Add or manage Search Field
Unlock end-to-end observability and seamless integration monitoring with Nodinite Search Fields. This guide shows you how to add and manage Search Fields, empowering your business with advanced correlation, self-service Log Views, and efficient navigation between systems.
✅ Achieve true end-to-end tracking and observability of data from the Logging
✅ Empower business users with self-service Log Views
✅ Enable advanced correlation and seamless navigation
✅ Reduce manual effort and errors with clickable Search Field Links
✅ A Search Field applies to [Log Events] in all Log Databases and selected Message Types
What You Will Learn
- How to add or manage Search Fields in Nodinite
- How to configure data types and expressions for powerful search
- How to link Search Fields for seamless navigation
- How to optimize re-indexing and processing
Step 1: Add or Manage a Search Field
You can create and manage Search Fields in two ways:
- From the Search Fields Overview in the administration section of the Web Client (this guide)
- Using the Search Field Wizard available for Nodinite Administrators within Log Views
To extract correlation data, click the Add Search Field button in the Search Fields Overview.
Example: Add a new Search Field button.
Step 2: Name and Configure the Search Field
Assign your Search Field a unique, user-friendly name and select the appropriate data type.
Edit Search Field properties.
Mandatory Fields
- Name – Must be unique and descriptive. You can change this at any time.
- Data Type – Determines available operators in Log Views. Choose from:
| Data Type | Description | Example value | Example operators |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text | Free text | Order123, Invoice456 | =, Like, Not Like, Contains, ... |
| Integer | Whole number | 1, 42, 1337 | <, >, <>, =, ... |
| Long Integer | Large whole number | 1234567890 | <, >, <>, =, ... |
| Real number with 2 decimals | Floating point | 123.45, 67.89 | <, >, <>, =, ... |
| GUID | Globally unique identifier | 550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000 | =, <>, Contains, Empty, ... |
| Double | Double-precision number | 3.14159, 2.71828 | <, >, <>, =, ... |
| Date time with offset | datetimeoffset (Transact-SQL) | YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss[.nnnnnnn][{+|-}hh:mm]YYYY-MM-DDThh:mm:ss[.nnnnnnn]Z (UTC) |
<, >, <>, =, ... |
| Bitwise Integer | Bitwise value | 0x1F, 0x2A | =, <>, Contains, Starts with, ... |
Select the appropriate data type to enable the right set of operators for search operations in Log Views.
Optional Fields
- Description – Add a user-friendly description to clarify the Search Field's purpose.
- Web Site – Link to further documentation or resources.
Step 3: Manage Search Field Expressions
Edit or add Search Field Expressions to define how values are extracted. Any number of expressions can be assigned to a Search Field.
Click the Edit button to manage Search Field Expressions for the Search Field.
Click the Actions button to edit or delete a selected expression.
Expression – The statement used by the Logging Service to extract values from the message body or context.
Expression Type – Select the type that matches your data format. The configuration yields unique values based on code, logic, syntax, or format.
Message Type
Select the Message Types to which this expression should apply.
Click the Message Types link to open the corresponding message type from the Repository Model.
Global – Apply the expression to all Message Types. Use with care, as this can add processing overhead.
Optional – If enabled, messages lacking a value are not flagged as warnings.
Processing State
From the Test expression tab, validate your configuration with real data. Processing states:
- OK – Green: Evaluation returned one or more results.
- Warning – Yellow: No result found.
- Error – Red: Major error or Logging Service unavailable.
| 1. OK | 2. Warning | 3. Error |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
Step 4: Add or Manage Search Field Links
Nodinite lets you add clickable links from Log Views where Search Field values are displayed. These links help users quickly navigate to other systems, reducing manual effort and errors.
As seen in a Nodinite Log View.
Click the Edit button to configure one or more Search Field Links.
You can edit the following properties:
- Enabled – Toggle the link on or off.
- Name – The link's display name.
- URL – The destination URL, with optional
{value}parameter. - Description – Tooltip shown on hover.
Test the link by entering a value and clicking the link symbol.
Save and Re-Index
If you are updating an existing Search Field, remember to click the Update button to save your changes.
Click the Update button to reflect your pending changes.
Note
You must also click the Save button to save your changes to the Search Field.
When finished, click Save to persist your changes.
You can choose to re-index the selected Message Types.
- Minimize re-index operations to reduce processing overhead.
- You cannot abort a re-index once started.
- Read-only Log Databases are not included in re-indexing.
Next Step
Add or manage Log View
Add or manage Message Types
Related Topics
Search Fields Overview
Search Field Expressions
Repository Model
Logging Service
Message Type Overview