# Search for contacts in Amazon Connect by using custom contact attributes or contact segment attributes
Search by custom contact attributes or contact segment attributes

You can create search filters based on custom contact attributes (also called [user-defined contact attributes](connect-attrib-list.md#user-defined-attributes)) or contact segment attributes. 

For example, if you add `AgentLocation` and `InsurancePlanType` to your contact records as custom attributes, you can search for contacts with specific values in these attributes, such as calls handled by agents located in Seattle, or calls made by customers who purchased homeowners insurance.

**Topics**
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## Required permissions to configure searchable contact attributes
](#permissions-search-custom-attributes)
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## Configure searchable custom contact attributes
](#configure-search-custom-attributes)
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## Edit, add, or remove contact attributes
](#edit-add-remove-attribute-keys)
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## Filter contact search results on contact attributes
](#howto-search-for-custom-attributes)
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## Filter contact search results on contact segment attributes
](#filter-contact-search-segment)

## Required permissions to configure searchable contact attributes


By default, a custom attribute isn't indexed until someone with appropriate permissions, such as an admin or manager, specifies it should be searchable. You grant permissions to select users so they can configure which custom contact attributes can be added as a search filter. 

Assign the following permissions to their security profile: 
+ Enable one of the following permissions to access the **Contact Search** page:
  + **Contact search**. Allows you to search for all contacts.
  + **View my contacts**: Allows agents to view only those contacts that they handled.
+ **Contact attributes**: Allows users to view contact attributes. Also controls access to the search filters based on contact attributes.
+ **Configure searchable contact attributes** - **All**: People who have this permission determine what custom data will be searchable (by people who have the **Contact attributes** permission). It allows them to access the following configuration page:   
![\[The search customer contact attributes page.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/contact-search-custom-attributes-configuration-page.png)

## Configure searchable custom contact attributes


1. On the **Contact search** page, choose **Add filter**, **Custom contact attribute**. Only people with **Configure searchable contact attributes** permissions in their security profile see this option.  
![\[The contact search page, the filters dropdown menu, the Customer contact attribute option.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/contact-search-custom-attributes-specify1.png)

1. The first time you choose **Custom contact attribute**, the following box appears, indicating no attributes have been configured for this Amazon Connect instance. Choose **Specify searchable attribute keys**.  
![\[The add filter option, a message that no keys have been specified for search.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/contact-search-custom-attributes-specify2.png)

1. In the **Attribute key** box, type the name of your custom attribute, and then choose **Add key**.
**Important**  
You must type the exact key name. It is case sensitive.

1. When finished, choose **Save**.

Your users will be able to search on these keys for any future contacts.

## Edit, add, or remove contact attributes


To edit, add, or remove keys, choose **Attribute**, **Settings**. If you don't see the **Settings** option, you don't have the required permissions.

![\[The add filter tab, the settings gear in the upper right corner of the page.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/contact-search-custom-attributes-settings.png)


## Filter contact search results on contact attributes


Users who have the **Contact attributes** permission in their security profile can find contacts by using the contact attribute filters.

1. On the **Contact search** page, choose **Add filter**, **Custom contact attribute**, and then choose **Specify searchable attribute keys**.

1. On the **Searchable customer contact attributes** page, in the **Attribute key** box, enter the attribute key, and choose **\$1Add key** and then choose **Save**.

1. Return to the **Contact search** page. Use **Add filter** to choose from the dropdown menu the attribute you just added. In the **Attribute value box**, enter the value you want to find. 

## Filter contact search results on contact segment attributes


After you create predefined attributes and attached them to a contact segment (explained in [Use contact segment attributes](use-contact-segment-attributes.md)), you can filter contact search results based on the segment attribute values. 

The following image shows the **Contact search** page, and the option to filter contact search results based on custom segment attribute values. 

![\[The Contact search page, the Segment attributes filter.\]](http://docs.aws.amazon.com/connect/latest/adminguide/images/attribute-management-4.png)


1. On the **Contact search** page, under the **Add filter** drop-down, select **Custom contact segment attributes**.

1. Select the predefined attribute you want to apply to filtering criteria. For example, the previous images shows Business-unit-name as the **Attribute name**.

1. If the selected predefined attribute has established values, they are listed under **Attribute value(s)** as a multi-selection choice. For example, the previous image shows Accounts, Billing, Customer Support, and Marketing as options.

1. Choose **Apply**.