How to Search for Subscribers

How to find a subscriber record in Reach and what the search results tell you.

Overview

There are two search modes in the Subscribers tab. This article explains both, what fields you can search on, and what the results table means.

Department selection matters

You need the right Department selected or you'll get no results. Reach Administrators switch departments from the dropdown. Everyone else sees only their own.

What You'll Need

• Access to the Subscribers tab (all roles).
• At least one search value to go on.

Step-by-Step: Searching for a Subscriber

Step 1: Go to the Subscribers tab

1. Click Subscribers in the left sidebar.
2. Confirm you are on the Subscriber sub-tab.
3. If you are a Reach Administrator, select the correct Department from the dropdown.

Step 2: Choose your search type

Two search modes at the top of the form:

• Subscriber Search searches by profile fields: name, location, Subscriber ID, category. Use this when you know who you're looking for.
• Contact Search searches by email or phone number. Useful when someone says they're not receiving messages at a specific address or number.

Step 3: Enter your search criteria

Fill in any combination of fields. You don't need all of them. Reach returns everything that matches.

Field	Search tip
First Name / Last Name	Partial names work. Entering "Jam" returns "James", "Jamie", etc.
Subscriber ID	Enter the exact Subscriber ID for a precise single-record lookup.
Location	Searches the street address field.
Email	Enter the full or partial email address.
Phone	Digits only. No dashes or spaces.
Department *	Required. Always confirmed before you search.
Category	Select from the dropdown to filter by a specific category (e.g., Severe Weather).

Step 4: Run the search and review results

1. Click the green Search button.
2. A results table appears below the form.
3. Each row shows Subscriber ID, name, email, phone, department, active status, location, and action buttons.
4. Use Reset to clear and start over.

Understanding the Results Table

Column	What it shows
Subscriber ID	System-generated. You'll need this if you're updating the subscriber via bulk upload.
Active	Green checkmark means active. No checkmark means deactivated and not receiving messages.
Actions	Edit updates details. Delete is permanent. Deactivate pauses notifications without removing the record.

Having Trouble?

What you're seeing	Why it happens	How to resolve it
No results returned	The subscriber may be in a different department, or the name is spelled differently in the record.	Try a partial last name or the Subscriber ID. Make sure the right department is selected. If still nothing, the subscriber may not be in Reach yet.
Too many results returned	Your criteria are too broad.	Add more filters. Combine first name and last name, or throw in an email or phone number.
I can see the subscriber but the Edit/Delete buttons are missing	Your role may not have edit permissions, or the subscriber belongs to a department you do not manage.	Contact your Reach Administrator if you need edit access.
Active column shows no checkmark	The subscriber has been deactivated and will not receive notifications.	Click Edit to reactivate them if appropriate, or contact your Administrator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I search across all departments at once?

A: No. Each search is scoped to one department. Reach Administrators can switch departments, but can't search all at once.

Q: What does Contact Search do differently from Subscriber Search?

A: Contact Search finds records by email or phone number. Use it when someone says messages aren't reaching a specific address or number and you need to find their record.

Q: Can I export the subscriber search results?

A: Not directly. For subscriber data in bulk, check the Analytics tab (Messages view) or ask your Reach Administrator.

Q: Why does the search show a subscriber as inactive?

A: They've been deactivated, either manually or through an opt-out. They won't receive notifications until reactivated.

Need More Help?

If you have followed the steps above and still require assistance, please refer to the relevant articles listed below for additional guidance.

How to Edit SubscribersUpdate a subscriber's name, contact details, or address after finding them.How to Deactivate Subscribers Pause notifications for a subscriber without deleting their record.