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# Advanced search

The advanced search is more customizable than any of the predefined searches. It can combine different filter patterns with date, size, or even attribute filters.

You can add multiple advanced searches and assign different search criteria to each of them.

You can, for instance, create a custom search for audio files that were are larger than a certain threshold, and another custom search for files with paths that exceed a length of 255 characters.

Each of these searches can be activated and deactivated separately, so you can store a set of custom searches where each serves a different purpose.

The ribbon menu can be used to create, rename, or delete custom searches, or to set up the general parameters of the current search.

## Select Template

This button on the left hand side of the application allows to select from a range of predefined search definitions.

This list serves as an entry point for many different user cases, from which your search definition can be fully customized or extended.

## Using the advanced search

A search configuration for the advanced search consists of one, or multiple search filters, which can be combined freely.

You can, for instance, select whether a file has to match all filters (combine via “And”), or if only at least one of them (combine via “Or”) has to match.

## Analyze and process search results

Like in all searches, you can export checked files in the result list to a variety of formats, or you can copy or move them to a position in the file system that you can specify by using the file operation dialog.

## Context tab

### Start

Starts the file search.

### Stop

Stops the file search.

### New advanced search

Creates a new, empty advanced search.

### Rename current search

Allows to set a new name for the current advanced search.

### Delete current search

Deletes the current search and all its filters.

### Save current filters as template

Creates a new template from the current search filters and adds it to the list of available templates.

All of the current filters and settings, such as “Include files/folders”, are used, if the template is selected.

### Customize File Type Groups

Opens the options dialog and navigates to the “File Groups” options page. Here, you can modify the different file groups and which file types they should contain.

### Exclude filter

Allows to activate, deactivate or customize the global exclude filters for this search.

### Include files/folders

Determines whether the current search should search for files, folders, or both.

### Topmost matches only

If this option is activated, TreeSize will only show the highest possible level of files and folders as results for a search.

This means, that if a file is found as a search result, but the parent folder is already contained in the list of results, then the file will not be listed. The same applies for subfolders where one of their parent folders is already contained in the list of search results.

Note

Activating this option will also activate the option to include folders.

- How do I define search filters?
- What types of filters are available?