Using FileRun

Searching files and folders🔗

By filename🔗

Note

Searching for filenames is always done against FileRun's database and not against the filesystem. For a file to be found, FileRun needs to have it indexed. Indexing is done automatically when browsing folders or performing any task on a folder or a file. A file uploaded via FTP (or any other method other than FileRun) might not appear in the search result if FileRun did not get the opportunity to index it.

A keyword without wildcards is searched for in a broad match way. Which means searching for 345 will match all of the following: ab345.pdf, ab345cd.pdf, 345.pdf or 345cd.pdf.

Wildcards🔗

Type * to stand for any number of characters, and ? to stand for exactly one character.

A keyword which contains * or ? describes the whole filename, so it is no longer searched for anywhere inside the name:

• 345* matches 345.pdf and 345cd.pdf, but not ab345.pdf.
• *.pdf matches every file whose name ends in .pdf.
• 345?.pdf matches 3451.pdf and 345c.pdf, but not 345.pdf.

The characters % and _ have no special meaning. Searching for 50% finds a file named 50% off.pdf, and searching for report_2024 does not match report 2024.pdf.

Other ways to narrow the search🔗

To find only files that start with 345, you would need to search for ^345. It will match 345.pdf and 345cd.pdf. This does the same as 345*.

To find only files that end with 345, you would need to search for 345$. It will match ab345 and 345 but it will not match 345.pdf (because the filename actually ends with .pdf).

To find only an exact match, double-quote the filename, like this "345.pdf". Nothing inside the quotes has a special meaning, so searching for "345*.pdf" looks for a filename which contains the * character.

By metadata🔗

With Metadata search mode set to Broad match, in FileRun's control panel, searching for 345 will match any of the following values 345, ab345cd, ab345 or 345cd. To find an exact value, use double-quotes: "345".

With Metadata search mode set to Exact match, in FileRun's control panel, searching for 345 will match only 345. To find any value that contains the keyword, use asterisks: *345*.

The wildcards work here the same way as for filenames: * stands for any number of characters, ? stands for exactly one, and a keyword which contains either one describes the whole value.

To find files based on metadata values that start with 345, you would need to search for ^345. It will match both 345 and 345cd.

To find files based on metadata values that end with 345, you would need to search for 345$. It will match both 345 and ab345.

By content🔗

Please see this page for the searching syntax used by ElasticSearch: https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl-query-string-query.html#query-string-wildcard