Answers.Body: <p>I would recommend changing the certification field into a multi-select. That way the search field will be a drop down and much easier for the end user. I had to do this recently. Here are the steps I took:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>Create a new multi select custom field.</li>
  <li>Make sure the values match the entries from the previous field to avoid errors in the next step.</li>
  <li>Export the records with the current custom field. Make sure to include the contact ID</li>
  <li>Now do a import updating the new custom field with the data from the old one.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <p>These are the steps I took recently. Looks like you only have about 100 records in this group so it should work fine.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-26T16:38:52.583Z
Answers.Text: So export and import I do with SQL commands?
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1147171
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-27T21:36:43.183Z
Answers.Text: Okay, I get it.  Not SQL. I used CiviCRM contact export and import.  And it worked brilliantly. Thank you!
Answers.UserDisplayName: user1147171
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T13:06:15.097Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-25T13:06:15.097Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: KilakwaBT
Answers.Body: <p>% is the wildcard character to use in civicrm searching. searching for coac%? seems to work for me. </p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T20:25:05.857Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-05-25T20:25:05.857Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Body: <p>I have a search page set up with a shortcode like this:</p>
  
  <p>[civicrm component="profile" gid="18" mode="search" hijack="0"]</p>
  
  <p>Everything seems to be working except that searching on a custom data field, "Certification," generally isn't working.</p>
  
  <p>None of the other search fields are custom fields. Don't know if that relates to the problem.</p>
  
  <p>------ new material below, added in response to comments -----</p>
  
  <p>"Certification" is a text field and is set to "Searchable."</p>
  
  <p>Some examples of content for the "Certification" field are shown below. I would expect that I could search on any string within any of these (e.g. <code>Curr</code> or <code>Curriculum</code> or <code>Teac</code> or <code>Teacher</code>). None of those work. Even searching on a complete entry like <code>Coach, Trainer/Teacher, Curriculum Instructor</code> doesn't work. The only one I've found that works is <code>Coach</code> -- I'm guessing because that is a complete entry with no commas? Perhaps the commas are causing the problem?</p>
  
  <p>I'm realizing that this data was imported into a CiviCRM text field from a multiple-select field in another database. There were four options in the other database: <code>Coach</code>, <code>Trainer/Teacher</code>, <code>Curriculum Instructor</code>, and <code>Mediator</code>. I'm thinking I need to change or move this into a multiple-select field in CiviCRM. Not sure what the best/easiest way to do that is.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/OnIff.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/OnIff.png" alt="certification examples"></a></p>
  
  <p>Wordpress 4.7.5 CiviCRM 4.7.17</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T02:18:15.713Z
Comments.Text: Please confirm that your Custom Field is set to be Searchable
Comments.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T02:19:22.560Z
Comments.Text: Also give us a hint as to what value in 'certification' should deliver a result
Comments.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T03:17:56.470Z
Comments.Text: Actually found one search that works.  See material added at the end of the post.
Comments.UserDisplayName: user1147171
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-05-25T20:24:40.987Z
Comments.Text: have you tried searching for coac%? seems to work for me. % is the wildcard character to use in civicrm searching
Comments.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Tags: <wordpress><custom-fields><search>
Title: Custom field not working in search
ThreadText: # Custom field not working in search
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-05-24)
  
  I have a search page set up with a shortcode like this:
  
  [civicrm component="profile" gid="18" mode="search" hijack="0"]
  
  Everything seems to be working except that searching on a custom data field, "Certification," generally isn't working.
  
  None of the other search fields are custom fields. Don't know if that relates to the problem.
  
  ------ new material below, added in response to comments -----
  
  "Certification" is a text field and is set to "Searchable."
  
  Some examples of content for the "Certification" field are shown below. I would expect that I could search on any string within any of these (e.g. `Curr` or `Curriculum` or `Teac` or `Teacher`). None of those work. Even searching on a complete entry like `Coach, Trainer/Teacher, Curriculum Instructor` doesn't work. The only one I've found that works is `Coach` -- I'm guessing because that is a complete entry with no commas? Perhaps the commas are causing the problem?
  
  I'm realizing that this data was imported into a CiviCRM text field from a multiple-select field in another database. There were four options in the other database: `Coach`, `Trainer/Teacher`, `Curriculum Instructor`, and `Mediator`. I'm thinking I need to change or move this into a multiple-select field in CiviCRM. Not sure what the best/easiest way to do that is.
  
  [![certification examples](https://i.sstatic.net/OnIff.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/OnIff.png)
  
  Wordpress 4.7.5 CiviCRM 4.7.17
  
  **Tags:** wordpress, custom-fields, search
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Please confirm that your Custom Field is set to be Searchable  
  > **username_1**: Also give us a hint as to what value in 'certification' should deliver a result  
  > **username_0**: Actually found one search that works.  See material added at the end of the post.  
  > **username_1**: have you tried searching for coac%? seems to work for me. % is the wildcard character to use in civicrm searching  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-05-25. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  I would recommend changing the certification field into a multi-select. That way the search field will be a drop down and much easier for the end user. I had to do this recently. Here are the steps I took:
  
  * Create a new multi select custom field.
  * Make sure the values match the entries from the previous field to avoid errors in the next step.
  * Export the records with the current custom field. Make sure to include the contact ID
  * Now do a import updating the new custom field with the data from the old one.
  
  These are the steps I took recently. Looks like you only have about 100 records in this group so it should work fine.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: So export and import I do with SQL commands?  
  > **username_0**: Okay, I get it.  Not SQL. I used CiviCRM contact export and import.  And it worked brilliantly. Thank you!  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2017-05-25. Score: 1
  
  % is the wildcard character to use in civicrm searching. searching for coac%? seems to work for me.
  
  
  ---
  
  