Advanced Find in Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a powerful and flexible search tool.

Building a query of stackable criteria allows you to filter in/out records, returning just the data you need.

The results can be viewed on-screen, exported to excel, or even used to perform bulk edits and other automated workflows on a small or large number of records.

 

Start A New Query

• Click the Advanced Find button on the Command/Navigation bar

 

• Open the Look For: drop-down menu and select the record type you wish to find

 

Build Your Query

Currently, the Advanced Find query displayed below (without any filters) would result in ALL Contacts in your database, and we only want some of them. So let's add some criteria.

• Click Select to add your first Field filter/criteria
  It displays a list of all fields available for the record type (Contacts in this case)

 

• Select the Address 1: City field in the drop-down menu

 

• The default “Operator” is Equals.
  Depending on the type of Field you have selected you have other options also.
  Some of the most useful ones are:
  
  Equals = EXACT Match only
  Contains = Great for Partial values found anywhere in the result
  Contains Data = To find records where this field has any value (is not empty/blank)
  Does Not Contain Data = To find records where this field is empty/blank

     

• Enter Melbourne as the Value

 

• Click Results in the ribbon to view the filtered data

• Advanced Find loads your results

 

Fine Tune Your Query

Getting the right results may involve some trial & error.

If the results returned are not what you need, or require fine tuning, simply click back to the query and try again.

• Click on the Advanced Find Tab to return to the Query and continue fine-tuning your criteria

• Click Results again to run the query/search

• Repeat as many times as necessary

  

Adjusting Columns

The results of your queries may not include the correct “columns” of information. If you wish to add/remove and even expand/contract the width of columns this is all possible.

 

• Click the Advanced Find tab to return to your query

• Click Edit Columns in the ribbon

 

 

• Remove a column - Select the column and Click Remove
• Add a column - Click Add Columns and select from the list of available fields
• Adjust column widths - Double-Click on the column (or) Select it and Click Change Properties
• Alter the list sorting - Click Configure Sorting
• Re-order columns - Select the column and use the left/right Arrow buttons

• Click OK to commit any changes

Clicking Results will now present you with the data formatted with all of your column changes.

 

 

If you are altering an existing Saved View, and you wish to commit changes you’ve made to columns:

• Click the Advanced Find tab
• Click Save

 

Save Your Query

If you wish to keep this Query for later and recall it whenever you like…

• Click the Save (or Save As) button in the ribbon

• Enter a Name for your saved view
• Enter a Description (optional)
• Click Save

• The Advanced Find you created is saved permanently as a View for later use.

 

Retrieve A Saved Query

This is a quick way of retrieving frequently required data out of your system. After saving a previous query/view as per the previous section...

 

• Click the Advanced Find button on the Command/Navigation bar

 

• Select the correct Entity record type you need (eg. CONTACT) for Look For

• Open the Use Saved View drop-down menu
• Select your previously saved view from the list (Saved Views are at the bottom of the list)
• click Results

 

Share Saved Views

Saved views are personal, and by default only visible to you. To share your saved view with other users perform the following steps.

• Open Advanced Find
• Click Saved Views 

 

• A list of your Personal Views is shown
• Tick the view you wish to share
• Click Share

• Click Add User/Team

• Search for required Users / Teams
• Tick one or more and click Select to add them to Selected records
• When finished, click Add

• Default permissions are Read (view) only
• To grant permission for the user to edit the view tick the Write (edit) box
• To grant permission for the user to share the view with others tick the Share box
• When finished click Share

 

Export To Excel

Once you have retrieved your Saved View, or created a new Advanced Find…

• Click Results
• Click Export Contacts

• Click Static Worksheet

• the Excel file will be downloaded