Overview

When composing a message, you can use the recipient search box (typeahead search – a search that displays matching results as you type) to quickly find the person you want to message.

You can search by entering part of the person's:

• Name
• Phone number
• Email address

Search results are retrieved from two types of records:

• Entities (people synchronized from your ATS/CRM – your Applicant Tracking System or Customer Relationship Management system), including candidates, client contacts, and, where enabled, internal employees.
• Contacts (people created directly in Sense Messaging), which may or may not also exist as an Entity.

This article explains:

• How search matches your input
• How results are ordered
• When new or updated records become searchable
• How permissions affect search results
• Current limitations of the feature

Where search results come from

A Contact can optionally be linked to an Entity.

When linked:

• The Contact's name and email stay synchronized with the Entity.

When not linked:

• The Entity and Contact are searched independently.
• If both records exist for the same person, they may appear as separate search results.

Search results are always limited to records within your own agency.

How search matching works

Search is not case-sensitive

Uppercase and lowercase letters are treated the same.

For example:

• logan olson
• Logan Olson
• LOGAN OLSON

All return the same results.

Extra spaces are ignored

Leading and trailing spaces are automatically removed before searching.

Name matching

Names are matched using a starts with approach for each word.

As you type:

• Each completed word is matched more closely.
• The word you are currently typing matches names that begin with those characters.

This helps narrow results as you continue typing.

Phone number matching

Phone numbers are matched using only the digits.

Formatting such as:

• Parentheses
• Spaces
• Hyphens

does not affect search results.

For example, searching:

215

matches both:

• (215) 730-2942
• 2157302942

Email matching

Email searches match the stored email address.

Exact matches appear first

An exact match (a result that exactly matches the complete name, phone number, or email you entered) is prioritized above partial matches.

For example, searching the complete phone number:

1-531-219-1988

returns the person whose phone number exactly matches that value before other records that contain similar digits.

Partial matches

Partial matches are not treated as exact matches.

For example:

Searching:

Logan

can still return:

Logan Olson

but it is not considered an exact match.

Empty fields

If a record does not contain a value for the field you searched, it simply will not match using that field.

For example:

• A person without a phone number cannot be found using a phone number search.
• The same person can still be found by name or email.

How search results are ordered

Search results are ordered using the following criteria:

1. The closest match to your search is shown first.
   • Exact matches rank above partial matches.
2. If multiple results are equally relevant, people you have messaged more recently generally appear higher in the list.
   • People you have never messaged usually appear lower.
3. Entities and Contacts are displayed in separate result groups.
   • The ranking of one group does not affect the other.

How quickly search results are updated

New and updated records are synchronized automatically in the background.

This process is near-real-time (updates usually appear within a short time but may not be immediate).

For example:

• A newly created candidate
• An updated phone number
• A newly added Contact

typically becomes searchable within moments.

If you cannot find a recently updated record, wait briefly and search again.

Visibility and permissions

• Deleted Entities and Contacts no longer appear in search results.
• Private Contacts are only visible to the agent who created them.
• Contacts shared with a team or security group are visible to members of that group.
• Search results never include records from other agencies.

Current limitations

Keep the following behavior in mind when using Messaging Typeahead Search.

• Search results do not exclude people who have opted out of messaging or are marked as Do Not Contact.
  • A record appearing in search does not mean a message can be delivered.
  • Delivery checks are performed only when you send the message.
• There is no fixed maximum number of search results returned.
  • Broad searches may return more or fewer results.
  • Entering additional characters narrows the results.
• Entities and Contacts are searched independently.
  • If the same person exists as both an unlinked Entity and Contact, they may appear twice in the results.

Examples

Entity examples

Contact examples

Entity and Contact examples

Frequently asked questions

Why does the same person appear twice?

This happens when the person exists as both an Entity and an unlinked Contact.

Linking the Contact to the corresponding Entity keeps both records synchronized going forward.

I just updated a phone number. Why can't I find it immediately?

Updates are synchronized in the background and usually become searchable within moments, but they are not always available immediately.

Wait briefly and search again.

Can I search using only part of a phone number?

Yes.

Searching with the beginning digits of a phone number returns matching records regardless of how the number is formatted.

Adding more digits narrows the results.

Will people who have opted out still appear in search?

Yes.

Search shows existing records only.

Whether a message can actually be delivered is checked when the message is sent.

Can I search records from another agency?

No.

Search results only include records that belong to your own agency.