--- title: "Searching and Filtering in Studio" slug: "searching-and-filtering-in-studio" updated: 2026-03-19T15:29:55Z published: 2026-03-19T15:29:55Z canonical: "docs.skillable.com/searching-and-filtering-in-studio" --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.skillable.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Searching and Filtering in Studio ## Overview Most content in Skillable Studio —including lab profiles, lab instances, lab series, templates, organizations— is surfaced through **Find** pages. **Find** pages provide a consistent, filter-driven interface for locating records across large datasets. You can use them for both everyday lookups and deeper operational reporting. This article explains how **Find** pages work, how to apply filters effectively, and what to expect from search behavior across Studio. ## How Find Pages Work Each **Find** page targets a specific record type, like **Find Lab Instances** or **Find Lab Profiles**. When you open a **Find** page, Studio runs an initial query using default parameters. You can refine results by adding, adjusting, or removing filters. All active filters are applied together using **AND logic**, meaning results must match every filter you have set. Results are displayed in a sortable table. You can customize which columns appear in the output so the table displays the information most relevant to your task. ## Add and Remove Filters ### Add Filters To add filters: 1. From a **Find** page, select the **Add Filter** dropdown to open the filter picker. 2. Select the field you want to filter. 3. Select an operator and enter a value. You can add as many filters as needed. All active filters remain visible above the results table so you can easily review what is applied. ### Remove Filters - To remove a single filter, click the **trash can** icon next to that filter. - To remove all filters, click **Remove All** above the filter list. ## Filter Types and Operators ### Filter Types The available operators depend on the filter type: | **Filter Type** | **Available Operators** | | --- | --- | | Text | **Equals**, **Does Not Equal**, **Contain**, **Does Not Contain**, **Start With**, **Does Not Start With**, **End With**, **Does Not End With** | | Numeric | **Equals**, **Does Not Equal**, **Greater Than**, **Less Than**, **Between** | | Date / DateTime | **On**, **Before**, **After**, **Last N days**, **Between** | | Dropdown / Select | Specific values shown in a list | | Boolean | **Yes / No**, **Is / Is Not / Is Or Is Not**, **Has / Does Not Have / Has Or Does Not Have** | Important Behavior Change **As of February 2026**, the default text filter operator in a Lab Instance search and related **Find** pages changed from **Contains** to **Equals**. ### Operators | **Operator** | **Behavior** | **When to Use** | | --- | --- | --- | | **Equals** | Matches the exact value only. Faster and more efficient for large datasets. | Use when you know the precise value, such as exact name, ID, or string. | | **Contains** | Matches any record where the field value includes the search string. Broader but slower on large tables. | Use when searching by partial name or are unsure of the exact value. | **Recommendation:** Use **Equals** for most searches. Use **Contains** for exploratory searches using partial values. ## Lab Instance Search The **Find Lab Instances** page searches across the lab instances table, which is one of the largest in Studio (tens of millions of rows). Several defaults are specifically tuned to keep searches fast and reliable. ### Default Search Behavior | Setting | Previous Default | Current Default | Why It Changed | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Date range | Last 7 days | **Last 1 day** | Reduces the initial dataset dramatically, improving query speed and preventing timeouts. | | Text filter operator | Contains | **Equals** | More precise matching returns fewer, more relevant results and reduces query cost. | Tip If you need to search a broader time range than the default, simply update the date filter after the initial load. Start narrow and expand rather than starting broad ### Output Fields (Columns) You can select which fields appear in your results. The following fields are an example of what is available, a full list of all available output fields can be found [Studio Output Options Reference](/v1/docs/studio-search-pages-output-columns-reference): | Field | Description | | --- | --- | | Lab Instance ID | Unique identifier for the instance. | | Lab Profile | Name of the lab profile launched. | | Lab Title | Title of the lab. | | User | User who launched the instance. | | Organization | Organization associated with the instance. | | Start Date / End Date | When the instance started and ended. | | State | Current or final state of the instance (Running, Complete, Off, etc.). | | Duration | Total lab session time. | | Virtualization Platform | The virtual platform used (e.g., Hyper-V, ESXi, Azure, AWS). | | Cloud Platform | Cloud platform if applicable. | | Instruction Set ID | The unique identifier of the instruction set linked to this instance. Useful for authors and support to pinpoint exact content. | | Language | The language of the instruction set for this instance. Useful for filtering multilingual lab environments. | The **Instruction Set ID** and **Language** fields reduce friction when authors and support teams need to identify the exact content version running inside a lab instance. ## Handle Timeouts If a search returns a **timeout error**, the query matched too large a dataset to complete in the allowed time. This is most common when filters are too broad or the date range spans a long period. To resolve a timeout: 1. **Narrow the date range.** Start with "Last 1 day" or "Last 3 days" and expand only as needed. 2. **Add more filters.** Filter by user, organization, lab profile, or state to reduce the result set. 3. **Switch to Equals.** If you are using Contains on a text field, switch to Equals to eliminate partial matches. 4. **Reduce output fields.** Deselect columns you do not need — fewer fields means less data to return. Timeout error messages now provide clearer, actionable guidance. If you see a timeout, follow the steps above rather than retrying the same broad query. ## Sort Search Results ### Sort by Column Header Click any column header in the results table to sort by that field. Click again to reverse the sort order. ### Customize Output Fields The **Output Options** dropdown (top right of the results area) is where you choose which columns appear in your results. The field list inside Output Options can be ordered in two ways to help you find the field you are looking for: - **Sort Alphabetically**: Lists the available output fields in A–Z order. Useful when you know the name of the field you want to add. - **Sort by Relevance**: Lists the available output fields ordered by how commonly they are used, keeping the most relevant fields near the top. Useful when you are not sure of the exact field name and want to browse the most useful options first. This toggle only affects the order of fields shown in the **Output Options** list — it does not change the order of rows in your search results. ### Preserved Output Fields When Switching Sort Modes Your selected output field checkboxes are preserved when you switch between Sort Alphabetically and Sort by Relevance inside Output Options. Your column selections stay in place so you do not lose your configuration while navigating the field list. ## Typical Use Case: Save Your Search Setup Once you have your filters set and your output fields selected exactly how you want them, you can save the entire configuration as a named saved search and reload it in one click — no need to rebuild it every time. This is especially useful for repeated workflows like: - **Daily check-ins** — Load your standard lab instance view instantly each morning. - **Recurring reports** — Preserve a complex multi-filter setup you run on a regular schedule. - **Common support lookups** — Keep named searches for the patterns you investigate most often. See [Saved Searches in Skillable Studio](/docs/docs.skillable.com/docs/using-saved-searches-in-studio) to get started. ## Tips and Best Practices | Scenario | Recommendation | | --- | --- | | Looking up a specific lab instance by ID | Use **ID = [value]** — fast and exact. | | Finding all instances for a specific user | Filter by **User = [username]** with **Last 1 day** or your needed date range. | | Investigating a support case | Start with **Equals** on the user or lab profile, then add the date range of the incident. | | Reporting on instruction set usage | Add **Instruction Set ID** and **Language** as output fields and filter by organization or date range. | | Search feels slow or times out | Reduce the date range first, then add more filters to narrow results before widening scope. | | Exploring records when you only know partial names | Use **Contains** on the name field, but expect slower results on large datasets. | ## Related Resources - [Saved Searches in Skillable Studio](/docs/docs.skillable.com/docs/using-saved-searches-in-studio) --- If you’re experiencing an issue with a lab, platform feature, or your account, please [submit a ticket to Skillable Support](https://www.skillable.com/customer-support/). 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