--- title: "Find Candidates with Quick Search" url: "https://knowledge-base.discovered.ai/en/article/find-candidates-with-quick-search" language: "en" last_updated: "2026-10-27T16:22:22.748Z" --- # Find Candidates with Quick Search Find any candidate in seconds from the search box at the top of every page, and jump straight to the job post you need. ### Overview The search box at the top of every page in Discovered (**Search jobs, candidates, etc.**) is the fastest way to find a candidate or a job post without opening a job first. Quick search shows each candidate **once**, even if they applied to several of your job posts. Each result shows: - The candidate's **name** - Their **email address**, under the name - How many of your job posts they're on, for example **3 job posts** When a candidate is on more than one job post, you choose which application to open right from the search results. You can also search by **phone number**, in whatever format you have it. Quick search is available to all users (**Admin**, **Editor** and **Viewer**). There's nothing to turn on. ## How to Find a Candidate: **1\. Type in the Search Box** - Click the search box at the top of the page. - Type part of the candidate's name, their email address, or their phone number. - Results appear as you type, in two groups: **Candidates** and **Job Postings**. **2\. Review the Candidate Results** - Each candidate appears once, with their email under the name and the number of job posts on the right. - The candidates who applied most recently are listed first. - If no candidate matches, the group shows **Nothing Found**. **3\. Open the Candidate** - If the candidate is on **1 job post**, click their name to open their profile directly. - If the candidate is on **2 job posts** or more, click their name to see the list of their job posts (see the next step). **4\. Choose a Job Post (Candidates on Several Job Posts)** The search results switch to a list of the candidate's job posts. Each card shows: - The job post title and its status, such as **Published**, **Paused**, **Archived** or **Draft** - The job post location - The candidate's current stage on that job post - The date they applied Then: - Click a card to open the candidate's profile on that job post. - Click **Back to results** to return to your search results. **Note:** Clicking anywhere outside the search box clears your search, so you'll need to type it again. ## Searching by Phone Number Type at least **four digits** of the phone number, with or without spaces, dashes, brackets or the country code. For example, **(415) 555-0142**, **415-555-0142**, **+1 415 555 0142** and **5550142** all find the same candidate. **Tip:** A search with letters in it never matches a phone number, and a search with fewer than four digits only looks at names and email addresses. ## When You See "More candidates match" Quick search shows up to six candidates at a time. If more candidates match what you typed, you'll see *More candidates match. Refine your search to narrow the list.* at the end of the candidate results. - Add more of the name, for example the last name as well as the first. - Or search by email address or phone number instead. ## Searching Across a Company Group If you work in a company group, quick search in the group view looks across every company in the group. A candidate who applied to jobs at two companies appears once, and each job post card shows the **company name**, so you open the application at the right company. If you can't get results in the group view but search works inside each company, ask your account admin or the Discovered team to confirm that you're added to the company group itself. To learn how to move between companies and groups, see [**Switching Between Companies in Discovered**](https://knowledge-base.discovered.ai/en/article/switching-between-companies-in-discovered). ## What You'll See on the Candidate Profile Once you open a candidate, the **briefcase icon** in the profile header shows a green number when the candidate is on other job posts you can see. Click it to see the **Current job post** and the **Other job posts**, with each job post's status, and open any of them. For details, see [**What Happens When Candidates Apply Multiple Times**](https://knowledge-base.discovered.ai/en/article/handle-candidates-applying-multiple-times). ## Good to Know - **The email on a result is the candidate's main email address in Discovered.** In most cases it's the address they applied with. If their email was changed on one of their applications, the result may show a different address from the one on the job post you open. - **A candidate who applied with two different email addresses appears twice.** Discovered only groups applications that share the same identity, so it never merges two people by name or phone number. - **Candidates added without an email address** each appear as their own result, showing **1 job post**. - **If your access is limited to certain job posts,** quick search only shows candidates on those job posts, and the job post count only includes the ones you can see. ## Why This Matters Quick search turns the search box into a true candidate lookup: - **No more duplicate results.** Each person appears once, so a common name can't fill the list. - **Open the right application first time.** Pick the job post before you open the profile. - **Find people from a missed call or a text.** Search by phone number in any format. - **Know when to narrow down.** The list tells you when more candidates match. ## Use Cases - **Recruiters:** A candidate calls back about "the warehouse job." Type their phone number and open the right application in two clicks. - **Hiring Managers:** Check whether someone you met is already in your pipeline before adding them again. - **Multi-location teams:** In the group view, see every location a candidate applied to and open the right one. ## Best Practices - Search by **email address or phone number** when the name is common. - Use the job post count to spot candidates who are interested in several of your roles. - Check the job post status on each card, so you open the application on an active job post. ## What Happens Next - Clicking a result opens the candidate's full profile on the job post you chose. See [**Candidate Profile Overview**](https://knowledge-base.discovered.ai/en/article/candidate-profile-overview). - To work with candidates across job posts, see [**Copy and Move Candidates to Another Job Post**](https://knowledge-base.discovered.ai/en/article/copy-move-candidates-to-another-job-post). With quick search, you can find any candidate in seconds and open exactly the application you need.