[Due for payment 2026-08-21] [Search] Contextual search sends workspace/room name verbatim as an ID when the name contains a comma

@mukhrr

Problem

Opening search from a chat (cmd+K) seeds the chat's scope, e.g. type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc. When the workspace or room name contains a comma (or any character sanitizeSearchValue doesn't quote), submitting sends the literal name to the server as a policyID instead of resolving it to the real ID. The search silently returns "Nothing to show" with no error.

Found by @mukhrr during review of #96448 (out of scope for that PR — splitting out per @twisterdotcom).

Steps to reproduce

Rename any workspace to Acme,Inc — comma, no space.
Open that workspace's expense chat and press cmd+K → input seeds type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc, unquoted.
Press Enter.
Result: "Nothing to show", no error.

Expected vs actual

Expected — submitting resolves the name to the report/policy ID:

input:  type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc
URL:    /search?q=type:expense … policyID:26BE5C4005E188DB
result: that workspace's expenses

Actual — the name is submitted verbatim as an ID:

input:  type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc      ← unquoted
URL:    /search?q=type:expense … policyID:Acme,Inc   ← literal name, not the ID
result: "Nothing to show"                     ← no error

Root cause

getContextualSearchQuery runs the name through sanitizeSearchValue, but getContextualSearchAutocompleteKey builds the substitution key from the raw name. sanitizeSearchValue only quotes on a space or NBSP — so a comma stays unquoted, the parser splits the value on it, the parsed value no longer equals the key, the substitution is skipped, and getUpdatedFilterValue doesn't normalize in:/policyID:. The literal string goes to the server.

The line-break case is the one #96448 makes worse: the query is normalized with lineBreaksToSpaces but the key is not, so they can't match.

Proposed solution

Make the substitution key and the sanitized query agree on the same normalization so lookup succeeds regardless of the character in the name:

Apply the same transform (sanitizeSearchValue + lineBreaksToSpaces) to both the query value and the autocomplete key before comparison, or
Broaden sanitizeSearchValue to quote on any character the parser treats as a delimiter (comma, etc.), not only space/NBSP.

Either way, getUpdatedFilterValue should resolve workspace:/in: to a policyID:/reportID: rather than passing an unresolved literal to the server.

Open questions

Preferred fix location — widen sanitizeSearchValue quoting vs. normalize the key at comparison time? Widening quoting is the more general fix but touches every caller of sanitizeSearchValue.
Should an unresolved name fall back to a clear empty-state/error rather than a silent "Nothing to show"?

Use the room name for the contextual search suggestion #96448 — PR where this was found (follow-up PR will target this issue)
[Due for payment 2026-08-19] [$250] Default search to the current room when initiated from inbox search #96152 — original contextual-search-suggestion issue that Use the room name for the contextual search suggestion #96448 fixes
[$250] [Due for payment 2026-04-30] Search - The workspace with the same name is not displayed in the autocomplete #82304 — earlier comma-related autocomplete bug (same-name workspaces); related area, different symptom

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @parasharrajat

Commenting to be assigned

@twisterdotcom

2. input seeds type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc

@twisterdotcom can you update reproduction steps as follow since pre-populating input on CMD+K was rejected in #96448 (comment)

Create a workspace named "Acme, Inc"
Open that workspace's chat
Press cmd+K or Search icon on top right
Click first option: "Search in [your username]'s expenses"

Actual result: search populates type:expense workspace:Acme, Inc (expense is quoted, Acme, Inc is UNquoted) and hitting enter -> Result: "Nothing to show", no error.

Expected result: search populates type:expense workspace:Acme, Inc (both quoted) and hitting enter shows result from Acme, Inc workspace

@Julesssss

Triggered auto assignment to @Julesssss, see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/7972 for more details.

Quote contextual search values containing a comma

@Julesssss

@Julesssss are you sure to close before payment? Or did I miss something?

are you sure to close before payment? Or did I miss something?

Ah this closed automatically after I merged the PR.

@Julesssss

@Julesssss @mukhrr

The solution for this issue has been 🚀 deployed to production 🚀 in version 9.4.53-10 and is now subject to a 7-day regression period 📆. Here is the list of pull requests that resolve this issue:

Quote contextual search values containing a comma #97083

If no regressions arise, payment will be issued on 2026-08-21. 🎊

The following checklist (instructions) will need to be completed before the issue can be closed. Please copy/paste the BugZero Checklist from here into a new comment on this GH and complete it. If you have the K2 extension, you can simply click: [this button]. If no checklist is needed for this issue, you can click: [no checklist button]

@mukhrr

@mukhrr Whoops! This issue is 2 days overdue. Let's get this updated quick!

@mukhrr

@mukhrr Huh... This is 4 days overdue. Who can take care of this?

@mallenexpensify

Triggered auto assignment to @mallenexpensify (Awaiting Payment)

@mukhrr

Payment Summary

Resolving PRs:

Quote contextual search values containing a comma #97083
Reviewer: @mukhrr owed $250 via NewDot

BugZero Checklist (@mallenexpensify)

I have confirmed assignees, roles, and Upwork contracts look correct
I have paid out Upwork contracts / manual NewDot requests
[BugZero Assignee] I have created a GH issue for creating/updating the regression test once above steps have been agreed upon

@mukhrr

Payment Summary

Contributor: @mukhrr due $250 via NewDot
Contributor+: @parasharrajat due $250 via NewDot

@mukhrr plz complete the BZ checklist and tag me in a post once you have. Thx

@mukhrr

@mukhrr plz complete the BZ checklist and tag me in a post once you have. Thx

@mallenexpensify you mean @parasharrajat ?

BugZero Checklist:

[Contributor] The offending PR and associated issue have been commented on, pointing out the bug it caused and why, so the author and reviewers can learn from the mistake.

Link to the comment on the PR: Couldn't figure out. It might be existed from the initial implementation
Link to the comment on the Issue:
[Contributor] If the regression was CRITICAL (e.g. interrupts a core flow) A discussion in #expensify-open-source has been started about whether any other steps should be taken (e.g. updating the PR review checklist) in order to catch this type of bug sooner.

Link to discussion:
[Contributor] If it was decided to create a regression test for the bug, please propose the regression test steps using the template below to ensure the same bug will not reach production again.
[BugZero Assignee] Create a GH issue for creating/updating the regression test once above steps have been agreed upon.

Link to issue: https://github.com/Expensify/Expensify/issues/674862

Regression Test Proposal

Test:

Create a workspace named "Acme, Inc"
Open that workspace's chat
Press cmd+K or Search icon on top right
Click first option: "Search in [your username]'s expenses"
Verify type:expense workspace:Acme,Inc quoted.
Type something and hit enter
Verify you see results from Acme, Inc. workspace

Do we agree 👍 or 👎

Zapier Logs

Run ID: 00040eee-96f2-a04b-9d66-632f0dd1ad74

@mukhrr

Approved: @mukhrr due $250 via NewDot

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[Due for payment 2026-08-21] [Search] Contextual search sends workspace/room name verbatim as an ID when the name contains a comma #96767

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[Due for payment 2026-08-21] [Search] Contextual search sends workspace/room name verbatim as an ID when the name contains a comma #96767

Description

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Expected vs actual

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Related

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mukhrr commented on Jul 22, 2026

mukhrr commented on Aug 10, 2026

melvin-bot commented on Aug 10, 2026

mukhrr commented on Aug 11, 2026

Julesssss commented on Aug 12, 2026

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melvin-bot commented on Aug 20, 2026

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mallenexpensify commented on Aug 21, 2026

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mukhrr commented on Aug 22, 2026

parasharrajat commented on Aug 22, 2026

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flaviadefaria commented on Sep 2, 2026

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