The search operator framework lets you quickly filter, sort, and group items like expenses, chats, reports, and tasks using powerful text-based rules. This guide walks you through the supported syntax, available filters, and usage tips.

Who can use search operators in Expensify

Anyone can use search operators when filtering data in features like Expenses, Reports, Chats, and Tasks. This is especially helpful for Workspace Admins, accountants, and finance teams looking to analyze or export targeted data.

Key rules for using search operators

Here are the core rules and behaviors you’ll use across all filters:

field:value is the basic format.
Use commas for OR: status:drafts,outstanding.
Chaining fields means AND: amount>50 status:approved.
Use - to negate: -has:receipt.
Add quotes for exact phrases: description:"team lunch".
Supports relative dates: date:this-week.
Autocomplete kicks in after typing :.

Type and type-agnostic filters

These filters help you refine searches across object types, workspaces, or user-specific data.

Syntax	Description	Example
`type:`	Filter by object type: `expense`, `chat`, `trip`, or `task`	`type:expense`
`workspace:`	Filter by workspace name (wrap in quotes if the name has spaces)	`workspace:"Acme Inc."`
`from:`	Filter by sender (email, phone, display name, or `me` for yourself)	`from:alice@acme.com`
`to:`	Filter by recipient (email, phone, display name, or `me` for yourself)	`to:me`

Note: Quotes are required when filtering by names with spaces, such as workspace:"Sales Team".

Filters by type

Available filters for Expenses

type:expense merchant:Starbucks category:Meals amount>20 has:receipt

merchant: – expense merchant name
category: – expense category label
tag: – tag or multiple tags
amount: / purchase-amount: – supports =, >, <, >=, <=
status: – unreported, draft, outstanding, approved, paid, done
has: – attachment, receipt, category, tag
expense-type: – cash, card, distance, per-diem
reimbursable: and billable: – yes or no
attendee: – expense attendees, e.g. attendee:"Jason Mills"
posted: – credit card posted date, e.g. posted:last-statement

Available filters for Reports

type:expense-report status:paid exported:never

report-id: – unique report reference
status: – draft, outstanding, approved, paid, done
submitted: / approved: / paid: / exported: – supports absolute or relative dates
title: – report title
total: – total amount with relative comparisons
withdrawn: – ACH withdrawal date
withdrawal-type: – reimbursement or expensify-card
action: – blocking report action, e.g. action:approve

Available filters for Chat

type:chat in:"Concierge" is:unread

in: – channel name or DM
has: – attachment, link
is: – unread, read, pinned
date: – message timestamp

Available filters for Tasks

type:task assignee:"Charlie Brown" status:outstanding

assignee: – assigned member
status: – outstanding, completed
description: – task description
title: – task title
in: – channel name or DM for tasks

Available filters for grouping and currency conversion

Use group-by: to analyze data by dimension, and group-currency: to normalize totals.

group-by:merchant group-currency:USD

Supported groupings include:

group-by:report
group-by:from
group-by:card
group-by:withdrawal-id

FAQ

Can I combine filters from different types?

Yes, but only when they make sense together. For example, combining type:expense with merchant: and amount: works, but mixing in assignee: (a task filter) won’t return results.

What happens if I enter an invalid operator?

If the search operator isn’t recognized, the system will ignore it and return results based on any valid parts of the query.

Do I need to use quotes for everything?

Only use quotes for values that include spaces or exact phrases, like description:"client lunch" or in:"#general".

Search

Using search operators