# Excluding columns in a 'search' query

**URL:** https://community.glideapps.com/t/excluding-columns-in-a-search-query/59650
**Category:** Ask for Help
**Created:** [March 25, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/excluding-columns-in-a-search-query/59650 "2023-03-25T02:35:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![snooprussyruss](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@snooprussyruss](https://community.glideapps.com/u/snooprussyruss)
#### Post date: [March 25, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/excluding-columns-in-a-search-query/59650/1 "2023-03-25T02:35:34Z")

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Hi guys, Struggling to find a way to do this - please help!

I have a genealogical database of 100,000 records in a ‘Big Table’.

When using the search facility every now and again you’ll get thousands of hits - when really there are only one or two you want to view.

As an example. I live in Wellington - New Zealand. My data base includes 3 records for people with a surname of ‘Wellington’ but thousands of records of people who live in Wellington. When I search on ‘Wellington’ I get the whole lot!

Is there a way of interactively (perhaps through a checkbox list) allowing users to determine what columns they search on when they use the search bar. Kinda like an advanced search.

I’ve watched a few vids on cleverly adding plain txt and then hiding it to make it searchable - but I want to do the opposite - selecting what columns NOT to search on.

Thanks in advance.

Russ