# Unable to search in taxon tree

**URL:** <https://speciforum.org/t/unable-to-search-in-taxon-tree/2128>\
**Category:** Get Help\
**Created:** [November 20, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/unable-to-search-in-taxon-tree/2128 "2024-11-20T15:18:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 2

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**Author:** ![Grant](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/speciforum.org/grant/32/4255_2.png) [@Grant](https://speciforum.org/u/Grant)\
**Post date:** [November 20, 2024, 6:43pm UTC](https://speciforum.org/t/unable-to-search-in-taxon-tree/2128/2 "2024-11-20T18:43:26Z")

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Hi @willem,

The search behavior for trees in Specify is set in your [user preferences](https://speciforum.org/t/user-tools-menu/536#p-810-preferences-6).

You can change which field you are searching between `Name` and `Full Name`, and you can change the search algorithm between `Starts With` and `Contains`.

 ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/specifysoftware/original/2X/6/6a250c246897e3f82d3d2110a2149c6705061447.png)

By default, if you do not have a `Name` value in that tree that `Starts With` ‘cy’, you will not find any results. You can change this to search the `Full Name` and use the `Contains` algorithm to return any node that has ‘cy’ anywhere in the name.

You can even set [default user preferences](https://speciforum.org/t/setting-default-user-preferences/1447) for all users at a given scope (collection, discipline, etc.) so it behaves the same for everyone accessing the trees.

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_[View the full topic](https://speciforum.org/t/unable-to-search-in-taxon-tree/2128)._