What is it?
The forum search tool allows you to search anywhere in the forum. Whether that be searching for topics, users, or content in topics, this tool has it all.
The Search Bar
It can be found at the top right of the forum.
Then, click on it to search for something. This should bring up a text box-type in whatever you want to search.
Before pressing enter, you will see your search query, tags related to your search, and users who match your search.
When you click “enter” it will search topics related to your search query.
If you want to see more topics or want to do an advanced search, click “More” at the bottom. This will bring up a new screen.
Then, you can search more topics related to your search. There you go! You just searched for a few topics. You can also search for users/categories as well.
Searching Users
To search a user, just click the dropdown that says “Topics/Posts” and change it to “Users”
This will bring up a list of users related to your search query. Just click on a user’s profile picture to open up their bio.
Searching Categories
Do the exact same thing above but instead of clicking “Users”, select “Tags/Categories”
Advanced Search (topics only)
You can do an advanced search to get topics more related to your search query instead of it being more broad. You can search by categories, tags, status of a topic, whom it was posted by, and when it was posted.
To bring up this menu click on the “Advanced Filters”
Searching by category
To search by categories just click “categorized” and search by a category. The available categories can be found here: Navigating Our Categories
Searching by tags
You can also search by what a topic is tagged. (a guide to come later on tags 
) Tags help make a topic unique. You should always use tags on topics!
A full list of tags can be found here: Microsoft Flight Simulator Forums
Searching by a topic status
You can search by the status of a topic. Specifically…
- Closed/Opened (if a topic is open for replies or not)
- Public/Private (topics that are viewable to the public)
- Archived/Unarchived (if a topic is archived)
- Have no Replies (a topic where no one has contributed to it)
- Contain a single user (a topic where only one person has contributed to it)
- Solved/Unsolved (topics that have a solution to them)
Searching by Posters
You can search by who posted a topic/posts. Just type a username in the box where it stats “Posted By”
Searching by Posted Date
Set the criteria to before/after and input your date. There, it will search posts by that date entered (example; before:10/3/2022 will search topics before October 3rd, 2022)
Returning Specific Posts
You can also have it return specific posts.
| Item | Descrption |
|---|---|
| Matching in title only | Search topics that have your query in the title. |
| I liked | Search posts/topics you liked |
| In my messages | Searches topics in your PMs |
| I read | Searches posts/topics you have read |
| I’ve not read | Topics/Posts you have not read. |
| I created | Topics/Posts you created |
| I’m Watching | Topics you have set as “Watching” |
| I’m Tracking | Topics you have set as “Tracking” |
| I bookmarked | Topics you have bookmarked |
| are the very first post | Search posts that are the first in a topic. |
| are pinned | Topics that are either pinned by category, globally, or bannered topics. |
| are wikis | Topics that are a wiki (TL3 only) |
| Include Images | Topics that have images in them |
Post count and topic views
You can search by how many views/posts a topic has. Note for posts you can only search up to 10,000 posts.
Typing Filters manually
You can also type filters manually in the search bar. Look below for a guide on it
Categories
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
#category |
ham #discussion-hub:msfs-2024 |
Tags
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
tags:<tag> |
ham tags:hamman2118 |
Where Topics
| Item | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
status:open |
Search open topics | ham status:open |
status:closed |
Search closed topics | ham status:closed |
status:public |
Search public topics | ham :status:public |
status:archived |
Search archived topics | ham status:archived |
status:noreplies |
Search topics with no replies | ham status:noreplies |
status:single_user |
Search topics where a single user contributed to it | ham status:single_user |
status:unsolved |
Search topics with no solution. | ham status:unsolved |
status:solved |
Search topis with a solution. | ham status:solved |
Posted by
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
@gamertag |
ham @HamMan2118 |
When Posted
| Item | Example |
|---|---|
before:yyyy-mm-dd |
ham before:2022-10-03 |
Returning Specific Posts
| Item | Desription | Example |
|---|---|---|
in:title |
Search for content in a title. | ham in:title |
in:likes |
Search for posts you liked. | ham in:likes |
in:messages |
Search for content in your PMs | ham in:messages: |
in:seen |
Search for posts that you have read. | ham in:seen |
in:unseen |
Search for posts you have not read. | ham :in:unseen |
in:created |
Search for posts you made. | ham in:created |
in:watching |
Search for posts you have set as “Watching” | ham in:watching |
in:tracking |
Seacrh for posts that you have set as “Tracking” | ham in:tracking |
in:bookmarks |
Search for posts you have bookmarked | ham in:bookmarks |
in:first |
Search for posts that are the very first in a topic. | ham in:first |
in:pinned |
Search for topics that are pinned. | ham in:pinned |
in:wiki |
Search for wiki posts/topics | ham in:wiki |
with:images |
Search for posts with images in them. | ham with:images |
In closing
That is all you need to know about the search system! If you find an error in here or have questions please DM me at @HamMan2118
Cheers!