How to use the search function in Salesforce
Description: There are many accounts and contacts already setup in Salesforce so it can be tough to find what you need. Below you will find some tips and advice on how to refine your search.
The sidebar column that appears on the left side of most Salesforce.com pages provides convenient access to the following links and commands. You can minimize the sidebar by clicking on the small triangle (circled)
Searches are automatically treated as a phrase search; that is, the search matches terms only in the exact sequence that they appear.
For example, searching for John Smith returns items with John Smith, but not Jonathan Smith or John T Smith.
An * (asterisk) wildcard is automatically appended to your search string. For example, searching for John Sm finds items with John Smith and John Smythe.
You can use the * (asterisk) and ? (question mark) wildcards to refine your search results. Use * to match one or more characters, or ? to match a single character.
Searching for John Sm?th will return John Smith and John Smythe and John Smithills, etc. Searching for John Sm*th with return John Smeeth in addition to those above.
Searches look only in a certain subset of fields, including name, phone, email, and standard address fields.
Use the Sidebar Search drop-down list to limit your search to a single object, e.g. Accounts only.
Use the Sidebar Search Limit to Items I Own checkbox to limit your search to records for which you are the owner.
A search for the email address can often be a good place to start as this will be unique in most cases.