In pwSafe version 12.3.0 and later, search has improved.
Before this update, pwSafe looked for the exact text you typed. If the text in your search did not appear exactly the same way in an entry, that entry would not be shown.
With the improved search, pwSafe can also find close matches (similar spellings). This helps when you do not type the search text exactly as it appears in the entry.
For example, you may still find the right entry when:
- you make a small spelling mistake
- you type letters in the wrong order
- you only remember an approximate spelling
- an entry uses different variations of a word (like 'login' vs 'log in')
The new search aligns with modern search experiences, like the search bar on your phone or Google.
More results
You may notice that search shows more results than before.
pwSafe now looks for entries that are close to what you typed, not only entries that contain the exact same text. Because of this, some entries may appear even if they do not seem to contain your search text at first glance.
This does not mean your safe has changed. It only means pwSafe is trying harder to help you find the right entry.
Best results at the top
Search results are now ordered by how closely they match your search.
The best matches are always shown at the top. Entries that don't match as closely may still be shown, but lower in the list.
This means the list is no longer alphabetical while searching. Instead, pwSafe tries to put the entries you are most likely looking for first.
Less typing
If the title of an entry contains multiple words, you can quickly retrieve it by typing just the first letter of each word.
For example, if you are looking for an entry named "The National Gallery", searching for "tng" will reveal it among the top results.
This can be useful for entries with longer names, especially when you remember the words but do not want to type the full title.
Can I turn off close matches?
Yes, on Mac you can turn off close matches if you prefer the older, more exact search behavior.
Click the search icon in the search field and uncheck Show similar results.
When this option is off, pwSafe only shows entries that contain the text you typed. This setting is remembered for future searches. You can turn it back on at any time from the same search menu.
Help improve search
We love to hear your experience with the improved search. Does it show not enough or too many results? Let us know so we can tweak the algorithm to help you find entries faster.
If search results do not feel right, please send feedback with examples. The most useful reports include:
- What you searched for.
- Which entry you expected to find, but did not.
- Which entry was shown, but should not have been.
- Whether the match was in the title, username, URL, group, notes, or another field if you can tell.
Examples:
- “Searching for gogle should find my Google entry, but it does not.”
- “Searching for lexus shows my wireless router entry, which feels unrelated.”
Please do not include actual passwords, security codes, recovery keys, or other secrets in your feedback. If an example contains private information, replace it with similar dummy text while keeping the search behavior the same.
Just leave a comment below or use any other way to contact us and we will zoom-in on your use-case.
Comments
4 comments
I was so happy to find that close matches can be turned off! I was getting way too many matches that weren't what I was looking for. Thank you for the great development work you're doing on this app.
Thanks!
The latest update should reduce the “noise” from the returned close matches. If the latest release (12.3.2) still shows too much entries on a specific search query, providing one or two examples would help me to further optimize the close-matching algorithm.
Richard H. oh, yes, I turned “show similar results” back on and did a couple of searches and the matches it's showing are much better now. In the previous version it was matching all kinds of entries that really weren't close to my search word at all, but now it is only matching exactly or very close to my search word, so it's a lot more useful. Thank you!
Excellent, thanks for confirming the update had the intended effect!
Please sign in to leave a comment.