# IRPCSearch.GetSearchHits

Location: [gRPC API](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/index.md) > [Vault API](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/vault/index.md) > [Search](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/MFiles.IRPCSearch/index.md)

HTML version: https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/MFiles.IRPCSearch/GetSearchHits/

Badges: `Vault API / core` `read` `session or assertion` `idempotent` `returns metadata structure version`

Finds the words of a text that a full-text search condition matches, for hit highlighting.

- **Service:** [Search](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/MFiles.IRPCSearch/index.md) `MFiles.IRPCSearch`
- **gRPC method:** `/MFiles.IRPCSearch/GetSearchHits`
- **HTTP (mf-http-grpc):** `POST /grpc/v1/get-search-hits`
- **Request:** [`GetSearchHitsRequest`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/MFiles.IRPCSearch/GetSearchHits/index.md#request)
- **Response:** [`GetSearchHitsResponse`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/MFiles.IRPCSearch/GetSearchHits/index.md#response)
- **Book and level:** Vault API, core
- **Kind:** read
- **Session:** Required: a session (mfiles-session-id-bin metadata) or a session assertion (x-mf-session-assertion metadata).
- **Idempotent:** yes
- **Returns metadata structure version:** yes (in the mfiles-metadata-version-bin trailer)
- **Streaming:** none (unary)

<a id="remarks"></a>

## Remarks

`search_condition` must be an `EXPRESSION_TYPE_ANY_FIELD` condition with `CONDITION_TYPE_CONTAINS`
and a text value; anything else fails with "The parameter is incorrect." The server always
matches any of the search words, also for an all-words or Boolean search. `hits` lists the matched
words as they appear in `input`, for example "invoices" for the search word "invoice".

<a id="request"></a>

## Request: GetSearchHitsRequest

> Nested message fields are expanded to depth 3; follow a type link for deeper levels and for the type's own page.

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `search_options` | [`SearchTarget`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.SearchTarget/index.md) | Search options. |
| `search_options.index` | `string` | The name of the search index to use. Empty uses the vault's default index. An unknown name fails with "Target index is not available." |
| `search_options.mode` | [`SearchMode`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Enums/MFiles.SearchMode/index.md) | Whether to prefer, require or avoid the full-text search engine. See [SearchMode](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Enums/MFiles.SearchMode/index.md). Values: `SEARCH_MODE_DEFAULT` (0), `SEARCH_MODE_FAVOR_FULL_TEXT_SEARCH` (1), `SEARCH_MODE_REQUIRE_FULL_TEXT_SEARCH` (2), `SEARCH_MODE_REQUIRE_DATABASE_SEARCH` (3). |
| `search_options.search_master_storage` | `bool` | True to also search objects kept in Master Storage, where the vault supports it. |
| `search_options.continuation_token` | `string` | Continuation token for paging results from Master Storage. `SearchObjects` does not support it and fails with "Continuation token is not supported." when it is set together with `search_master_storage`. |
| `input` | `string` | The source text for searching. |
| `search_condition` | [`SearchCondition`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.SearchCondition/index.md) | The full-text search condition that specifies the search words (Represented by SearchCondition sturct). |
| `search_condition.expression` | [`Expression`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.Expression/index.md) | The left side of the condition: what is evaluated for each object, such as a property value, a status value or any field (full-text search). |
| `search_condition.expression.type` | [`ExpressionType`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Enums/MFiles.ExpressionType/index.md) | The kind of expression. Must match the member set in `data`. Values: `EXPRESSION_TYPE_UNINITIALIZED` (0), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_PROPERTY_VALUE` (1), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_ID_SEGMENT` (2), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_STATUS_VALUE` (3), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_FILE_VALUE` (4), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_TYPED_VALUE` (5), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_ANY_FIELD` (6), `EXPRESSION_TYPE_PERMISSIONS` (7). |
| `search_condition.expression.data` | [`ExpressionUnion`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.ExpressionUnion/index.md) | The expression data. Set the member that matches `type`. |
| `search_condition.expression.indirection_levels[]` | repeated [`IndirectionLevel`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.IndirectionLevel/index.md) | The lookups to follow before evaluating the expression, from the searched object outwards. Empty evaluates the expression on the object itself. |
| `search_condition.type` | [`ConditionType`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Enums/MFiles.ConditionType/index.md) | The comparison operator. |
| `search_condition.value` | [`TypedValue`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.TypedValue/index.md) | The right side of the condition: the value to compare with. Its data type must suit the expression, for example a lookup for a lookup property, Boolean for `STATUS_TYPE_IS_DELETED`. |
| `search_condition.value.is_null_value` | `bool` | True if the value is empty. `data` is then unset. |
| `search_condition.value.type` | [`Datatype`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Enums/MFiles.Datatype/index.md) | The data type of the value. |
| `search_condition.value.data` | [`TypedValueUnion`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.TypedValueUnion/index.md) | The value, in the member that matches `type`. Unset for an empty value. |

<a id="response"></a>

## Response: GetSearchHitsResponse

> Nested message fields are expanded to depth 3; follow a type link for deeper levels and for the type's own page.

| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| `hits[]` | repeated `string` | Receives the hit strings. |
| `search_output_info` | [`SearchOutputInfo`](https://developer.m-files.com/APIs/gRPC-API/Reference/Messages/MFiles.SearchOutputInfo/index.md) | Additional information about the completed search operation. |
| `search_output_info.processing_time_at_engine_in_milliseconds` | `int32` | The processing time at the search engine, in milliseconds. -1 if not known. |
| `search_output_info.processing_time_at_engine_from_mfserver_in_milliseconds` | `int32` | The processing time at the search engine, including network roundtrip from MFServer, in milliseconds. -1 if not known. |
| `search_output_info.processing_time_at_mfserver_in_milliseconds` | `int32` | The total processing time at MFServer, in milliseconds. -1 if not known. |
| `search_output_info.processing_time_at_mfserver_from_client_in_milliseconds` | `int32` | The total processing time at MFServer, including network roundtrip from the client, in milliseconds. -1 if not known. |