# Why is Plex search so picky? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** search\ **Created:** [March 30, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564 "2024-03-30T00:48:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![etsolow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/etsolow/32/331788_2.png) [@etsolow](https://forums.plex.tv/u/etsolow)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 12:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/1 "2024-03-30T00:48:48Z")
I’ve felt this way for a while but I haven’t had a good example, but I came up with one today. My dad wanted to watch _3 Body Problem_ but he searched for _the three body problem_. Zero hits. No results. Isn’t there some way to make the search a little fuzzier? Is that search term really that far off that Plex needs to play completely dumb? ---
**Author:** ![SwiftPanda16](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/swiftpanda16/32/81839_2.png) [@SwiftPanda16](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SwiftPanda16)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 5:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/2 "2024-03-30T05:50:51Z")
This? ![Screenshot_20240329_225019_Chrome](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/f/1/5/f158456def987d691d4334a01d016ab554ead1a3.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![BigWheel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/bigwheel/32/78783_2.png) [@BigWheel](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BigWheel)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2024, 6:45am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/3 "2024-03-30T06:45:34Z")
Also seems fine in the smart tv app. make sure your dad did not disable any sources in the search settings. (the two lines icon in the input field) ![Plex_HTPC](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/6/0/1/60161104fbf3803e282682ec2f490edb7e7852ac.png) ---
**Author:** ![d2freak](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/d2freak/32/111000_2.png) [@d2freak](https://forums.plex.tv/u/d2freak)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/4 "2024-03-31T02:30:54Z")
I think I know the reason for this. I have this show on my server and if I search for … “Three body problem” I get only a result from the cloud. “3 body problem” I get both my local version and cloud version returned, combined. So, he probably has “more ways to watch” turned off, but the real question is why isn’t local results fuzzy? ---
**Author:** ![etsolow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/etsolow/32/331788_2.png) [@etsolow](https://forums.plex.tv/u/etsolow)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 3:33am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/5 "2024-03-31T03:33:56Z")
Interesting! Yes, we have all the non-local sources turned off. ---
**Author:** ![etsolow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/etsolow/32/331788_2.png) [@etsolow](https://forums.plex.tv/u/etsolow)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 3:46am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/6 "2024-03-31T03:46:04Z")
We don’t have anything disabled there, but we do have the Online Media Sources all disabled in Settings. ![62CFA947-A605-470A-A5C6-FF425659CC40](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/b/8/1/b815661a36e7a69323fd0b1dbab5d87db4765500.jpeg) ![0ECD4E8F-398D-4081-8EEE-D1AA0579F346_1_201_a](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/9/7/2/97296ac4f3d5c35a8fd88122561910d3cd69e8e4.jpeg) ![BDDA9B29-C9D0-4CFF-A912-6492F815C4F3_1_101_o](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/f/4/b/f4b459e3932c4a2e342555a8a9887b76a7266336.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![BigWheel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/bigwheel/32/78783_2.png) [@BigWheel](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BigWheel)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 4:47am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/7 "2024-03-31T04:47:49Z")
ah I see. I can’t make any promises but I’ll bring it up to team that handles search. ---
**Author:** ![SwiftPanda16](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/swiftpanda16/32/81839_2.png) [@SwiftPanda16](https://forums.plex.tv/u/SwiftPanda16)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 4:52am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/8 "2024-03-31T04:52:46Z")
Maybe servers don’t store alternative titles in their local metadata like Plex’s online database. > **[3 Body Problem](https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/108545-3-body-problem/titles#US)** > > Across continents and decades, five brilliant friends make earth-shattering discoveries as the laws of science unravel and an existential threat emerges. ---
**Author:** ![etsolow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/etsolow/32/331788_2.png) [@etsolow](https://forums.plex.tv/u/etsolow)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2024, 1:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/9 "2024-03-31T13:13:34Z")
Ok, thank you! ---
**Author:** ![jfreiman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/jfreiman/32/82584_2.png) [@jfreiman](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jfreiman)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 7:02am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/10 "2024-04-02T07:02:18Z")
I sympathize with your problem. I anticipate issues like this by adding an alternate spelling or tile in the series Original Title under The series General Tab. For this show the default Title is 3 Body Problem. In the series Original Title box I would enter, “Three Body Problem” I usually use the Original Title field for series which and in Series Title (Country Code) or Series Title (Year) - and rewrite the Title without the (XYZ) field - since Plex puts titles with (XYZ) at the end of a search, even when it seems to be the closest result. I hope this helps for future series additions to your collection. ---
**Author:** ![etsolow](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/etsolow/32/331788_2.png) [@etsolow](https://forums.plex.tv/u/etsolow)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2024, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/11 "2024-04-02T13:46:19Z")
Thanks, I’ll have to give that a try. Seems a bit like a band-aid, but a nice option to have, nonetheless! ---
**Author:** ![jfreiman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/jfreiman/32/82584_2.png) [@jfreiman](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jfreiman)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/12 "2024-04-03T08:17:24Z")
> [@etsolow](#): > > Seems a bit like a band-aid, but a nice option to have It’s only a band-aid if Plex ever truly improves their search – Until then, it’s “my cure.” I hope it helps. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2024, 8:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-is-plex-search-so-picky/873564/13 "2024-07-02T08:18:21Z")
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