Full-text Search¶

Every generated dbdocs site has a full-text search box in the top bar. It runs entirely in your browser — no backend, no index server, no network round-trip. Start typing and matches appear instantly.

What it searches¶

A query matches across the whole searchable surface of every node, not just its name:

• Names — the model/source/seed name and its display label.
• Columns — column names and their descriptions.
• Tags — any dbt tags on the node.
• Description — the node's documented description.
• Relation — the warehouse database.schema.table it lands in.
• Package — the dbt package the node belongs to.
• Macros — the names of macros a model calls.
• SQL — the raw and compiled SQL body, so a query can land on a table reference or a macro call buried deep in a model.

So searching unique finds the models whose SQL mentions it; searching a column name finds the models that expose that column, even when the column name is nothing like the model name.

Why a result matched¶

Because the index is wide, dbdocs shows you why each result is there. When a match comes from something other than the name, the result row carries a small snippet — a labelled chip (Column, SQL, Tag, …) plus an excerpt of the matching text with your search terms highlighted. No more staring at a wall of model names wondering which one actually matched.

Name matches rank above incidental SQL-body matches, so the model you were actually looking for stays at the top.

Filters¶

Two inline filters let you narrow a search without leaving the box:

Filters combine with the rest of your query:

• type:model orders — models whose text matches orders.
• type:seed — every seed, on its own (no free text needed).
• label:stg — nodes whose name contains stg, ignoring any model that merely references a staging table in its SQL.

Notes¶

• Search is case-insensitive and does light prefix + fuzzy matching on names, columns, and tags — so a half-typed or slightly-misspelled name still hits. The bulkier text (descriptions, SQL) matches on whole words only, to keep a common keyword from flooding every result.
• On very large projects (thousands of models) the SQL body is dropped from the index to keep the browser snappy; name, column, tag, and macro search stay put.
• A query that matches nothing says so — an empty box is just an empty box, but a real query with no hits tells you plainly.
• The dropdown is fully keyboard-operable: ↑/↓ move through the results, Enter opens the highlighted one, and Esc dismisses it — no reach for the mouse required. It's wired as an ARIA combobox/listbox, so screen readers announce results as you type.