Document Search and Filtering in BreezeDoc

BreezeDoc provides powerful search and filtering tools to help you quickly find documents in your account. Whether you're managing dozens or hundreds of documents, these features let you locate specific contracts, filter by status, and organize your workflow efficiently.

Accessing Your Documents

Documents Page

To access your documents dashboard:

Log in to your BreezeDoc account.
Click Documents in the top navigation bar.
You'll see your documents list with search and filter options at the top.

Personal vs. Team Documents

BreezeDoc organizes documents into different workspaces:

Your documents: Personal documents you created (default view)
Team documents: Documents created within team workspaces (Agency plan only)
Workspace tabs: Switch between personal and team documents using tabs at the top

Note: Each workspace has its own search and filter settings, so switching workspaces resets filters.

Prerequisites

Account: Active BreezeDoc account with documents created
Access: Logged in as document owner or team member
Team features: Agency plan required for team document access

Searching Documents

How to Search

Go to Documents page.
Look for the Search input field in the top-right corner.
Type your search query (document title keywords).
Press Enter or click outside the field to submit.
Results appear immediately, filtered to matching documents.

Search Behavior

BreezeDoc search functionality:

Searches document titles only: Query matches against document names, not content
Partial matching: Finds documents containing your search term anywhere in the title
Case-insensitive: Search is not case-sensitive ("contract" matches "Contract" and "CONTRACT")
Wildcard matching: Automatically includes results with your term anywhere in title
No content search: Does not search inside PDF content or field values

Code Reference: Search implementation is in app/Models/Document.php:169-176 using SQL LIKE query.

Search Examples

Basic Keyword Search

Search query: NDA

Matches: "NDA - Acme Corp", "Employee NDA 2024", "nda-template-final"

Does not match: "Non-Disclosure Agreement" (no "NDA" in title)

Partial Word Matching

Search query: contract

Matches: "Service Contract", "contractor-agreement", "subcontract-2024"

Explanation: Finds "contract" within larger words

Multi-Word Search

Search query: employee agreement

Matches: "Employee Agreement January 2024"

Does not match: "Employee Contract" or "Service Agreement" (both words must appear)

No Results Handling

If your search returns no matches:

Message displayed: "No results found matching '[your search]'"
Check spelling: Verify search term is spelled correctly
Try shorter terms: Use individual keywords instead of full phrases
Clear search: Remove search text to see all documents again
Check workspace: Ensure you're in the correct workspace (personal vs. team)

Code Reference: No results message is in resources/views/documents/index.blade.php:63-66 .

Filtering Documents by Status

BreezeDoc provides six filter options accessible via dropdown menu:

All (Default)

Shows: All documents regardless of status
Use when: You want to see your complete document library
Default view: This is the default filter when you access Documents page

Sent

Shows: Documents sent to recipients but not yet completed
Criteria: Has at least one recipient with sent_at timestamp AND no completed_at timestamp
Use when: Tracking documents awaiting signatures
Excludes: Unsent drafts and completed documents

Code Reference: Filter logic in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:89-95 .

Not Sent

Shows: Draft documents that haven't been sent to any recipients
Criteria: No recipients have a sent_at timestamp
Use when: Finding documents still being prepared
Includes: Documents with fields but no recipients, documents with recipients not yet sent

Code Reference: Filter logic in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:84-88 .

Completed

Shows: Documents where all recipients have signed/completed
Criteria: Has recipients AND all recipients have completed_at timestamps
Use when: Accessing finalized contracts for download or review
Final status: These documents are locked from further editing

Code Reference: Filter logic in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:70-75 .

In Progress

Shows: Documents sent but not yet completed, and not expired
Criteria: Has recipients without completed_at AND expiration_date is in the future
Use when: Monitoring active signing workflows
Excludes: Expired documents (even if incomplete)

Code Reference: Filter logic in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:76-81 .

Expired

Shows: Documents past their expiration date
Criteria: expiration_date is in the past
Use when: Finding documents that need to be resent or extended
Cannot be signed: Recipients cannot complete expired documents

Code Reference: Filter logic in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:82-83 .

How to Apply Filters

Go to Documents page.
Find the filter dropdown in the top-right area (left of search box).
Click the dropdown to see filter options.
Select your desired filter (All, Sent, Not sent, Completed, In progress, Expired).
The page refreshes automatically showing filtered results.
Document count updates to show number of matching documents.

Code Reference: Filter dropdown is in resources/views/documents/index.blade.php:38-46 .

Using Search + Filter Together

You can combine search with status filters for precise results:

Select a filter (e.g., "In progress").
Enter a search query (e.g., "NDA").
Results show only documents matching BOTH criteria (in-progress NDAs).

Common Combinations

Find completed contracts with client name:

Filter: Completed
Search: Acme Corp
Result: All completed documents with "Acme Corp" in title

Find unsent NDA drafts:

Filter: Not sent
Search: NDA
Result: NDA documents still in draft status

Find expired service contracts:

Filter: Expired
Search: service
Result: Service-related documents past expiration date

Document List Features

Document Count

The document count appears next to the page heading:

Location: Next to "Your documents" or "Team documents" heading
Updates dynamically: Changes based on search and filter selections
Formatted with commas: Shows "1,234" for large numbers
Indicates total matches: Shows how many documents match current criteria

Code Reference: Document count is in resources/views/documents/index.blade.php:35 .

Pagination

Document lists are paginated for performance:

10 documents per page: Default pagination limit
Page navigation: Use pagination controls at bottom of page
Maintains filters: Search and filter settings persist across pages
URL parameters: Page number appears in URL (?page=2)

Code Reference: Pagination is set in app/Http/Controllers/DocumentController.php:97 .

Document Preview

Each document in the list shows:

Thumbnail preview: Small image of first page (desktop view only)
Document title: Clickable title linking to document editor
Action buttons: Copy link, Activity, More options
Quick preview: Click thumbnail to view full-page preview in modal

Clear Search Query

Click in the search box.
Delete all text from the search field.
Press Enter or click outside the box.
All documents (matching current filter) appear again.

Reset Filter to All

Click the filter dropdown.
Select All.
Page refreshes showing all documents.

Reset Everything

To return to default view:

Clear search query (delete text and submit).
Set filter to All.
Navigate to page 1 if on another page.

Switching Workspaces

Switching Between Personal and Team Documents

Look for workspace tabs at the top of the Documents page.
Click Your documents for personal documents.
Click [Team Name] documents for team workspace documents.
Search and filters reset when switching workspaces.

Team Requirements:

Agency plan: Teams feature requires Agency plan ($49/month)
Team membership: You must be a member of the team to view its documents
Separate document sets: Personal and team documents are completely separate

Code Reference: Workspace tabs are in resources/views/documents/index.blade.php:11-27 .

Best Practices for Document Organization

Document Naming Conventions

Since search only queries titles, use descriptive names:

Include client/company name: "Acme Corp - Service Agreement"
Add document type: "NDA", "MSA", "SOW", "Contract"
Include date/year: "Employee Agreement 2024"
Use consistent keywords: Standardize naming across similar documents
Avoid generic names: "Document 1" is hard to find; use "Freelancer Contract - John Doe"

Effective Search Strategies

Use shortest unique term: "acme" finds all Acme Corp documents faster than "Acme Corporation"
Try abbreviations: Search "NDA" if full names aren't used
Search client names: Easier to remember than document types
Use year for old documents: "2023" finds all documents from that year

Workflow Optimization Tips

Regular cleanup: Delete or archive old drafts to reduce clutter
Filter bookmarks: Bookmark filter URLs for quick access (e.g., ?filter=in+progress)
Check "In progress" daily: Monitor documents awaiting signatures
Review "Expired" weekly: Resend or extend expiration dates as needed
Use teams effectively: Separate client work by team for better organization (Agency plan)

Limitations and Considerations

Search Limitations

Title-only search: Cannot search PDF content, field values, or recipient names
No advanced operators: Cannot use quotes, AND/OR logic, or wildcards manually
No date-range search: Cannot filter by creation date or completion date via search
No recipient search: Cannot find documents by signer name or email
No tag system: BreezeDoc does not have document tags or categories

Filter Limitations

Single filter only: Cannot combine multiple status filters (e.g., "Sent OR Completed")
No custom filters: Cannot create saved filter combinations
No recipient filters: Cannot filter by specific signer or recipient
No date filters: Cannot filter by sent date, completed date, or expiration range

Performance Considerations

10 documents per page: Pagination may require multiple page views for large libraries
No bulk selection: Cannot select multiple documents from search results
Desktop preview only: Thumbnails hidden on mobile for performance

Troubleshooting

Issue: Search not finding known document

Fix: Verify exact title in Documents list without search. Search matches title only, not content. Check spelling and try partial keywords. Clear any active filters that might exclude the document. Switch to "All" filter and search again.

Issue: Filter showing 0 documents unexpectedly

Fix: Verify you have documents in that status. Check you're in correct workspace (personal vs. team). Clear search query – you may have search + filter with no matches. Try "All" filter to see if documents exist.

Issue: Document count doesn't match visible documents

Fix: This is normal – count shows total matches, but only 10 appear per page. Use pagination controls at bottom to view additional pages. Count includes all pages of results.

Issue: Search results include unexpected documents

Fix: Search uses partial matching – "contract" matches "contractor" and "subcontract". Use more specific terms. Check document titles for hidden keywords. Combine with filters to narrow results.

Issue: Cannot find completed documents

Fix: Use "Completed" filter to show only finalized documents. Verify all recipients actually completed (check Activity log). Documents with even one incomplete recipient won't show in Completed filter. Check "In progress" or "Sent" filters instead.

Issue: Pagination controls missing

Fix: Pagination only appears when you have more than 10 documents. If you have fewer than 10 results (after filters/search), no pagination is shown. Clear filters to see if more documents exist.

FAQ

Q: Can I search document content (text inside PDFs)?

A: No. BreezeDoc search only queries document titles, not PDF content or field values. Use descriptive document names that include key information for searchability.

Q: Can I filter documents by recipient name or email?

A: No. Current filter options only cover document status (sent, completed, expired, etc.). You cannot filter by who signed or received the document.

Q: How do I search across both personal and team documents?

A: You cannot search both simultaneously. You must search personal documents and team documents separately by switching workspace tabs.

Q: Can I save frequently used search/filter combinations?

A: BreezeDoc does not have saved search functionality. However, you can bookmark URLs with filter parameters (e.g., /documents?filter=in+progress) for quick access.

Q: What happens to search when I switch from personal to team documents?

A: Search and filter settings reset when switching workspaces. You'll need to re-enter search queries and re-select filters after switching.

Q: Can I change the pagination limit from 10 to show more documents per page?

A: No. The pagination limit is fixed at 10 documents per page and cannot be customized.

Q: How do I find documents I created on a specific date?

A: BreezeDoc does not have date-range filtering. You can include dates in document titles ("NDA 2024-01-15") and search by date, or scroll through paginated results sorted by most recent.

Need more help? Contact our support team – we're here to help!