A saved search stores a query under your account so you can re-run it in one click — and set up alerts that tell you when new matching items appear. It turns a one-off search into a standing watch on a topic, so the new research comes to you.

If you’re following a subject over weeks or months, retyping the same search and re-applying the same filters every time is wasted effort. Saved searches remove that friction entirely — and their alert feature quietly keeps you current without you lifting a finger.

What saved searches give you

  • Re-run instantly — your query and filters, stored and ready, no rebuilding.
  • Alerts for new results — get notified when something new matches; perfect for a dissertation or ongoing project.
  • A tidy history — keep several searches for different topics, each one click away.
  • Needs a free account — saved searches and alerts are tied to logging in, so create an account to use them.
Let the research find you
A postgraduate researching solar power in rural areas saves the search and switches on alerts. From then on, whenever a new article appears, FRELIP emails them — so their literature review stays current automatically, right up to submission. They did the search once; it keeps working for months.

Work smarter, not harder

This is the habit that separates an organised researcher from a harried one: set up your standing searches early, let the alerts run, and spend your energy reading and thinking rather than re-searching. The tool does the watching so you can do the work.

🔗 Try it on FRELIP: search.frelip.org — create a free account to save searches

That completes Using VuFind Discovery Search: the basics, advanced control, facets, full text, and saved searches. Have a look at the Course Wrap-up, and well done.

© FRELIP, released under CC BY 4.0. Linked resources remain under their own licences. Curated by the FRELIP Open Courseware editorial team.

Last modified: Friday, 5 June 2026, 8:19 AM