those exact words.

The 'Program Terms’ list box enables you to select specific application cycles in which to search. You can select multiple application cycles by holding the Command/Control key as you click each option.

Collectively, the three main options in the simple search use 'AND’ search logic. If you enter 'Ben’ into the 'Applicant Name’/'User Name' field, 'Germany’ in the 'Program Name’ field, and 'Summer 2020’ into the 'Program Terms’ box, the system will bring up only the applications/records that meet all of these criteria.

By default, the Simple Search does not include applications/records that have been withdrawn. If you wish to include withdrawn applications/records in your search, you must check the box next to 'Include withdrawn applications’/'include withdrawn records' to enable this option.

Note: If you do not provide any keywords, the search displays all the active applications/records in your system.

The Knowledgebase

Study Abroad: Enhanced Simple Application/Record Search (Classic)