Overview
Quick Search is the fastest way to find students, rooms, tasks, and more without navigating through menus. Access it instantly from anywhere using a keyboard shortcut.
What you'll learn: How to open Quick Search, search across different resource types, perform actions on results, and use navigation shortcuts.
Time to complete: 10-15 minutes
What is Quick Search?
Quick Search lets you:
- Search across multiple resource types—Find profiles, residents, applicants, rooms, buildings, tasks, and keys from one search box
- Perform actions directly on results—Approve applications, assign beds, add tags without navigating to detail pages
- Navigate instantly to any section—Jump directly to Forms, Reports, or any section using navigation shortcuts
- Work without touching your mouse—Use keyboard shortcuts for lightning-fast workflows
Power user efficiency: Once you master Quick Search with Cmd/Ctrl+K, you'll save hours of clicking through menus. Power users navigate 2-3x faster by relying on Quick Search instead of sidebar menus.
How to Open Quick Search
From anywhere in the admin portal, press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux). The Quick Search modal opens immediately.
Memorize this one shortcut: Cmd/Ctrl+K is the single most important keyboard shortcut in Housing.Cloud. Use it for everything, even when you think clicking would be faster—you'll build the habit that saves time long-term.
Alternative: Click the Quick Search button in the top navigation bar.
To close: Press Escape (Esc) or click outside the modal.
Searching for Resources
Quick Search finds:
- Profiles, residents, and applicants
- Rooms, buildings, beds, and keys
- Tasks and work orders
- Knowledge base articles
Open Quick Search, type your query, and results appear grouped by category. Results update automatically as you type.
Search Examples
Find a student: Type their name ("John Smith"), student ID ("2876867"), or email ("student@school.edu"). Partial names work—"John" returns all Johns.
Find a location: Type a room number ("101") or building name ("East Hall").
Find a task: Type the task ID ("Task #123") or keywords ("plumbing").
Performing Actions on Search Results
Click any search result to see available actions—no need to navigate to detail pages first.
Actions by Resource Type
When you find an applicant:
- View Application or View Profile
- Approve, Reject, or Add to Waitlist
- Assign Bed or Assign Meal Plan
- Add Tag or Impersonate
When you find a profile:
- View Profile or Edit Profile
- Assign Bed or Assign Meal Plan
- Add Tag or Impersonate
When you find a resident:
- View Profile
- Assign Bed (change or reassign)
- Add Tag or Impersonate
When you find a room, building, key, or task:
- View the detail page
- Add Tag (for rooms and keys)
- Assign Task or Change Status (for tasks)
Real-World Example
Old workflow: Click "Residents" → Wait for table → Click search → Type name → Wait → Click student → Wait → Click "Assign Bed"
Quick Search workflow: Press Cmd/Ctrl+K → Type name → Click result → Click "Assign Bed"
You save 4 steps and several seconds—multiply that across dozens of daily tasks.
Using Navigation Shortcuts
Quick Search also serves as a navigation tool. Jump directly to any section by typing its name.
How it works: Open Quick Search, type a section name, select the navigation shortcut, and you're instantly there.
Example: Instead of clicking "Setup" → waiting → clicking "Forms," press Cmd/Ctrl+K, type "forms," and hit Enter.
Common Navigation Shortcuts
General: dashboard, profiles, applications, residents, tasks
Inventory: buildings, rooms, beds, keys, furniture
Setup: forms, cycles, rulesets, tags, roles, integrations, meal plans
Other: communications, reports
Start with your top 5: Memorize shortcuts for the sections you use daily. This alone can save you minutes each day. Start with profiles, residents, applications, forms, and inventory.
Tips for Getting Started
Build the muscle memory: For one full day, force yourself to use Cmd/Ctrl+K instead of clicking. By day two, it will feel natural.
Start with these three: "profiles," "residents," and "applications." Master just these to immediately speed up your workflow.
Use it for everything: The more you use Quick Search, the more powerful it becomes.
Quick Search mastery = faster workflows: Within a week of daily use, Quick Search will become your default navigation method. Most power users report working 2-3x faster once they build the keyboard shortcut habit.
What's Next
Continue your Product Learning Session 1 journey:
- PLS-1D: Working with Tables, Filters, and Bulk Actions—Learn about tables, filters, and bulk actions
- PLS-1E: The List-to-Detail Pattern—Master the core navigation pattern
- Complete PLS-1: Product Learning Session 1: System Navigation & Core Concepts