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Pro Tip: Don’t Hit 'Enter' When You Search in Asana – Here’s Why

Unlock the full potential of Asana's search functionality. Learn why hitting ‘Enter’ too soon limits your results, and how to make the most of the search bar’s features to quickly find what you need.
Basic Search in Action – See everything at a glance before hitting 'Enter'!
Basic Search in Action – See everything at a glance before hitting 'Enter'!

It may seem like a small thing, but I’ve noticed this mistake happening quite often during my Asana training sessions. Many users, out of habit, type in the search bar and immediately hit the 'Enter' key, just like they would when using a search engine like Google. It’s a reflex, right?


But here's the thing: by hitting 'Enter' too soon, you're limiting the search results you can see.


Before You Hit 'Enter' – Quick Search

As soon as you start typing, Asana provides instant suggestions across many categories, including:

  • Tasks,

  • Projects,

  • Templates

  • Portfolios

  • Messages

  • Goals

  • Project Briefs

  • Teams


What Happens When You Press 'Enter'? (Full Text Search)

Hitting 'Enter' limits your search results to just:

  • Tasks

  • Messages

  • Projects

  • Portfolios

  • Goals

You lose the ability search key Asana elements like teams, templates, and tags!


Why It Matters:

By not hitting 'Enter', you’re seeing a broader range of results, including things like templates, teams, and tags—not just tasks and projects. This is especially helpful when you’re trying to quickly locate something and need a broader search scope.


For Advanced Users: When Basic Search Isn’t Enough

While basic search is great for quickly locating projects, tasks, and teams, it does have its limits:

  • It only searches item titles – it won’t find keywords inside task descriptions, comments, or custom fields.

  • It doesn’t support advanced filters – for complex queries (e.g., tasks assigned to a specific person with a due date this week), full text search + filters may be the better option.

In these cases, pressing 'Enter' and refining your search using filters is the way to go.


Final Thoughts

Next time you search in Asana, pause before hitting 'Enter'—you’ll see a much wider range of results and find what you need faster! 🚀


Tip: don’t forget to use 'Ctrl+K' on Windows or 'Cmd+K' on Mac to start typing directly in

the search bar!


Want to Learn More?

📖 Read more about ‘Basic search’ in the Asana Guide.


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