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Basic Search

Introduction

Flywheel search is a powerful feature to discover data across multiple projects. You may search projects from your own lab, or projects from other labs. Search results are from projects you have permissions to access.

Quick Start

To start searching:

  1. Hit Enter on the search bar to see all your data
  2. Select filters from the sidebar (File Type, Modality, etc.)
  3. Type search terms for fuzzy matching
  4. View results in Sessions, Acquisitions, Files, or Analyses tabs

Need exact matches? Use Advanced Search instead.

Prefer videos?

We have a collection of videos showing you how to get the most out of Flywheel. See these for more information:

Instruction Steps

The Search Bar: Fuzzy Matching

Basic search uses a fuzzy matching algorithm. This means that if you require an exact match, use the advanced search feature or select one of the filters to narrow down the results.

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Currently, you can use the following filters in basic search:

  • Project
  • File Type
  • Modality
  • Classification
  • Session Timestamp
  • Sex
  • Subject Age (Subject ages in Flywheel are recorded as the subject's age at time of session)
  • Custom Fields

Selecting these filters dynamically updates search results. You can also filter search results using these tabs across the top:

  • Subjects
  • Sessions
  • Acquisitions
  • Files
  • Analyses

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Example

Suppose we are searching for nifti files of T1-weighted anatomical data from male subjects between the ages of 50 and 70. To find files that meet this search criteria:

  1. Hit enter on the search bar.

    The search results show all data you have access to.

  2. Under File Type select nifti.

    The results update to show only NIFTI files. Files in other formats (DICOM, JPEG, etc.) are no longer displayed.

  3. Under Data Classifications, select anatomy_t1w.

    The results update again to show only T1-weighted anatomical scans. Other scan types (T2, DWI, fMRI, etc.) are filtered out.

  4. Under Sex, select Male.

    The results now show only data from male subjects. Data from female subjects and subjects with unspecified sex are excluded.

  5. Under Age range, adjust the sliders to 50 to 70.

    The final results show only subjects who were between 50 and 70 years old at the time of the session.

Expected Results:

The search results now display only NIFTI files that match all criteria: T1-weighted anatomical data from male subjects aged 50-70. You can view the results in different tabs:

  • Subjects tab: Shows all subjects that contain matching data
  • Sessions tab: Shows all sessions that contain matching files
  • Acquisitions tab: Shows all acquisitions that contain matching files
  • Files tab: Shows individual files that match your criteria
  • Analyses tab: Shows analysis results associated with matching data

The results dynamically update as you add or remove filters. The count of matching items appears at the top of the results.

Note: Age is recorded as age at the time of the session.

Create a collection to save results

Use collections to save acquisitions and sessions from across multiple groups and projects. To create a collection from the search results:

  1. Select either the Acquisitions or Sessions tab on the search results.
  2. Select the data you wish to add to the collection.

  3. Go to Actions, and choose Add to Collection.

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  4. Follow the prompts for either creating a new collection or adding the data to an existing collection.

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Understanding Search Behavior

Search Scope

If you enter search from the project dashboard screen, Flywheel searches across all projects you have permissions to. To limit the scope to data from a single project, enter the project name in the Project filter at the top of the search sidebar.

Filter Logic

Understanding how filters combine helps you create effective searches:

Within the Same Filter Group (OR Logic)

When you select multiple items within the same filter group, the search uses OR logic. Results match ANY of the selected items.

Example: Selecting both nifti and dicom under File Type returns files that are EITHER nifti OR dicom format.

Across Different Filter Groups (AND Logic)

When you select items from different filter groups, the search uses AND logic. Results must match ALL selected criteria.

Example: Selecting nifti under File Type AND anatomy_t1w under Data Classification returns only nifti files that are also T1-weighted anatomical scans.

Custom Fields Filter

The CUSTOM FIELDS filter provides a way to search custom metadata in your data. Start typing a field name to see available options.

Example: Type subject to see search options related to subject-level custom metadata fields.

For more information, see Searching Custom Metadata Fields.

Search Box vs Filters

Typing a term into the search box is NOT the same as selecting a filter:

  • Search box: Uses fuzzy matching to search across all text fields, including notes, labels, and descriptions
  • Filters: Match specific structured fields with exact or partial values

Example: Typing anatomy_t1w in the search box may return a diffusion scan that mentions T1 data in its notes. Using the Data Classification filter for anatomy_t1w returns only scans actually classified as T1-weighted anatomical data.