We set up a new customer, but if you do a general search, they don't come up in the "contacts" section of the dropdown search results. Any idea why?

Thanks for making your way to the QuickBooks Community, scott@mongooseon. I’d be happy to help find your newly entered customer.

In QuickBooks Online, the general search you mentioned is used for transactions related. That’s why your customer won’t appear when you search for them through it.

You’ll want to go to the Customers page for your customer’s profile. From there, you'll see your customer's details where you can edit and create a new transaction. 

For more information about adding and managing customers, feel free to check this article. This will help you keep track of your customer’s profile and transactions.

I’ve also included these resources to help you create invoices and receive its payments:

• Create invoices in QuickBooks Online.
• Record invoice payments in QuickBooks Online.

If you have other customer related concerns, just drop a comment below. I’ll be here to help you with the next steps to get you on track and back to business.

Thanks. We were able to find it before, but what's concerning is that it doesn't show on the quick search dropdown menu. 

In QuickBooks Online, the general search you mentioned is used for transactions related. That’s why your customer won’t appear when you search for them through it.

There is a transaction for this one, and indeed the transaction shows up. But in the past, the customer record would also show up under "contacts" - the next section after "transactions" in the quick search. But this one, unlike the others before, is NOT showing up there. We're wondering why, and it makes a bit of extra work to have to drill down to the customer page and do a search there each time.

So... why do some customers show up in the quick search > contacts section of the dropdown, and others don't?

Thanks!

Hello scott@mongooseon,

Thank you for keeping us updated with the results. Let me offer help and share how you can better work with the result suggestion while searching for your transactions.

To start with, I was able to locate the name in the specific invoice I'm looking for while utilizing the advanced search. In most cases, the frequently accessed page resources stored on your browser may affect your browsing experience.

They can cause unexpected browser problems like how the said feature is not working its function as the name under the Contact column is not showing as expected. Let's consider logging in to your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account using a private or incognito window so we can isolate this issue. To do so:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

If this works, you can clear your regular browser's cache so the system can start fresh and remove the unnecessary browsing history that covers the storage of your browser. But if you get the same results while following the suggestion above, use a different browser app instead.

Also, our Community Help Articles related to your account and company management allow you to browse for references while working with us. In this reference, you're able to read through the steps commonly used to review and configure your accounts and settings.

If there's anything else that I can help you with aside from utilizing the search option in QBO, please let me know by leaving any comments below. I'll be here to lend a hand. Stay safe!

Let's consider logging in to your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account using a private or incognito window so we can isolate this issue.

Already tried it. Same result.

Thanks for getting back here, scott@mongooseon.

I've come to provide additional steps so you'll be able to see the customer's name under the Contact column when doing a general search.

Here's how:

1. In your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account, click the magnifying glass icon.
2. Next, select the Advanced Search option.
3. Pick All Transactions in the first drop-down.
4. Then, choose Display name in the second drop-down menu.
5. Type the customer's name in the Enter Display Name field.
6. Once done, select the Search button. 

From there, check if you can now see the customer's name under the Contact column.

If the same thing happens, I'd recommend accessing your QBO account using another supported browser. There might be a temporary issue between QBO and the one you're using.

However, if the steps above still do not work for you, I would recommend, reaching out to our Customer Care team to further investigate the root cause of the issue. They can pull up your account in a secure place and check your set up. 

Just in case you want to modify and personalize your invoice form in QBO, you can easily customize the template you use. With this, you'll be allowed to add and remove information you need and don't need. 

I'll be right here to help you if you encounter any issues with your customer set up in QBO. Don't hesitate to add a reply below. Have a great week ahead and keep safe.

From there, check if you can now see the customer's name under the Contact column.

Thanks. Nope, still not seeing it. I already moved from Safari to Chrome on advice of the QBO folks. What other browsers work better?

Just wanna know how you get a customer added to the "contacts" list so they come up in a simple general search...

Thanks!

Appreciate the details, scott@mongooseon.

I have some information about the general search. As mentioned by my peer @JamaicaA, the general search function is used for transactions related.

Since you've already tried using our supported browsers (refer to @JonpriL's post), I recommend contacting our Customer Care Support. This way, we can investigate further. 

Here's the link on how to reach out: QuickBooks Online Support.

Meanwhile, you can search the customer from the Customer's page. Go to Sales, choose Customers, and then Search.

Also, here's a link that'll help you manage customer's tasks. It has our general customer topics with articles. Just look for a title that'll fit your concern: Topics about your company's income and customers.

I'll be around if you have follow-up questions or concerns with customers. Don't hesitate to reply. Take care and have a great rest of the week.

Part of the problem here is the Standard Boiler Plate answer always provided by QBO.  Things that we have been doing for a long time, suddenly doesn't work the same way.  Searches for instance.  My theory is the server indexing is SLOW.  Not our fault.  I can enter a customer, or sometimes enter an estimate, and turn right around and it can't be found in the general search.  A month ago this wasn't a problem.  Now it is.  It's frustrating when we get these time consuming work arounds for a p[roblem that we have no control over.  Time is money and you are costing me some.