Answers.Body: <p>when you click in the QuickSearch (white search box very top left) you should see a drop down of 'what do i want to search for' and External ID is in there. So you can select that and then just enter the Ext ID that you are looking for.
  You can also add the Ext ID field to a Profile which you have set up for Search or Listing if you want this more public eg I set this up on demo. </p>
  
  <p>This link for a user to 'edit' their own (which you wouldn't want I guess ;-) but you may need to check if that url is available and set the field to View Only
  <a href="http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&amp;reset=1" rel="noreferrer">http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&amp;reset=1</a></p>
  
  <p>This to 'view' it
  <a href="http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&amp;reset=1" rel="noreferrer">http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&amp;reset=1</a></p>
  
  <p>This to 'search' for it
  <a href="http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?gid=16&amp;reset=1" rel="noreferrer">http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?gid=16&amp;reset=1</a></p>
  
  <p>And this (or may be another url for this) to View the listing
  <a href="http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?_qf_Search_display=true" rel="noreferrer">http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?_qf_Search_display=true</a></p>
  
  <p>External ID is also available from Advanced Search and Search Builder like most other fields.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-08-05T20:23:35.893Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-08-05T20:27:25.023Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2015-08-05T20:27:25.023Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: petednz - fuzion
Body: <p>Or create a directory that displays all recorded external IDs?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-08-06T16:18:17.480Z
Comments.Text: You might clarify your question a bit, since the field is searchable in at least a handful of ways.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Andie Hunt
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2015-08-07T02:42:55.233Z
Comments.Text: the quick search option answered part one of my question, but I also need a directory fo external IDs that could be sorted ascending/descending in the event we need to continue to generate external IDs manually.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ashe Higgs
Tags: <contacts><search><external-id>
Title: How can I make External ID a searchable field?
ThreadText: # How can I make External ID a searchable field?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-05)
  
  Or create a directory that displays all recorded external IDs?
  
  **Tags:** contacts, search, external-id
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: You might clarify your question a bit, since the field is searchable in at least a handful of ways.  
  > **username_0**: the quick search option answered part one of my question, but I also need a directory fo external IDs that could be sorted ascending/descending in the event we need to continue to generate external IDs manually.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-05. Score: 6
  
  when you click in the QuickSearch (white search box very top left) you should see a drop down of 'what do i want to search for' and External ID is in there. So you can select that and then just enter the Ext ID that you are looking for.
  You can also add the Ext ID field to a Profile which you have set up for Search or Listing if you want this more public eg I set this up on demo.
  
  This link for a user to 'edit' their own (which you wouldn't want I guess ;-) but you may need to check if that url is available and set the field to View Only
  <http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&reset=1>
  
  This to 'view' it
  <http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile/edit?gid=16&reset=1>
  
  This to 'search' for it
  <http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?gid=16&reset=1>
  
  And this (or may be another url for this) to View the listing
  <http://d46.demo.civicrm.org/civicrm/profile?_qf_Search_display=true>
  
  External ID is also available from Advanced Search and Search Builder like most other fields.
  
  
  ---
  
  