> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.entire.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Search Troubleshooting

> Fix common semantic search and Code Search issues in the CLI, entire.io, and the `search` Skill.

Use this page when Search does not appear or cannot find the work or code you expect.

Before troubleshooting, review [What Is Indexed and When](/guides/search/what-is-indexed). Local-only work, indexing delay, repository scope, and a valid query with no matches can all explain an empty result.

## Login and Setup

> **The CLI Says You Are Not Authenticated**
>
> Run:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire login
> ```
>
> Search only returns repositories, history, and code your account can access.

> **`entire search` Does Not Appear in `entire --help`**
>
> [Update the Entire CLI](/installation#install-and-update-entire), then check the installed version:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire version
> ```
>
> `entire checkpoint search` is an equivalent alias in every version.

## Your Agent Is Not Using Search

> **The Search Skill Returns No Useful History**
>
> Confirm the agent has the [Skills workflow](/learn/skills) installed and can run `entire search --json`.
>
> Make the prompt more specific:
>
> ```text theme={null}
> search past work for duplicate validation in the checkout form
> ```

## Results Are Missing or Incomplete

> **Recent Work or Code Does Not Appear**
>
> Confirm the work has been committed and pushed, then give Entire a couple minutes to index it.
>
> Check that the current repository is Entire-enabled:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire status
> ```
>
> If the work happened in another repository, use `--repo OWNER/REPO` or `--all-repos`.

> **Search Warns That Results May Be Incomplete**
>
> A query fans out across regions, and a slow or unreachable one degrades the response instead of hanging it. entire.io reports that some sources were unavailable, and the CLI writes `results may be incomplete` to standard error.
>
> Run the query again. If the warning persists, scope it to a repository that lives outside the affected region:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search "retry logic" --repo OWNER/REPO
> ```
>
> One query fans out to every region holding repositories you can access, so narrowing to a repository in the failing region does not help. That is where the query has to go. Check [status.entire.io](https://status.entire.io/) for a regional incident.
>
> Semantic search reports this warning on standard error only, so `--json` output carries no sign of it. Code Search reports the affected jurisdictions in its JSON.

## Results Are Not What You Expected

> **Search Returns Results from the Wrong Scope**
>
> CLI search is scoped to the current repository by default, while entire.io searches all accessible indexed repositories.
>
> Search one repository from the CLI:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search "retry logic" --repo OWNER/REPO
> ```
>
> Search all accessible repositories:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search "retry logic" --all-repos
> ```

> **Search Opens an Interactive View When You Expected Plain Output**
>
> Use `--json` for scripts, automation, or agent instructions:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search "auth token refresh" --json
> ```
>
> Running a semantic search in a terminal opens the interactive results view. Redirected or piped output is JSON automatically.

> **Past-Work Results Are Too Broad**
>
> Add a feature name, error message, file, decision, or filter that would have appeared in the prompt, commit, or transcript:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search "duplicate validation error banner" branch:main date:month
> ```

> **Code Search Does Not Find the Expected Code**
>
> Code Search matches literal text, not a description of behavior. Search for a function or variable name, error message, config key, or unique string that appears in the file.
>
> If you remember the work but not the source text, use semantic and keyword search without `--code`.

> **A Multi-Term Code Search Returns Nothing**
>
> Code Search matches your query literally, so a phrase of several words often has no match even when each word appears in the repository. Search one distinctive token instead:
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire search --code "import-history"
> ```
>
> Use semantic search without `--code` when you want to describe the change rather than name the text.

> **`author:`, `branch:`, or `date:` Do Not Filter Code Search**
>
> Code Search supports only the `repo:` inline filter. It reads the other tokens as literal query text. Use semantic search without `--code` when you need author, branch, or date filters.

> **Can Code Search Match Exact Letter Case?**
>
> Not currently. The CLI accepts `--case-sensitive`, but the search backend does not yet apply it.

> **`checkpoint explain --repo` Rejects a Commit SHA**
>
> `entire checkpoint explain` takes a checkpoint ID or a commit SHA, and it resolves a commit through the `Entire-Checkpoint` trailer in your local clone. Adding `--repo` removes that fallback, so a cross-repository lookup needs the full [checkpoint ID](/glossary#checkpoint-id) the result carries rather than a commit SHA.
>
> ```shell theme={null}
> entire checkpoint explain 01KVBJCWYA4YW6J5M9GP655HZN --repo gh/OWNER/REPO --no-pager
> ```

## Continue With

> **[Search](/guides/search/overview)**
>
> Compare semantic and keyword search with literal Code Search.

> **[Search in the CLI](/guides/search/search-in-cli)**
>
> Review both CLI search modes.

> **[What Is Indexed and When](/guides/search/what-is-indexed)**
>
> Check availability, timing, scope, and empty-result expectations.