Overview

SmartSearch is an alpha feature intended for clients managing extensive datasets. It provides near real-time search capabilities, significantly enhancing list view performance when handling large volumes of data. This guide explains the purpose of SmartSearch, the process to enable it, and the expected outcomes once it is activated.

Note: SmartSearch is currently under active development and will evolve as we progress toward a beta release. At present, it supports only Level 1 list views, and the list view rendering options differ from standard configurations. Future releases will include support for Organizations, Users, Level 2 and Level 3 records, as well as Reports.

What is SmartSearch?

When enabled, SmartSearch indexes a flattened version of your Level 1 data within a cluster. The data is partitioned into shards and distributed across multiple nodes to achieve horizontal scalability. This architecture allows users to search hundreds of thousands of records within seconds.

As records are updated in your system, changes are synchronized and periodically reindexed within the SmartSearch cluster.

How to Enable SmartSearch

Please note: Activation of SmartSearch must be performed by the SmartSimple team. Currently, it is available exclusively to select U.S. clients with substantial data volumes. After the SmartSimple team enables SmartSearch in your system, you must activate it via a single system-wide toggle.

Once Enabled

Navigate to Global Settings > System tab.
Under System Performance Options, enable the toggle for Enable SmartSearch for List Views.
Click the Reindex button that appears.

Clicking the Reindex button initiates the initial indexing of your data within the SmartSearch cluster. The duration required depends on the volume of data. Once initiated, the button will be disabled (greyed out).

Important:

Reindexing should not be performed repeatedly. Only reindex if the initial process was interrupted (for example, if the server became unavailable).

Data updates are indexed automatically. If updates do not appear after some time, perform a batch update on the affected records to trigger reindexing.

It is recommended to exclude specific fields from indexing, particularly those containing large data volumes, such as fields of type Special - JSON.

What to Expect with SmartSearch Enabled

Supported List Views: Only the primary UTA Level 1 list view page and portal list views of Level 1 records are supported. Other areas where Level 1 list views may be rendered, such as the consumer provider sub-list, are not supported. Additionally, list views for Level 2, Level 3, Organizations, and Users are currently unsupported.

Changes in List View Behavior

Appearance & Layout

The View Style is fixed to List; other options are not supported.

The following options are unsupported: View Style options including Grid and Tree, Card View Style (Mobile/Grid), Card View Image Field, Fit Image to Frame, and List View Options. These configuration options will be hidden and disregarded when SmartSearch is enabled.

The status pill and navigation buttons feature an updated appearance.

The list view style will be updated; all list views will now present in the List style. Pagination buttons will have a refreshed design, and if the color-coded status column is enabled, its appearance will be updated accordingly.

Default Buttons, Open and Quick Edit

The Open and Quick Edit buttons are permanently visible in the first column (following the checkbox and count). The Default Buttons option is enabled and hidden, with the Open button enabled by default.
The Quick Edit button requires reconfiguration after SmartSearch activation to function properly.

Default buttons are mandatory; an Open button will appear in the first column regardless of the original list view configuration. To include a Quick Edit button, reconfiguration via the default button settings is necessary.

Record Counts

Record counts are managed by the new “Index Column” toggle within list view settings.

Any custom configurations under the Columns tab are disregarded.

Visibility of record counts is now controlled by a toggle in the list view settings and will always be displayed in the first column.

Type Colors

The Type icon will display its designated color, and the left color bar will reflect the defined Status color for each record. The Color Code Based On setting is hidden.

The color bar displays the Status color, and the Type icon appears in the Type color.

Data Display

Only Level 1 data is displayed.

Data from related or associated records will not be shown.

Display Text and Variable fields are unsupported in SmartSearch list views.

Media Library

Fields utilizing Multiple File Upload with Media Library will render as standard multiple file upload fields. Media library files will no longer be playable directly from the list view.

Proximity Search

Proximity search is unsupported. Map-based record rendering and searching are unavailable with SmartSearch. The Proximity Search tab is hidden.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don’t I see all my data in the list view?

SmartSearch supports only Level 1 records. Fields such as display text or variable fields are excluded.

Why is some of my data not up to date?

Data updates occur near real-time but may require a few minutes to reflect. If changes do not appear after 10 minutes, perform a batch update to trigger reindexing for the affected records. Avoid clicking Reindex as it will reindex your entire system.

Why didn’t all my data get indexed?

Verify if fields with large content (e.g., Special - JSON) are excluded from SmartSearch prior to reindexing. Such fields may impede complete indexing due to their data size.