Search

 

Because of the large volume in our collection, the Simple Search used alone will usually not return results unless you know the exact ordinance number or your keyword is very unusual.

 

ό  Narrow down the Simple Search by including a Start Date and End Date.

 

If you get an error stating Search results exceeded the maximum, please refine your search. then you will need to check the box for the type of record under Search Digital Collections.

 

If you do not know what type of document you are looking for, try eliminating the types that you are sure they are NOT and check several boxes.

 

Graphical user interface, text, application - screenshot of Search Page


Think of the search engine as a computer program. It doesn't think like a person. Instead, it tries to find content that has the words you type. So, use words you think will be in that content. Keep it short and use as few words as possible. Using too many words might limit your results, and using too few might give you too much information.

 

 

Tips for a better search:

 

 

·       When you're searching for a name or word, keep it simple. Just type in the name or as much of it as you remember.

·       Every word matters in your search, so every word you type will be used.

·       The search doesn't care about capital letters. For example, [alamo] is the same as [Alamo].

·       To find a specific phrase or word, use double quotes. For instance, [“Alamo Contract”] tells the search to look for those exact words in that exact order.

·       Use "and" between search words to find documents where both words are included. For example, [Alamo and Contract] will find documents with both words, though not necessarily together.

·       If you put double quotes around your search terms like ["Alamo" or "Contract"], you'll get results where either word or both may be present in a document.

·       Overview of the Search Results page:

Graphical user interface, text, application - screen shot of Search Results Example


Advanced Search

An Advanced Search allows you to select and filter your search criteria.

Graphical user interface, text, application - screen shot of Advanced Search

 

The Advanced Search allows you to select:

·            Search Field

·            Condition

·            Search Phrase

·            Search operator And/Or (Boolean Search)

 

Boolean Search

Using certain logical operations to combine search terms can either broaden and/or narrow your search.

·            AND narrows a search by combining terms. Your search will retrieve documents that use both the search terms that you specified. For example, [Alamo and Riverwalk].

 

 

·            OR broadens your search to include results that contain either of the words that you enter and is especially useful when there are several common spellings or synonyms of a word.

 

Get Help

If you need help email us at cityclerkarchives@sanantonio.gov

OR submit a Public Information Request through the Open Government Portal