# Search Confluence with CQL

To search Confluence with CQL in Capable Search, open a search and select **Switch to CQL** in the filter bar, then type your query. The field suggests fields, operators and values as you type and flags mistakes in red. Build filter chips first if you prefer: the field then starts with the CQL they made.

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## Before you start

| **You need**                         | **Why**                                                                 |
| ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Capable Search installed             | The app is part of Capable Search for Confluence and the Capable Suite. |
| Access to the pages you want to find | Search only returns pages you can already open.                         |

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## Steps

1. Open Capable Search: select **Capable Search** in the space sidebar or the Apps menu (in the Suite, **Capable**, then **Search**).
2. Select **New search**, or open a saved search to start from.
3. Add filters with **Select filters** if you want a starting point.
4. Select **Switch to CQL**, the code button beside the column picker.
5. Type your query, for example `space = "DOCS" AND lastmodified >= now("-30d")`. Pick suggestions from the list as they appear.
6. If the field turns red, read the list under it and fix each problem. The results update to match your query.
7. To sort, add `ORDER BY` at the end, for example `ORDER BY lastmodified DESC`.

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## If it does not work

* A query that starts with a wildcard, such as `title ~ "*plan"`, matches nothing. Confluence does not support it.
* **Confluence rejected this query.** means Confluence itself refused it. Check quotes and brackets.
* A Capable field that returns nothing may not be indexed yet. See [A search returns nothing](https://help.gocapable.com/search/a-search-returns-nothing.html).

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## Related

### [Filters and sorting](https://help.gocapable.com/search/filters-and-sorting.html)

Chips, CQL and sorting in depth.

### [Capable search fields](https://help.gocapable.com/search/capable-search-fields.html)

Fields you can query.

### [Save a Confluence search as a report](https://help.gocapable.com/search/save-a-confluence-search-as-a-report.html)

Keep the query.

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_Write it once, run it whenever._