Search, filter, and sort canvases

Search, filters, and sort answer different questions

Use search when you know part of a canvas name or another strong clue. Use filters when you want a specific kind of canvas, such as canvases created by you or assigned to you. Use sort when the result set is correct but you need a better order.

These controls work together, but they are not the same. Search asks “what matches this text?” Filters ask “which canvases meet this condition?” Sort asks “which matching canvases should I inspect first?”

For the main browser, see All canvases overview.

Search from All canvases

Open All canvases and choose the search field. You can also use Command+F on Mac or Ctrl+F on Windows and Linux when the All canvases search field is visible; the shortcut should focus this canvas-list search, not global Search.

Enter a canvas title or clue. Suggestions and recent searches may appear before or while you type. Choose a concrete result when it appears. If you are not sure of the title, try fewer words or a distinctive term such as a client name, workshop name, quarter, or team.

Use Command+K or Ctrl+K for Search across ALLO when the clue might be a project, file, person, dashboard, goal, or command.

Understand search mode

When a search query is active, All canvases focuses on search results. Normal browse filters and sort controls may change or disappear because the page is answering a text-match question instead of a browse question.

Clear the search query to return to browse mode. This is the first thing to check when a filter or sort option seems missing.

Search mode can also change the order of results so the best matches appear first. If you need a date sort, clear the query and use browse sorting.

Use filters

Filters narrow the canvas list by conditions. Available filters can include draft or unsorted canvases, canvases created by you, canvases assigned to you, or other workspace-supported states.

Filters apply to the canvas list, not only to the cards currently visible on screen. That matters in a large workspace: you should not have to load hundreds of canvases manually before a filter can find the right one.

Use filters when you want a category of canvases rather than a specific title. For example, use Created by me when you want canvases you started, Assigned to me when you need your assigned work, or Draft/unsorted when you need canvases not yet organized into a project.

Sort canvases

Sort by the date or activity signal that matches your memory:

List view may expose sortable date columns. Sorting reorders the full result set, not just the visible rows. If the order seems wrong, clear search and filters, then sort again.

Combine controls safely

Start broad, then narrow. Search one distinctive term. If there are too many results, add a filter or switch to list view. If the result set is right but hard to scan, sort.

Avoid stacking filters unless you know exactly what you need. A search term plus Created by me plus Assigned to me plus Draft can easily hide the correct canvas.

When you find the canvas, open it, star it, or move it to the right project so the next recovery path is easier.

Clear controls before reporting missing work

Search and filters can hide valid canvases. Before treating a canvas as missing, clear:

Then check workspace, account, Shared with me, Trash, and Search across ALLO. See When search misses a result.

Search examples

If you remember a workshop title, search the unique word, then switch to grid view if thumbnails help. Sort by last modified if the workshop happened recently.

If you are cleaning up your own draft canvases, clear search, filter to canvases created by you or draft/unsorted canvases, then use list view to compare titles and dates.

If a teammate says “I changed the board yesterday,” sort by last modified or use Activity if the title is unknown.

If the canvas was shared with you, check Shared with me because direct shares can be easier to recover there than through broad browse filters.

Troubleshooting

If search returns no results, check spelling, try fewer words, clear filters, and confirm the workspace. If the canvas is deleted, search may not show it; use Trash.

If filters show too few results, clear all filters and apply them one at a time. Compare with another user only after you confirm both of you have the same filters and workspace.

If sort does not match your expectation, make sure you chose the right date concept. Created date, last modified, and recently accessed can point to very different moments.

If the All canvases search shortcut does not focus the field, click the field directly and continue. Use global Search when you want the command palette.