# Wildcard Search

The wildcard `*` adds flexibility to your search term to maximise your search results. By default, the Hava search expects an exact match and is case sensitive.

For example, to create a custom environment made up of all VPCs in the `region us-east-2`.

* One way to create this would be to add each `vpc:id` to the search like in the below example.\
  \
  `region:us-east-2 and (vpc:123 or vpc:abc or vpc:456 or vpc:xyz`<br>
* This can be simplified using the wildcard like in the below example.\
  \
  `region:us-east-2 and vpc:*`&#x20;

### **Common reasons the wildcard search returns empty**.

#### Incorrect Position

The wildcard search is only a single wildcard character at the end of the string.

* **Correct use:** <mark style="color:green;">`region:us-east-2 and vpc:*`</mark>&#x20;
* Incorrect use: <mark style="color:red;">`region:us-*-2 and vpc:*`</mark>
* Incorrect use: <mark style="color:red;">`subnet:10.145.*.*`</mark>

#### Modifying Type Search

Trying to modify the type search syntax.

* Incorrect use: <mark style="color:red;">`type:"AWS::ElasticLoadBalancingV2::*"`</mark>


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.hava.io/discover/searching/search-syntax/wildcard-search.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.