How to Search Using Keywords and Filters

This article explains how to use Bid Banana’s search tools to find relevant solicitations by using the right keywords and filters.

💡 Tip: Need information about searching and using filters? Our Guided Tour will show you how to refine your search and review information on a result card’s bid details page. Find it in the Account Icon submenu at the top-right corner of the site navigation bar!

Search Using Keyword and Filters

To quickly find opportunities that fit your business, you can:

• Search using strategic keywords
• Find records by bid status
• Filter results (by location, agency, industry, and NAICS codes)

Use the following strategies to build a focused search that returns only the most relevant opportunities for your team.

Using Targeted Keywords

Search for relevant results with specific keywords.

General Keyword Best Practices

• Avoid broad terms like “software” or “consulting.”
• Use phrases that closely match your actual services or products, such as:
  • “Digital marketing services” instead of “marketing”
  • “Managed IT services” instead of “IT.”
  • “janitorial and custodial services” instead of “clearing”

💡 Tip: Consider the terminology the buyer would use in the scope of work, and include common phrases from past RFPs you have seen in your industry.

How to Refine Your Search

Your keyword list will evolve over time. Continually refining it improves the quality of your pipeline.

• Run a search and review the results.
• If you see too many unrelated solicitations, try searching with niche keywords.
• If results are too limited, broaden or adjust your terms.
• Repeat this process until your results closely match the opportunities you want to pursue.

💡 Tip: Refine your search further with search operators and advanced search techniques.

Filtering by Bid Status

You can filter searches by bid status from the Search tab or from the search results page.

How to Filter By Bid Status

1. Open the Search tab.
2. Locate the Bid Status filter.
3. Select either Open, Closed, or Awarded bid status.
4. Apply the filter to your search results.

You can also toggle bid status from the top of the search results page to see different status results for a specific keyphrase.

💡 Tip: Learn more about open bids, closed bids, and award data by reading our support article about bid status searches.

Save a Status Filter

1. After applying your preferred filters (including status), click Save Search or Save Filter.
2. Name your saved search (for example, “Open IT Bids – Northeast”).
3. Access your saved filters anytime from the Favorites tab.

Saving your filters ensures you automatically see new open bid opportunities that match your criteria, without having to rebuild searches each time.

💡 Tip: Learn more about ways to save and manage your searches.

Applying Filters to Narrow Results

Start your search by using filters instead of scrolling through all open solicitations. Here’s how to filter your search results:

1. Go to the main Search page in Bid Banana.
2. Enter a broad keyword or leave the keyword field blank to start with all opportunities.
3. Use the filters panel to narrow your results:
   • Location (State) – Select one or more states to limit results to your service area.
   • Agency – Choose specific agencies if you have a target list (e.g., certain cities, counties, or departments).
   • NAICS Code – Select your NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) code(s) to see solicitations in the right industry or service category.

💡 Tip: Start with location and NAICS filters to remove most irrelevant results. Use agency filters when you already know which organizations you want to work with.