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Clarify search in Explorer (#4934)
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Clarifying the search methods available and how they work, given updates
to the product.
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nghi-ly authored Feb 15, 2024
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18 changes: 5 additions & 13 deletions website/docs/docs/collaborate/explore-projects.md
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## Search for resources {#search-resources}
With the search bar (on the upper left corner of the page or in a lineage graph), you can search with keywords or by using [node selection syntax](/reference/node-selection/syntax). The resources that match your search criteria will display as a lineage graph and a table in the main section of the page.

Select a node (single-click) in the lineage graph to highlight its relationship with your other search results and to display which project contains the resource's definition. When you choose a node (double-click) in the lineage graph or when you select a resource in the table, dbt Explorer displays the [resource's details page](#view-resource-details).
With the search bar (on the upper left corner of the page or in a lineage graph), you can search with keywords or selectors. The resources that match your search criteria will display in a list (keyword search) or the lineage graph (selector search).

### Search with keywords
When searching with keywords, dbt Explorer searches through your resource metadata (such as resource type, resource name, column name, source name, tags, schema, database, version, alias/identifier, and package name) and returns any matches.

- Keyword search features a side panel (to the right of the main section) to filter search results by resource type.
- Use this panel to select specific resource tags or model access levels under the **Models** option.
- For example, a search for "sale" returns results that include all resources with the keyword "sale" in their metadata. Filtering by **Models** and **Sources** refines these results to only include models or sources.
When searching with keywords, dbt Explorer searches through your resource metadata, such as resource name, and returns any matches. When searching for an exact column name, the results show all relational nodes containing that column in their schemas. If there's a match, a notice in the search result indicates the resource contains the specified column.

- When searching for an exact column name, the results show all relational nodes containing that column in their schemas. If there's a match, a notice in the search result indicates the resource contains the specified column.
You can then refine the search results using the filters in the panel on the right-hand side of the page. Use this panel to select specific resource types or tags to apply. You can filter on model properties (access or materialization type) under the **Models** option.

### Search with selectors

You can search with [selectors](/reference/node-selection/methods). Below are the selectors currently available in dbt Explorer:
You can search with [selectors](/reference/node-selection/methods) within the full lineage graph using the search bar. Below are the selectors currently available in dbt Explorer:

- `fqn:` — Find resources by [file or fully qualified name](/reference/node-selection/methods#the-fqn-method). This selector is the search bar's default. If you want to use the default, it's unnecessary to add `fqn:` before the search term.
- `source:` — Find resources by a specified [source](/reference/node-selection/methods#the-source-method).
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</VersionBlock>

Because the results of selectors are immutable, the filter side panel is not available with this search method.

When searching with selector methods, you can also use [graph operators](/reference/node-selection/graph-operators). For example, `+orders` returns all the parents of `orders`. This functionality is not available for keyword search.
When searching with selector methods, you can also use [graph operators](/reference/node-selection/graph-operators). For example, `+orders` returns all the upstream nodes of `orders` and `orders+1` returns just the nodes immediately downstream (the children) of `orders`.

You can use multiple selector methods in your search query with [set operators](/reference/node-selection/set-operators). A space implies a union set operator and a comma for an intersection. For example:
- `resource_type:metric,tag:nightly` &mdash; Returns metrics with the tag `nightly`
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