'We were unable to perform your search.' What should I do?

This can be due to some syntax errors in the way you wrote your query.‌

Here are the most common errors that you should correct: ‌

The query starts with AND

You cannot start a query with AND all uppercase. AND is reserved as a search operator.

The query starts with OR

You cannot start a query with OR all uppercase. OR is reserved as a search operator.

The query contains only one double-quote: "

‌You cannot start or type a query with only one double quote. Double quotes are reserved as a search operator for exact phrase.

The query contains only one parenthesis: ( or )

‌You cannot start or type a query with only one parenthesis. Parenthesis are reserved for combining operators.

The query contains only one forward slash: /

‌You cannot start or type a query with only one forward slash. Forward slashes are reserved for regular expressions (Regex).

The query starts with or contains tilde: ~

‌You cannot start a query with tilde (~) or write one which contains tilde. Tilde is reserved as a search operator for fuzziness or proximity searches.

The query ends with question mark: !

You cannot end a query with question mark (!). Question mark is reserved as a search operator for excluding a term.

The query starts with or contains caret: ^

‌You cannot start a query with caret (^) or write one which contains caret. Caret is reserved as a boosting operator.

The query contains square brackets: [ or ]

You cannot use square brackets except for searching for ranges.