# How to Search for Items, Purchase Orders and Records in SyteLine > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/how-to-search-in-syteline-items-purchase-orders-filter-in-place > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer SyteLine forms are searched by filtering the form itself: switch to Filter in Place, type criteria into the fields you know (item, vendor, PO number, date), and run the filter. The grid then shows only matching records. Drop-down lookups and the form search box cover the rest. ## Kind how-to ## System syteline ## Erp Infor SyteLine (CloudSuite Industrial) ## Module Client Navigation / Filter in Place ## Query how do i search for items in syteline ## Alternate Queries - how to search for a po in syteline - how to search in syteline - syteline filter in place wildcard ## Applies To Infor SyteLine 8.x, 9.x and CloudSuite Industrial 10.x client. Wildcard characters and key shortcuts can differ slightly by release, so test on a known value. ## Steps ### Search for an item or a purchase order **Items:** - Open the form that owns the record: Items for item master data, Purchase Orders for PO headers, Purchase Order Lines for line-level search. - Activate Filter in Place from the toolbar so the fields become criteria fields instead of data fields. - Type what you know: an item number or part of one, a vendor number, an order status or a date range. - Execute the filter, then pick the record from the result list or grid. - Clear the filter before leaving the form so the next search starts clean. - To search by a related value, open the child form instead. For example, search Purchase Order Lines by item to find every PO that includes it. - Use a field's lookup or drop-down list to browse valid values when you do not remember the code. ## Sections ### Filter in Place explained **Body:** Filter in Place is query by example. The form acts as its own search screen: criteria you type in a field become a condition on that column, and several criteria combine as AND. Because every form supports it, once you learn it on Items, you can use it on any form from vendors to journals. Searching text columns with partial values usually needs a wildcard. The common characters are % and *, depending on release, so try one on a value you know exists. Date fields accept ranges. ### Finding a PO from what you actually know **Body:** Users rarely know the PO number. Start from the data you have. Know the vendor? Filter Purchase Orders by vendor and status. Know the item? Use Purchase Order Lines and filter by item, then open the order. Know the approximate date? Filter on order date. For open commitments across many items, a purpose-built report or a custom filter on lines is faster than paging through headers. ### When search is slow or returns too much **Body:** An empty filter on a big table such as item transactions or order lines pulls everything, so set at least one selective criterion first. Searches on non-indexed columns can be slow on large databases, which is a database tuning topic rather than a client problem. If you are repeatedly building the same filters, ask your administrator about saved filters, personalized forms or a report that answers the question directly. ## Pitfalls - Leaving a filter active and then believing records are missing. - Searching headers when the value you know lives on the line table. - Running a completely open filter on a very large table. - Expecting case or wildcard behavior to match another system. ## Ai Angle Filter in Place is precise but needs you to know where the data lives. A grounded assistant over SyteLine, such as ERPray or SyteRay, accepts the question as you would ask a colleague, for example open POs for this vendor containing this item, translates it to a read-only query, and shows the query so you can verify it. It respects SyteLine roles, so a user only sees what they are authorized to see. ## Faq ### How do I search for a part number in SyteLine? **Answer:** Open the Items form, activate Filter in Place, enter the item number or a partial value with a wildcard, and run the filter. If you only know the description, put part of it in the description field instead. ### How do I find a purchase order by item? **Answer:** Use the Purchase Order Lines form rather than the header form. Filter by item, optionally by status, and the grid shows every PO line for that item. Open the parent order from there. ### What wildcard does SyteLine use? **Answer:** Typically % or * depending on the release and field. Test on a value you know exists. If one does not work, try the other before concluding the data is missing. ### Why does my search return nothing? **Answer:** Most often a leftover filter on another field, a status criterion that excludes the record, or searching the wrong form. Clear all fields and add criteria one at a time. ## Search terms how to search in syteline, syteline filter in place, search items in syteline, search for a po in syteline, syteline find purchase order, syteline wildcard search, syteline query by example, infor syteline navigation --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json