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Expenses
Searching Expenses

Using Global Search to Find Expenses

Overview

Find any expense instantly with Akili Apps' powerful search and filtering features. Learn how to use global search, advanced filters, saved searches, and keyboard shortcuts to locate expenses quickly.

What You'll Learn

  • How to use global search
  • Advanced filtering options
  • Search by various criteria
  • Saving frequent searches
  • Search keyboard shortcuts
  • Troubleshooting search issues

Global Search

Quick Search Bar

Access: Top of every page or press Ctrl/Cmd + K

The global search bar finds:

  • Expenses (by merchant, amount, category, description)
  • Invoices (by client, invoice number)
  • Receipts (by merchant, OCR text)
  • Clients (by name, email)

Basic Search

  1. Click the search bar or press Ctrl/Cmd + K
  2. Type your search query:
    • Merchant name: "Staples"
    • Amount: "45.99" or "45"
    • Description: "client meeting"
    • Category: "office"
  3. Results appear instantly as you type
  4. Click any result to view details

Search Suggestions

As you type, autocomplete suggestions appear:

Recent searches:

  • Your last 10 searches
  • Quick re-run of previous searches

Popular searches:

  • Common merchants you use
  • Frequent categories
  • Recent clients

Smart suggestions:

  • "Expenses over $100"
  • "This month's meals"
  • "Uncategorized expenses"

Search Syntax

Basic search: Simple text matching

starbucks

Finds: Any expense with "starbucks" in merchant, description, or notes

Exact phrase: Use quotes

"client meeting"

Finds: Exact phrase "client meeting"

Amount search:

$45.99
45.99
>100 (amounts over $100)
\<50 (amounts under $50)
50-100 (range)

Date search:

today
yesterday
this week
last month
2025-10-15
October 2025
Q3 2025

Category search:

category:office
category:"meals & entertainment"

Merchant search:

merchant:staples

Tag search:

#project-alpha
tag:client-abc

Combination search:

starbucks october >10

Finds: Starbucks expenses in October over $10

Advanced Filtering

Accessing Filters

From the Expenses page:

  1. Click "Filters" button (funnel icon)
  2. Filter panel slides out from right
  3. Set multiple filter criteria
  4. Click "Apply Filters"

Available Filters

Date Range

  • Today, Yesterday
  • This Week, Last Week
  • This Month, Last Month
  • This Quarter, Last Quarter
  • This Year, Last Year
  • Custom Date Range (date picker)

Amount

  • Minimum amount
  • Maximum amount
  • Exact amount
  • Predefined ranges:
    • Under $25
    • $25 - $100
    • $100 - $500
    • Over $500

Category

  • Select one or multiple categories
  • Checkboxes for easy selection
  • "None" option for uncategorized

Merchant

  • Search for specific merchant
  • Autocomplete from your merchants
  • Multiple merchant selection

Payment Method

  • Credit Card
  • Debit Card
  • Cash
  • E-Transfer
  • PayPal
  • Other

Tags

  • Select from your tags
  • Multiple tag selection
  • Match ANY tag or ALL tags

Receipt Status

  • Has receipt attached
  • No receipt attached
  • Receipt processing
  • Receipt failed

Billable Status

  • Billable expenses only
  • Non-billable only
  • Both

Project/Client

  • Filter by assigned project
  • Filter by client
  • Unassigned expenses

Tax Amount

  • Has tax amount
  • No tax amount
  • Tax amount range

Combining Filters

Filters work together (AND logic):

Example: Find all Office Expenses over $50 paid with Credit Card in October

  • Date: October 2025
  • Category: Office Expenses
  • Amount: Minimum $50
  • Payment Method: Credit Card

Result: Only expenses matching ALL criteria

Filter Indicators

Active filters shown at top of expense list:

📅 October 2025 | 📁 Office Expenses | 💳 Credit Card | 💰 >$50.00

Clear filters:

  • Click "Clear All" button
  • Or click X on individual filter tags

Saved Searches

Save frequently used searches for quick access:

Creating Saved Search

  1. Apply filters for your desired search
  2. Click "Save Search" button
  3. Name your search:
    • "Monthly Office Supplies"
    • "Q4 Client Expenses"
    • "Uncategorized This Month"
  4. Set visibility:
    • Private (only you)
    • Team (all team members can use)
  5. Click "Save"

Using Saved Searches

  1. Click "Saved Searches" dropdown (Expenses page)
  2. Select from your saved searches
  3. Filters applied instantly
  4. Edit filters and re-save if needed

Default Saved Searches

Akili Apps includes helpful preset searches:

  • Recent Expenses - Last 30 days
  • Needs Receipt - Expenses missing receipts
  • Uncategorized - Expenses needing categories
  • Over $100 - Large expenses
  • This Month's Meals - Meals & Entertainment this month
  • Billable Unbilled - Billable expenses not yet invoiced

Managing Saved Searches

Edit saved search:

  1. Select saved search
  2. Modify filters
  3. Click "Update Search"

Delete saved search:

  1. Saved Searches dropdown
  2. Click X next to search name
  3. Confirm deletion

Share with team (Growth plan):

  1. Edit saved search
  2. Change visibility to "Team"
  3. Save

Search from Expenses List

Quick Filter Bar

Above the expense list, quick filter buttons:

  • All - Show all expenses
  • Today - Today's expenses
  • This Week - Last 7 days
  • This Month - Current month
  • Needs Receipt - Missing receipts
  • Uncategorized - Needs categorization

Click any button for instant filtering.

Column Sorting

Click column headers to sort:

  • Date - Newest first or oldest first
  • Merchant - Alphabetical
  • Amount - Highest or lowest first
  • Category - Grouped by category

Click again to reverse sort direction.

Merchant Quick Filter

Click any merchant name in the list:

  • View all expenses from that merchant
  • Temporary filter applied
  • Clear to return to all expenses

Search Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up searching with shortcuts:

  • Ctrl/Cmd + K - Open global search
  • Ctrl/Cmd + F - Search current page
  • Esc - Close search / Clear filters
  • Enter - Execute search
  • ↑ ↓ Arrow keys - Navigate results
  • Enter - Open selected result

Search Tips & Best Practices

  • Use global search for quick lookups - Fastest way to find single expense
  • Use filters for browsing - Better for viewing groups of related expenses
  • Save your frequent searches - One-click access to common filters
  • Be specific with amounts - Use ranges for better results
  • Combine filters - Narrow down to exactly what you need
  • Use tags strategically - Makes searching by project/client easier
  • Review autocomplete - Often finds what you need faster
  • Try different keywords - Search merchant name, description, or category

Troubleshooting Search

Can't Find an Expense

Try these steps:

  1. Clear all filters

    • You might have conflicting filters active
    • Click "Clear All" and search again

  2. Check date range

    • Default view might be "This Month"
    • Expand to "All Time" or custom range

  3. Search by amount

    • If you remember the amount, search for that
    • Use ranges if approximate

  4. Check archived expenses

    • Enable "Show Archived" in filters
    • Expense might have been archived

  5. Search in trash

    • Go to Settings > Trash
    • Expense might have been deleted

Search Not Working

If search isn't responding:

  1. Refresh the page - Ctrl/Cmd + R
  2. Clear browser cache - May have stale data
  3. Try different browser - Rule out browser issues
  4. Check internet connection - Search requires connection
  5. Contact support - If problem persists

Slow Search Results

If search is slow:

  • Large data set: 1000+ expenses may take moment to filter
  • Complex filters: Multiple criteria take longer to process
  • Wait for sync: If bank sync is running, search may be slower
  • Network issues: Slow connection affects search speed

Mobile Search

Mobile Search Interface

On mobile devices:

  1. Tap search icon (top right)
  2. Search bar expands full screen
  3. Type query
  4. Tap result to view

Mobile Filter Access

  1. Tap filter icon (funnel)
  2. Filter panel slides up from bottom
  3. Set filters
  4. Tap "Apply"

Mobile Search Tips

  • Use voice search - Tap microphone icon
  • Recent searches - Quick access to last searches
  • Swipe to clear - Swipe search bar to clear
  • Full-screen results - Better visibility on small screens

Common Questions

Q: Can I search expenses by receipt text? A: Yes! If you've scanned receipts with OCR, search finds text extracted from receipt images.

Q: How do I search for expenses without receipts? A: Use the "Needs Receipt" quick filter or set Receipt Status filter to "No receipt attached".

Q: Can I search across multiple categories at once? A: Yes, in the Category filter, select multiple categories. Results show expenses in ANY of the selected categories.

Q: Does search include archived expenses? A: Not by default. Enable "Show Archived" in filters to include them.

Q: Can I search by invoice number? A: Yes, global search finds expenses linked to invoice numbers. Or search in Invoices section.

Q: Why don't my search results match my filters? A: Check for conflicting filters. For example, date range might exclude the expenses you're searching for.

Q: Can I search expenses by who created them (team accounts)? A: Yes, use the "Created By" filter (available on Growth plan with team features).

Related Articles

Need More Help?

Contact support at support@akiliapps.com or use the live chat in the bottom right corner of the app.

Categorizing ExpensesRecurring Expenses