Your search query returns an "Invalid search attribute" error

Question

I tried to search for a user using the query displayname = "Bob Jones", but all I got back was the error message Invalid search attribute. The displayname attribute doesn't exist?

Answer

Technically, no, it doesn’t. That’s because letter casing is crucial when it comes to attribute names. As far as the Console is concerned, there is no attribute named displayname; instead, there’s an attribute named displayName (note the uppercase N). Try this query instead:

displayName = "Bob Jones"

For more information on letting casing and when it matters, see Attribute Names.