Editing and refining saved (starred) advanced search reports

Is there a way to edit and save existing reports? I have a few reports saved on my list, and if I refine the search parameters, it only gives me an option to save it as a new report with a new name, and not overwrite the existing report.
Is there a way to do this?

Thanks all
Nara

Hi @Narayan_Raj,

Youā€™re completely right, when refining a saved search Asana will automatically save it as a new Search; as it stands there is no option to overwrite the existing report. I donā€™t believe we have planned to make any change in the next few months, but we will definitely keep this in mind for future improvements!

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback with us @Narayan_Raj; have a great day :slight_smile:

I create and save reports using advanced Search. I need to frequently update the search query e.g. to modify tags or team members.

If I modify the search values using refine search, it creates a completely new search without giving me an ability to modify and save an existing saved search. So I have to save this new search with the same name as before, which creates a duplicate search, and then I have to go and delete the previous saved search. This is hugely inconvenient especially when you have a many saved searches

There should be a ability in Asana to modify an existing saved search.

1 Like

As I am learning Asana, I am also finding this to be hugely inconvenient! I anticipated that when I was refining a search that it would either auto-update my saved search or at least give me the option to save and update my saved search. However, as @Constancio_Fernandes mentioned, you have to create a duplicate and then go delete the old one. :disappointed:

2 Likes

Very clunky. I am constantly modifying Saved Search parameters (adding new team members, layering portfolios, altering tag options) and not being able to save over existing search is a problem. As well, having to resend fresh link out every time I update a search is not ideal when working with large team.

Vote to get this updated!

3 Likes

This has been a tremendous time and sanity-waster for me. We have a search, but every few days I have to update 1 date field. This requires my saving the search, naming it the same as the original, adding one character (so I can tell them apart), then deleting the original search, then renaming the new search to be the same name as the original search. As @anon63682973 pointed out, previous links are now invalid.

All this to update one field of a search

After wasting far too much time doing the copy-rename workaround, I finally searched for the correct procedure to do this. As I sit here now in realization, I am absolutely floored that this is by design.

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Not being able to update a Saved Search is a real nuisance and misses a trick.

Saved Searches are excellent for supporting meetings. I have a search that shows tasks with the tag ā€œDiscuss at weekly meetingā€, so if anyone has anything to raise at the meeting they just add this tag any time, then when the meeting comes we just open the saved search and go through each task, updating as we review each one. Essentially, the meeting agenda builds itself, which is great.

However, to make things even easier we add the URL of the saved search to the meeting in the diary, but, as this thread points out, if we change just one field in the search we then have to save as a different name AND update the URL to the search.

A simple ā€˜update searchā€™ button would make this problem go away, and make this use of saved searches really effective.

The Microsoft Azure DevOps ā€˜Queryā€™ feature smashes this out of the park. Iā€™m not suggesting Asana implement fully featured querying like DevOps, but right now searching comes up short.

Please implement.

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Same as above - this is terrible. The saved search has a URL that can be distributed. Itā€™s absurd that thereā€™s no way to modify it so the same URL will show the refined results.

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just adding my agreement here. Since saved searches provide features that e.g. portfolios and projects donā€™t provide on their own, itā€™s a shame that we canā€™t modify them at will to keep them updated as conditions change. I find myself duplicating and deleting my searches about once a week, which feels very inefficient.

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Add my vote to get this implemented. Clunky to have to save a new saved search everytime with no way to update current saved searches. Kind of defeats the purpose of being able to share the search as well.

Itā€™s really a shame that this hasnā€™t been updated. People have been reporting this for over 7 years and no efforts have been made to solve for it. Itā€™s a very simple feature. Please update before I move my org off of Asana.

I have a saved search for the teamā€™s use called ā€œSearch Current Sprintā€ that Iā€™d like to maintain and change the project I use as a sprint in the search each sprint, so the team doesnā€™t have to worry about it.

I also just tried executing the saved search, then changing the criteria, then starring the changed search and naming it the same name as an existing saved search - and suprisingly, I was able to do this.

Iā€™m hoping it might be possible in the future to save changed to saved searches sometime in the future. Thanks for your consideration!

@Kevin_Kriner1, Until/if this becomes available, I try to set up workflows that donā€™t require this, as explained in my Forum Leader Tip here:

Hope that might help to keep in mind,

Larry

Thank you for this, Larry! I really appreciate you reading & posting this.

In my current setup, I use the (non-ā€œevergreenā€) project as a sprint, and use the project as a container for multiple reasons.

However, I follow your suggestion. I will try an alternate setup with an ā€œevergreenā€ project and see if that organization would work for the outcomes Iā€™m hoping to achieve.

Thank you again!

1 Like

I created a saved search to reference tasks with such search criteria. Now I want to update the filter/criteria of the saved search, but thereā€™s no where I can save the changes.

Itā€™ll be great if the saved search can be updated, and I donā€™t have to create a new saved search.

@Lan_Nguyen,

Iā€™ve merged your post into an existing thread where you can click the title to scroll to the top and vote by clicking the purple Vote button.

Thanks,

Larry

1 Like