We provide search tools across the VMS applications to help you find cameras, users, events, and system metadata.

Unless noted otherwise, all search features are case-insensitive and update results dynamically as you type.

General search syntax rules

Most search interfaces in the VMS follow standard search behavior:

• Exact string matching: Entering abc matches aBc, AbC, or TEXTaBcTEXT.

• Multi-term matching: Separating terms with spaces (for example, server room) returns items containing all terms in any order, such as 2nd Floor Server Room or Room 999 Server Rack A.

• Special characters: Avoid using wildcard characters (?, *) and non-alphanumeric characters in standard search fields, as these tools treat them as literal characters or ignore them.

Desktop Client search tools

Audit Trail

Searches the User, User IP, Device Name, and Description fields. Matches can include metadata from the Sessions, Devices, and Details fields.

• abc: Finds any text containing abc (for example, aBc, TEXTaBcTEXT).

• door south: Returns sessions where both door and south appear in available metadata (for example, a session with south corner and door A5 in its description).

Bookmarks

Searches the Caption, Device / Camera Name, Title, and IP Address fields.

• view: Matches terms like office_view or view_lobby.

Event Rules

Searches the Event, Source, Action, Target, and Comment fields. Spaces are treated as literal characters.

• open door: Returns exact sequence matches like open door (soft trigger name) or open door (source / target).

Event Log

Searches only the Description field. Supports spaces and most non-alphanumeric characters permitted in event descriptions.

• view: Matches descriptions like east view of river or view of main floor lobby.

Resource Tree

Searches all items listed in the Resource Tree panel.

• room: Finds resources containing room (for example, confroom, server room).

• north door: Treats spaces as explicit input to match strings like view north door from south.

User Management

Searches the Login, Full Name, Email, and Groups fields. Unlike most other components, User Management supports wildcard pattern matching.

• Wildcards:

  • Use * to match zero or more characters. For example, admin* matches admin123 or administrator, while *test matches usertest or 123test.

  • Use ? to match a single character. For example, test??user?? matches test00userZZ.

• Literal special characters:

  • Entering strings with spaces or characters like + or @ (for example, test user or test@user) searches for those exact characters.

User Manual

Searches the built-in HTML User Manual. Requires a minimum of 3 characters.

• Multiple terms:

  • era ett: Acts as an OR search, matching topics containing either era or ett (for example, camERAs or sETTings).

• Wildcards:

  • *ice: Matches terms ending in ice up to the preceding space (for example, servICEs, devICE).

  • ser*: Matches terms starting with ser up to the next space (for example, SERver, uSERs).

  • ?abc: Replaces ? with any single character (for example, Xabc, 3ABC).

  • abc??def: Replaces each ? with a single character or null (for example, ABC00DEF, abcdef).

Object Advanced Search

Searches analytics metadata generated by connected analytical plugins.

Text and string searches

• abc: Returns lines containing abc (equivalent to *ABC*).

• east door: Matches entries containing either east or door.

Parameter filters

Filter by specific object attributes using parameter keys:

• Key existence: Use <param>:, <param>, or $ <param> to return all objects containing that parameter, regardless of value.

• Exact parameter matches: Use <param>: abc to return entries where <param> equals abc.

• Quoted strings: Use key-value quotes when parameters contain symbols or spaces, such as "<param>": abc.

• Escape characters: Escape reserved symbols (", :, $, \) with a backslash. For example: <param>: ab\"c\".

Numeric and range operators

Filter numerical attributes (such as speed) using operators and ranges:

• Exact match: speed=5 (returns objects whose speed interval includes 5) or licenseplate="5".

• Comparisons: speed>5, speed>=5, speed<5, speed<=5.

• Inclusive range: speed=[5...10] or speed=5...10 (includes 5 and 10).

• Exclusive range: speed=(5...10) (excludes 5 and 10).

• Half-open range: speed=[5...10) (includes 5, excludes 10).

• Decimals: speed=[-5.4 ... 7.2).

Web and cloud search tools

Cloud Portal and Webadmin

Searches cameras, users, and servers in the left panel.

• abc: Filters exact matching strings like aBc or TEXTaBcTEXT.

• server room: Matches items containing both terms in any order, such as 2nd Floor Server Room or Room 999 Server Rack A.

Nx Connect

Searches Connect applications and metadata. Displays results dynamically in grouped sections.

• doc: Matches strings containing doc anywhere in the name (for example, doc A1 (channel partner)). Spaces are included as part of the search input.

Maps

Searches map resources and geographic locations. Displays resources from active maps first, followed by global points of interest.

• loc: Matches local map resources or external points of interest (for example, location 200, loc_b, lockport).

• server room: Matches resources containing all specified terms (for example, 2nd Floor Server Room).