How to find your companies. All search options explained!

In the My Data > Companies section, you can specifically search for companies, organizations, media outlets, institutions, or other stored corporate records. The company search functions similarly to the person search but is tailored to corporate data. It helps you quickly locate existing records, avoid duplicates, and open company profiles for further processing.

Performing a search is particularly important before creating a new company record. A company may already exist in the system under a different spelling, with an outdated address, or as a record from an imported source. A thorough search prevents the same organization from being created multiple times.

Standard Search

The standard search is the simplest starting point. Here, you can search by company name and location.

Use this search when you already have a general idea of which company you are looking for. Often, entering just part of the name is sufficient. For example, if you are unsure whether a company is stored using its full name, an abbreviation, or an additional suffix, start with the most distinctive part of the name.

Combining the company name with the location is helpful if there are multiple similar results or if you are looking for a specific branch.

Similarity Search

The similarity search assists you when you do not know the exact spelling of a company name. This is particularly useful for long company names, abbreviations, special characters, or varying spellings.

For instance, a company might be stored with or without its legal form, with an additional suffix, or in an abbreviated format. The similarity search helps you locate these variations nonetheless.

Use this search method before creating a new company record as well. This allows you to check whether the record might already exist but is spelled differently.

Full-Text Search

The full-text search scans corporate data more broadly than the standard search. It is suitable when you do not know exactly which field contains the information you are looking for. Enter a suitable search term - such as part of a name, a location, a domain, an address, or another distinctive term. Full-text search can be useful if you only have partial information or wish to locate a record based on an indirect clue.

Advanced Search

The "Search" or "New Search" function allows you to create targeted queries using custom criteria. You select the fields to be searched and combine them with specific conditions.

An advanced search is useful when you want to use more than just a simple search term. For example, you can filter companies based on specific characteristics, locations, keywords, or other stored information.

You can add further criteria using the "New Search Field" option. Depending on how the search is structured, conditions can be combined - for instance, using "AND" or "OR" - enabling you to generate highly precise result lists.

My Searches

Under "My Searches," you can access previously saved search queries. This is convenient if you regularly need to work with specific groups of companies.

Instead of re-entering the same criteria every time, simply reopen the saved search. Since searches can be dynamic, the results always reflect the currently matching records. This means that if new companies are added or existing records are modified later, the search results can update accordingly.

Keyword Search

The keyword search allows you to find companies based on assigned keywords. These keywords are managed centrally within the master data and then assigned to the relevant companies.

Keyword search is particularly useful when companies have been categorized by topic, subject area, or organizational structure. For example, you can search by industry, topic, region, customer group, or other internal classifications.

If you select multiple keywords, they are combined in the search according to the displayed logic. Therefore, consider whether you want to conduct a broad search or a highly targeted one.

New Search

Use "New Search" to reset your current search criteria. This is helpful if you have just searched for a company and want to start over with a completely new query.

Use this function if the current list of results is no longer relevant to your next search or if you want to ensure that old search parameters do not remain active unnoticed.

Save Search

If you need a specific search query frequently, you can save it using the "Save Search" function. This saves you from having to reassemble the criteria later.

This is especially worthwhile for complex queries - such as those combining multiple search fields, keywords, or conditions. Saved searches help you execute recurring workflows more quickly and reliably.

Tips for Better Search Results

Try not to start your search with criteria that are too restrictive. If you enter too many criteria at once, you might miss relevant records simply because a single detail differs or is missing. Start by searching using a distinctive part of the name. If the results are too numerous, add the location or use other search options.

If results are ambiguous, check for similar spellings. Company names, in particular, may be stored with variations in legal form, abbreviations, special characters, or additional suffixes.

Use the similarity search before creating a new company record. This reduces duplicates and improves long-term data quality.