Set Up Your Relevance Search in Dynamics 365 CRM

By Sara Jo Larsen | June 19, 2019

Dynamics 365 Relevance Search is a tool you want to be using. If you haven't already made the transition, now is the time. Formerly, people remember using the "wildcard" search within the traditional Categorized Search (inserting an asterisk before every search they made to widen the search parameters). Not only does Relevance Search in Dynamics 365 CRM remove that need, but it also displays results in a more flexible way to users.

Steps to Setting Up Relevance Search

First, Relevance Search needs to be enabled from a Global Settings level for all Users:

  1. Click on the Gear Icon in the Navigation bar.
  2. Navigate to Advanced Settings
  3. Navigate to System Settings > Administration
  4. On the General tab, scroll down to Set Up Search and select the box to Enable Relevance Search.
  5. Click OK.

Once Relevance Search is enabled, an individual User can set their individual search settings to Default to Relevance Search. Here they can select whether they want to see Categorized Search or Relevance Search. They can also determine which fields they want to see as a part of the Search (so long as those fields are available within the Quick Find View).

1. Click on the Gear Icon in the Navigation bar.

2. Click on Personalization Settings.

3. On the General tab, scroll down to Select the default search experience.

4. To adjust the Facets and Filters for each entity, click on Configure.

Set Personal Options

5. In the Select Entity dropdown, choose the Entity you would like to adjust, and Add or Remove fields, as well as choose the order in which the display by using the Move Up an Move Down functionality.

6. If a certain field is not available, it can be added to the Default Solution to the Quick Find View for that entity.

7. Once the Selected Fields match the Order in which you care to see, click OK.

8. Click OK once more to finalize your Personal Options.

Using Relevance Search

Relevance Search is accessed from the familiar location in the command bar, and can be toggled between Categorized and Relevance as needed.

You can use a "+" as an "and" function within your search, and a "|" as an "or" function within your search. Results will display in italicized text within each record type.

Users can sort record type by clicking on the Record Type in the left hand navigation area.

Users can also search for exact values with parentheses, just as they would expect to in any other web-based application. There is also a box in which they can search within all related Notes & Activities.

Overall, the look and feel of the new searching feels much more streamlined, and eliminates the bulky columns in the Categorized Search.

Happy Searching!

Contact Stoneridge to Learn More About Optimizing Dynamics 365

Stoneridge experts can help you get the most out of your software solutions by helping you set up and configure solutions and then optimize them so they fit your business. Get in touch for more information.

Sara Jo Larsen
Our Verified Expert
Sara Jo Larsen

Sara Jo Justice is a Solution Architect on the Dynamics CRM team at Stoneridge Software. With a background in banking and finance, Sara Jo entered into her software career organically and has amassed nearly 10 years of consulting experience on national & global projects with Stoneridge Software, PowerObjects, Clients First Business Solutions, & Nihilent. Sara Jo has served as a Consultant and Solution Management resource on five Enterprise level implementations as large as 15k users. Her expertise spans Retail Sales, Finance, Dispatching & Scheduling, Customer Service, Parts Retail, Project Management, & Global Account Management. She is a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner and Certified ScrumMaster. Sara Jo is the process of finalizing her bachelor's degree in Management Information Systems from Metropolitan State University in the Twin Cities. She has spent the majority of her career in the financial industry but has been involved in many CRM upgrade projects over the last five years. She has prior experience as a Senior Business Analyst at PowerObjects.

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