> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://software-help-docs.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://software-help-docs.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/software-guide/settings/how-to-use-the-universal-search-feature.md).

# How To Use The Universal Search Feature

The Universal Search feature allows you to quickly search for contacts, payments, and opportunities within *our software*. You can easily click into any found entry, or create a new entry if the query yields no results. Check out these simple steps for how to use the Universal Search:

**Step 1: Navigate to the dashboard menu.**

* On the top left of your screen, you’ll see a search bar.
* Click on it and a popup will appear.
* In the popup window, you can type the query you wish to search for.

{% embed url="<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/0mAfmI72u3eEmlT7ya1e3maTd51n3hULepwj6ywZ23LMbCWT-EHgt154Yaz_ZcNrdIGlsoeqzbUisX0EOzjyzoNMNwOOsjojZPQ9aSc9hLk0pLAI24a4Er8rJLUKYj_Jy2Xis9Zxy7KhrH3Mm0GDhMU>" %}

* In this example, we’ll search for “test”.
* On the left, you can sort the search by All Categories, Contacts, Opportunities, or Payments.

{% embed url="<https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/eZFV6TYr2UG4w-hi3ciSQkbt_R0JqmMx1kLCk3appJrU4VezJH_S70svKYGtcYrdv5LOlaXSwE7rophWdXepvSZWfD5VMivw6AdLxKrDt1QsneWGyy82h8aPWtNLU_BP7UzDbAH3AUnXLMFLlzGssC4>" %}

* Click on any found Contacts, Opportunities, or Payments to quickly navigate to the page with the appropriate information.
* Return to the search bar and repeat this as many times as you need to.

**Step 2: Add a Contact or Opportunity from the Search tab**

* In both the Contacts and Opportunities tabs, if your search doesn’t yield a result, you can create a new contact or opportunity right from here.
* Click the “add” hyperlink that appears within the tab, and fill out the appropriate information for the contact or opportunity you wish to create.

{% embed url="<https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/KFGVkfO0RMKUyb9mY0ZX3slkiypy0nEfA0O-pjPm5Pid9vRgzSvUw4d8xa44AsxYGvNWWWBPRubIc3Ax7g979C3jjg82deCMiiiFqX7kGPF2nmfnahOHAvLxvM1uaVrFEkLTnQxwrJBMjO19k0aEJZE>" %}


---

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## Querying This Documentation
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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://software-help-docs.gitbook.io/knowledge-base/software-guide/settings/how-to-use-the-universal-search-feature.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
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Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
