Searching In Workday

This job aid explains how to search in Workday and provides guidance on using search features effectively to find people, tasks, reports, and business data.

Purpose

This job aid explains how to search in Workday and provides guidance on using search features effectively to find people, tasks, reports, and business data.

 

When to Use

Use this job aid when you:

• Find people, tasks, reports, or business data in Workday
• Narrow search results using categories or filters
• Use advanced search techniques such as prefixes or partial searches
• Search within reports or prompts
• Improve search accuracy and efficiency

 

Steps

Step 1: Use Global Search
Workday provides a global Search box that allows you to search for people, tasks, reports, and business data.

 

1. Click in the Search box at the top of the Workday screen.
2. Enter a name, task, report, or keyword.
3. Press Enter on your keyboard.

Search results display across the top of the page as filter buttons. Top Results is the default and is personalized for you.

 

Step 2: Filter Search Results by Category

1. Use the filter buttons (such as People) to narrow results to a specific category.
2. Select All Categories to apply additional filters for more targeted results.

Only categories you have security access to will display.

 

Step 3: Understand Exact Match Searches
Workday search favors exact matches.

• Misspelled search terms may return no results.
• Full word matches are prioritized over partial matches.
• Searching for partial names (e.g., “Alex”) may not return longer names (e.g., “Alexander”), depending on data volume.

 

Step 4: Use Partial Search (When Needed)
Partial searches can be used to locate tasks or reports when the full name is unknown.

Example:

Searching for “main can lis” may return “Maintain Candidate List Assignment”. 
Partial searches are effective but may return multiple results.

Step 5: Use Search Prefixes
Search prefixes restrict results to a specific type of Workday object.

• Prefixes are lowercase letters followed by a colon (:)
• Example: bp: returns business process definitions
• Enter a question mark (?) in the Search box and press Enter to view available prefixes

Step 6: Use Auto-Suggest
As you type in the Search box, Auto-Suggest displays suggested results.

1. Select a suggested result to open it directly.
2. Select View More to see full search results.

 

Step 7: Use Workday Assistant
Workday Assistant appears in Top Results and provides personalized answers to commonly searched questions, such as:

• "My team’s hire date”
• "My location”

This feature uses natural language processing to improve search efficiency.

 

Step 8: Review Recent Searches
Workday saves your five most recent searches.

1. Click the Search box to view recent searches.
2. Select Clear to remove saved search history.

Step 9: Use Search Categories
Search categories help reduce unrelated results.

1. Select a category from the Search box drop-down.
2. Categories can also be added by typing the category name followed by a colon (:).
3. Used categories appear in Recent Searches.

You can customize categories by selecting Edit Categories Preferences from All Categories.

Step 10: Search for Workers

1. Enter a worker's first name or full name in the Search box.
2. Results display identifying information, such as a photo, job title, organization, and location, to confirm the correct person.

 

Step 11: Use Prompt Search
Prompt search allows you to search directly within a prompt field.

You can:

• Navigate the hierarchy provided in the prompt
• Enter a search term to locate applicable data

Tips for prompt searches:

• Use specific keywords
• Avoid general terms like “find” or “work.”
• Use the first two letters to jump to results
• Click outside the prompt to clear the search

 

Step 12: Search Within Reports

Filter Use Case
Use filters to manually narrow results (e.g., filtering inventory by manufacturer and part type).

Search Use Case
Use Find reports to locate data when the criteria are broad.

Supported search methods include:

• Boolean search – (sales OR marketing) AND manager
• Phrase search – “marketing manager.”
• Exact match – specificmail@workday.com

You can save faceted searches for later use.

 

Notes & Tips

• Search results are based on your security access and role.
• Use exact task names for faster results.
• Prefixes are useful for narrowing complex searches.
• Recent searches help speed up repeat actions.
• If you cannot find a result, you may not have access to it.
• From search results, you can open records or initiate actions using Related Actions.