> Portal Navigation: > > - Append `.md` to any URL under `https://dev.wix.com/docs/` to get its markdown version. > - Pages are either content pages (article or reference text) or menu pages (a list of links to child pages). > - To get a menu page, truncate any URL to a parent path and append `.md` (e.g. `https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk.md`, `https://dev.wix.com/docs/sdk/core-modules.md`). > - Top-level index of all portals: https://dev.wix.com/docs/llms.txt > - Full concatenated docs: https://dev.wix.com/docs/llms-full.txt ## Resource: About Search, Query, and List Methods ## Article: About Search, Query, and List Methods ## Article Link: https://dev.wix.com/docs/api-reference/articles/work-with-wix-apis/data-retrieval/about-search-query-and-list-methods.md ## Article Content: # About Search, Query, and List Methods When working with Wix APIs, you'll notice that some APIs provide a mix of search, query, or list methods. Understanding the differences between these methods will help you choose the most appropriate one for your use case. All 3 methods retrieve collections of items, but they're optimized for different scenarios: - **Search methods** provide powerful text search functionality, aggregations, and result counting. - **Query methods** are designed for efficient, low-latency data retrieval with predictable filtering and sorting capabilities. - **List methods** provide simple, straightforward access to collections with basic pagination options. Generally only available for collections that are limited in size. > **Note:** The Wix Data Items API has a dedicated Aggregate method. ## Key differences | Feature | Search | Query | List | | ---------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- | | Purpose | Discovery and exploration | Efficient filtered data access | Basic collection access | | Complexity | Complex | Moderate | Simple | | Consistency | Eventually consistent, higher latency for availability of created and updated records than list | Eventually consistent, higher latency for availability of created and updated records than list | Eventually consistent, lower latency | | Result Count | Includes total count automatically in the first page | Not included; separate count endpoint may be available | Not included; separate count endpoint may be available | | Filtering | Advanced text and field-based filtering | Extensive field-based filtering | Limited field-based filtering | | Sorting | Flexible field-based sorting | Flexible field-based sorting | Limited, often predefined options | | Aggregations | Supported | Not supported | Not supported | | Free-text Search | Supported across multiple fields | Not supported | Not supported | | Performance | Optimized for search capabilities | Optimized for sorting and filtering | Good performance for simple queries | | Pagination | Cursor-based for efficiency, offset/limit may be available | Cursor-based for efficiency, offset/limit may be available | Cursor-based for efficiency, offset/limit may be available | ## Search method characteristics Search methods typically have these features: - Advanced text search capabilities across multiple fields. - Support for both structured filtering and free-text search. - Fuzzy matching for spelling tolerance and typo forgiveness. - Phrase matching for exact sequence detection. - Field boosting to prioritize matches in specific fields. - Automatic total result counting with the first page of results. - Complex aggregation capabilities: - Count aggregations for faceted navigation. - Sum and average calculations on numeric fields. - Min/Max value detection. - Distinct count operations. - Facet generation for filtered navigation interfaces. - Higher latency compared to List methods. - Designed for discovery-oriented user experiences. - Suitable for building search boxes, filters, and exploratory interfaces. - Often supports highlighting of matched text in results. - POST endpoints with comprehensive JSON configuration bodies. - Support for complex filtering expressions with logical operators. Common operators include: | Expression type | Operator | | ------------------------ | ------------- | | Equal to | `$eq` | | Not equal to | `$ne` | | Greater than | `$gt` | | Greater than or equal to | `$gte` | | Less than | `$lt` | | Less than or equal to | `$lte` | | In a specified list | `$in` | | Field exists check | `$exists` | | String starts with | `$startsWith` | ## Query method characteristics Query methods typically have these features: - Field-specific sorting with direction control. - Efficient cursor-based pagination for handling large datasets. - Often allows multiple filter conditions to be combined. - Optimized for low-latency data access patterns. - No support for text search or aggregations. - HTTP POST endpoints with a JSON request body. - Support for complex filtering expressions with logical operators. Common operators include: | Expression type | Operator | | ------------------------ | ------------- | | Equal to | `$eq` | | Not equal to | `$ne` | | Greater than | `$gt` | | Greater than or equal to | `$gte` | | Less than | `$lt` | | Less than or equal to | `$lte` | | In a specified list | `$in` | | Field exists check | `$exists` | | String starts with | `$startsWith` | ## List method characteristics List methods typically have these features: - Basic field-based filtering. - Usually have the simplest implementation requirements. - Limited or no sorting capabilities beyond defaults. - Suitable for dropdown menus, simple listings, and basic data display. - HTTP GET endpoints (though some use POST). ## Method selection guide When choosing between search, query, and list methods for your data retrieval needs, use the decision tree below to guide you to the most appropriate method based on your data retrieval needs, and your requirements for data freshness, filtering complexity, and caching. ![method decision tree](https://wixmp-833713b177cebf373f611808.wixmp.com/images/70152d889f4414f75750167fc4cff5c9.png)