This content will not apply anymore given the new sidebar redesign. (2023. May 15 P.S.)
The differences between a Favorite (and item in Asana that you “star”) and a Saved Search may not always be apparent. Many new users might assume that by default a Saved Search is a Favorite. So what are the differences and why are they separate?
First, I’m assuming you noticed that in the left navigation pane you have an area for Favorites AND Saved Searches, correct? If not, take a peak! Asana provides a collapsible section for each of these in the navigation pane.
It is true: Asana treats these items separately. While I completely understand that some Saved Searches take priority over others, there isn’t a way to add these to your Favorites in the current model.
Favorites are primarily used to star singe components within Asana:
- Portfolio
- Dashboard (Reporting)
- Team
- People
- Project
- Tags
The Saved Search is designed to saved any advanced searches that need to be referenced later; most often when users want to see tasks filtered by a variety of components within Asana (including dates, custom fields, dependencies, etc). These Saved Searches have the flexibility to be renamed and shared with other users within your org. When you share the links to these the other users will even be able to see what you named the search AND the name of the search is recognized throughout Asana if you were to paste it into a comment or description.
Workaround to “star” Saved Searches:
If it is critical that you are able to see the higher priority Saved Searches, one workaround might be to create a project dedicated to such and add it to your Favorites. As shown below:
How are you using Favorite and Saved Searches to create a unique, streamlined system of operation? I would love to hear from you!
