What is Quick Search?
Quick Search is your universal navigation shortcut in Digitail. Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux), or click the search icon in the top navigation bar, to instantly find patients, jump to any page, or trigger common actions - without leaving what you're working on. It's the fastest way to move around Digitail.
How This Helps Your Daily Work
Role | How it helps |
Receptionists / Front desk | While on a call, pull up a patient record and the calendar in split view at the same time - no tab switching, no putting the client on hold. |
Vets & nurses | Before a consult, open today's SOAP alongside previous visit history in split view for faster clinical decision-making. |
Techs / Assistants | From the Flowboard, open a patient summary and post-visit instructions side by side to review details without losing clinical context. |
Practice managers | Open AR reports alongside patient data in split view to cross-check information and speed up auditing. |
All staff | Create appointments or tasks instantly from anywhere, without navigating to the Calendar or Tasks module first. |
Where to Find It
You can open Quick Search two ways:
Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows/Linux) from any page
Click the search icon in the top navigation bar
π Quick Search is available to all users by default - no setup needed.
βWhen you open it before typing anything, you'll see a reference guide with available slash commands and keyboard shortcuts built right in.
How to Use Quick Search
Search for a patient
Open Quick Search using Cmd+K / Ctrl+K or the search icon in the navigation bar.
Type at least 2 characters - results appear in real time.
Each result shows the Patient's name, species, breed, patient number, and Client details.
Press Enter or click a result to open the patient's profile.
Search works across: name, microchip number, rabies tag, health card number, patient number, and Pet Parent name or contact info.
Once you select a patient, you can take actions directly from Quick Search without opening their full profile:
Open their Timeline
Create an appointment
Open a SOAP record
Send a communication
View files or documents
Summarize Patient (requires Tails AI Assistant)
Change Owner
Ask Tails about the patient (requires Tails AI Assistant)
π‘ The more specific your query, the faster the match. Microchip numbers and patient numbers return instant, exact results.
Navigate to any page
Open Quick Search and type a page name, category, or related keyword.
Results show the page name and its category.
Select a result - the page opens in a floating overlay so you can still see your current page underneath.
In the overlay toolbar, click the + button to reopen Quick Search.
Select a second page - both pages are now shown side by side.
To open a page in a new browser tab instead: click the open in new tab icon on the result.
Trigger quick actions
Without typing anything, Quick Search shows your most-used actions with number shortcuts:
Press 1 - Create Appointment
Press 2 - Create Task
Press 3 - Ask Tails (if Tails AI Assistant is enabled)
You can also type an action name (e.g. "appointment") to find it by search.
Use slash commands to filter by type
Prefix your search with a slash command to focus results on a specific category:
Command | What it shows |
/patients | Patient search only |
/pages | All pages in Digitail |
/actions | All available actions |
Keyboard shortcuts reference
Shortcut | Action |
Cmd+K / Ctrl+K | Open Quick Search |
β / β | Navigate through results |
Enter | Select highlighted result |
Shift+Enter | Open page in new tab |
1-9 | Trigger quick action by number |
Cmd+F1 / Ctrl+F1 * | Create Task |
Cmd+F2 / Ctrl+F2 * | Create Appointment |
Esc | Close Quick Search |
π For the Cmd+F1 / Ctrl+F1 or F2 commands, Fn key might be needed based on your keyboard layout.
Other Things You Can Do
Ask Tails from Quick Search
If your clinic has Tails AI Assistant enabled, Quick Search connects directly to it:
When no results are found, Quick Search offers to Ask Tails about your query
When patient results are shown, an "Ask Tails about [Patient Name]" option appears at the bottom of the list
Press 3 from the main search view to open Tails directly, with your query pre-populated
Tips & Best Practices
Use Cmd+K / Ctrl+K or the search icon in the navigation bar as your default way to move around Digitail - it's almost always faster than clicking through menus.
For patient searches, use a microchip number or patient number when you have it - you'll get an exact match instantly rather than scrolling through a list.
Use split view when you need two things open at once - especially useful for receptionists managing calls and for vets comparing SOAP records.
The number shortcuts (e.g. Cmd+F1 / Ctrl+F1) work the moment Quick Search opens, before you start typing - use them to create appointments and tasks without any search at all.
Slash commands are the fastest way to browse everything in a category. Type /pages and scroll if you can't remember the exact name of a section.
Common Questions
Why don't I see any results when I search?
Quick Search requires at least 2 characters before results appear. If you've typed enough and still see nothing, try a different keyword or use a slash command - /pages or /actions will show everything available in those categories regardless of your search term.
Does Quick Search work on mobile?
Quick Search is optimized for desktop use with keyboard shortcuts. On mobile, use the standard Digitail navigation menu to move between sections.
Can I open a page in a new tab instead of navigating away?
Yes - press Shift+Enter when a page result is highlighted, or click the open in new tab icon on the result. To open two pages side by side in split view, select a result normally and then use the + button in the overlay toolbar.
Can I customize the keyboard shortcuts?
No - shortcuts are standardized for all users. Cmd+K / Ctrl+K to open, number keys 1-9 for quick actions, and the F1 / F2 shortcuts are all fixed.
I can see Quick Search but an action I expected isn't there. Why?
Actions in Quick Search only appear if your user role has permission to perform them. If something is missing, ask your clinic administrator to check your User Roles & Permissions.