Search Troubleshooting

Overview

This guide helps troubleshoot common issues with semantic search, including no results, unexpected results, slow performance, and other search problems.

Common Issues

No Results Found

Issue: Search Returns Zero Results

Symptoms:

Empty result list
"No users found" message
Search completed but nothing shown

Common Causes:

User doesn't exist in system
Search too specific
User in different campus (Campus Admin)
Spelling significantly off
User deleted or withdrawn

Solutions:

Try Broader Search:

Remove middle name
Use just first or last name
Remove campus/level details

Check Variations:

Try different spelling
Use nickname vs full name
Try email instead of name

Verify User List:

Check correct list (Students vs Alumni)
Try All Users if HQ Admin
Check Withdrawn/Deferred lists

Example Fix:

Problem: "Johnathan Christopher Smith Lagos Level 2" → 0 results
Solution: "John Smith" → 5 results ✓

Too Many Results

Issue: Search Returns 100+ Results

Symptoms:

Long scrolling list
Hard to find specific person
Multiple pages of results

Common Causes:

Search term too broad
Common name without details
Missing campus specification (HQ Admin)

Solutions:

Add Specificity:

Include campus name
Add level or intake
Include middle name or initial

Use Filters:

Apply campus filter
Filter by level
Select specific intake

Include Unique Identifier:

Add email if known
Include Student/RD number
Add phone number

Example Fix:

Problem: "John" → 120 results
Solution: "John Lagos Level 1" → 8 results ✓

Wrong Results

Issue: Search Shows Unexpected Users

Symptoms:

Results don't match query
Unknown users in results
Expected user not in results

Common Causes:

Similar names confusing search
Typo interpreted differently
Ambiguous query
User has nickname/alias

Solutions:

Be More Specific:

Add more identifying details
Use email or ID instead
Include campus and level

Check User Details:

Review profile information
Verify campus assignment
Check enrollment status

Try Exact Match:

Use email address
Use Student ID
Use RD Number

Example Fix:

Problem: "Mike" → Shows Michael, Miguel, Mikael
Solution: "Michael Okafor" → Correct user ✓

Performance Issues

Slow Search

Issue: Search Takes Long Time

Symptoms:

Loading spinner for 5+ seconds
Delayed results
Timeout errors

Common Causes:

Network connectivity issues
Very broad search query
System high load
Browser issues

Solutions:

Check Network:

Verify internet connection
Reload page
Try different browser

Optimize Query:

Be more specific
Add filters before searching
Limit result scope

Clear Browser:

Clear browser cache
Disable extensions
Try incognito mode

Contact Support:

If persistent, report issue
Include search query used
Note time and frequency

Search Not Working

Issue: Search Feature Unresponsive

Symptoms:

Search bar doesn't accept input
Search button does nothing
Error messages appear

Common Causes:

JavaScript error
Browser compatibility
Session expired
System maintenance

Solutions:

Refresh Page:

Reload browser (F5)
Clear cache and reload (Ctrl+F5)
Close and reopen tab

Check Browser:

Update to latest version
Try different browser
Disable problematic extensions

Check Session:

Log out and log back in
Clear cookies
Start new session

System Status:

Check for maintenance notices
Try again in a few minutes
Contact support if persistent

Result Quality Issues

Irrelevant Results

Issue: Results Don't Match Intent

Symptoms:

Top results clearly wrong
Relevant results buried deep
Unexpected user types shown

Solutions:

Refine Query:

Use more specific terms
Include context clues
Add identifying information

Use Correct List:

Ensure searching in right list
Students vs Instructors vs Alumni
Check active vs withdrawn

Combine with Filters:

Apply list filters first
Then use search
Narrows scope effectively

Duplicate Results

Issue: Same User Appears Multiple Times

Symptoms:

Identical entries in results
Same name/email repeated

Common Causes:

User has multiple records (data issue)
Display bug
Caching issue

Solutions:

Check User IDs:

Compare Student IDs
Check if truly duplicates
Note IDs to report

Refresh Results:

Clear search and try again
Reload page
Clear browser cache

Report Issue:

Note duplicate user IDs
Screenshot if possible
Contact HQ Admin

Access Issues

Cannot Access Search

Issue: Search Feature Not Visible

Symptoms:

Search bar missing
Feature disabled/grayed out
Permission error

Common Causes:

Insufficient permissions
Role doesn't allow search
Campus not assigned (Campus Admin)

Solutions:

Check Permissions:

Verify your role
Contact HQ Admin for access
Confirm campus assignment

Verify Login:

Log out and log back in
Check account status
Ensure not using guest account

Limited Results (Campus Admin)

Issue: Can't Find Users from Other Campuses

Symptoms:

Only see own campus
Cross-campus search fails
Missing expected users

Explanation:

This is expected behavior for Campus Admins
Campus Admins are scoped to their campus
Only HQ Admins see all campuses

Solution:

If need cross-campus access, request HQ Admin role
For specific queries, ask HQ Admin
This is security by design

Data Issues

Outdated Results

Issue: Search Shows Old Information

Symptoms:

Deleted users still appear
Updated names not showing
Old campus assignments shown

Common Causes:

Index not yet updated
Recent changes not propagated
Caching issue

Solutions:

Wait and Retry:

Changes take 1-5 minutes to index
Try search again shortly
Refresh page if needed

Clear Cache:

Browser cache
App cache
Force reload (Ctrl+F5)

Verify Source:

Check user profile directly
Confirm changes were saved
Check update timestamp

Missing Users

Issue: Known User Not Found

Symptoms:

User exists but search can't find
Direct access works, search doesn't
Recently added user not searchable

Common Causes:

User not yet indexed
User marked as deleted
Insufficient permissions
Campus scope limitation

Solutions:

Check User Status:

Verify user is active
Check not marked deleted
Confirm enrollment status

Wait for Indexing:

New users take 5-10 minutes
Updated users take 1-5 minutes
Check again shortly

Verify Access:

Ensure you have permission
Check campus scope
Try as different role if testing

Getting Help

When to Contact Support

Contact HQ Admin or system support if:

✅ Issue persists after troubleshooting
✅ Multiple users experiencing same problem
✅ Search completely broken
✅ Data integrity concerns
✅ Performance consistently poor

Information to Provide

When reporting issues, include:

Search Query: Exact text entered
Expected Result: Who you were looking for
Actual Result: What you saw
User Role: Your admin role
Campus: Your assigned campus
Browser: Browser and version
Frequency: How often it occurs
Screenshots: If helpful

Self-Service First

Before contacting support:

✅ Try troubleshooting steps above
✅ Check this documentation
✅ Test in different browser
✅ Verify user actually exists
✅ Confirm your permissions

Prevention Tips

Avoid Common Mistakes

Don't:

❌ Use only single letters
❌ Search very common terms alone
❌ Expect instant indexing of new data
❌ Assume search works like Google

Do:

✅ Use 2-4 word queries
✅ Include identifying details
✅ Wait briefly for new user indexing
✅ Combine search with filters

Best Practices

Start Simple, Then Refine
Use Unique Identifiers When Possible
Combine Search with Filters
Verify Results Before Acting
Report Persistent Issues

Quick Fixes Checklist

Try these in order:

Refresh Page - Solves 40% of issues
Clear Search and Retype - Solves 20%
Broaden Query - Solves 15%
Check Correct List - Solves 10%
Wait 5 Minutes - Solves 10% (new data)
Contact Support - For remaining 5%

Semantic Search Overview - Main documentation
Search Best Practices - Effective search strategies
User Management - User management features

Search Troubleshooting

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