Saving a Search
As you develop search strategies, you may want to save them for later use or further development. OvidSP lets you store search sets created during any search session, log off and return at a later time without having to retype each search set manually.

Saving the Current Search History
Save your searches by clicking the Save History button from the Search History window.
| Note: | In saving your searches, the name is required and must not exceed 80 characters. |
The Search History panel has two columns on the right area:
- Results - the total number of search results are displayed.
- Search Type - OvidSP lists the search type such as: Basic/NLP, Advanced Ovid Search, etc.
Save your search strategy as any one of the several types of searches from the Save Current Search Page.
| Temporary | Saves the search for a period of twenty-four hours, then deletes it. |
| Permanent | Saves the search for as long as your site maintains a valid subscription. Use this option to save and rerun at another time or for base strategies from which you can develop further searches. |
| AutoAlert | Creates a search that runs automatically on a regular basis and emails results to a designated list of recipients. |
| Searches developed in the Books@Ovid database cannot be saved as AutoAlerts. | |
| Expert Searches | Searches about specific topics are made available to multiple users at a site. Expert Searches allow colleagues of the same group account to share search strategies. |
| When creating Expert Searches, include a reference to the database of origin (as in: expert_medf) in the name or comment field of the saved search. Expert searches can be run in any OvidSP database. However, you obtain best results when you use the search in the database(s) for which it was intended. | |
| Expert Searches are created by site administrators, librarians, or other subject matter experts. If you would like more information about Expert Searches, contact your site administrator. | |
| Your site administrator configures the availability of search types at your site. If you have questions or would like to request a search type listed here, contact your site administrator. |
Saving a search from the Save Current Search page:
![]() |
1. |
Type a search name in the text box. |
2. |
OPTIONAL: Type comments in the text box. |
3. |
Choose a search type option. |
4. |
Click the Save button. |
Note: Search names are case sensitive. |
|
| OvidSP displays a confirmation message for it on the Main Search Page once you save a search. | ![]() |
A search name limited to 80 characters is required. |
If OvidSP's Personal Accounts have been enabled at your site, you can save searches to a private, password-protected workspace. Contact your site administrator for more information.
You may view your Saved Searches and alerts by selecting:
- My Workspace -> My Searches and Alerts
- Selecting “View Saved” from the Search History window.
When you select either of these options, the system will display all your saved searches and autolerts. Searches and autoalerts are organized by search type:
|
![]() |
Select My Project on the search type drop down window. OvidSP will open the Save to My Project window.

On the Add Items popup window:
- To add the saved search to an existing project, select the An Existing Project option and locate on the dropdown menu the project where you want the items added
- To add the saved search to a new project, select A New Project option and type the Project Name
For reference purposes, you may provide a description for each items added.
When you are done, click on the Save button.
Adding AutoAlerts to a Project
To add Auto Alerts to a project:
![]() |
- Select Save Search History from the Search History window.
OvidSP opens the Save Search page:
![]() |
- Select AutoAlert(SDI) as Type.
![]() |
- Check the My Projects delivery option and click on the My Projects tab.
From here, you can either choose to add it on an existing project, or create a New Project for the AutoAlert.
| Was this Help context useful? Please let us know by clicking here. Thank you. |
Searching




