---
type: "codesystem"
title: "Search Param Type"
codesystem: "search-param-type"
---
# Search Param Type

- **Official URL**: http://hl7.org/fhir/search-param-type
- **Version**: 6.0.0
- **Status**: active
- **Name**: SearchParamType
- **Title**: Search Param Type
- **Description**: Data types allowed to be used for search parameters.
- **Case Sensitive**: true
- **Content**: complete

## Concepts

| Code | Display | Definition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| number | Number | Search parameter SHALL be a number (a whole number, or a decimal). |
| date | Date/DateTime | Search parameter is on a date/time. The date format is the standard XML format, though other formats may be supported. |
| string | String | Search parameter is a simple string, like a name part. Search is case-insensitive and accent-insensitive. May match just the start of a string. String parameters may contain spaces. |
| token | Token | Search parameter on a coded element or identifier. May be used to search through the text, display, code and code/codesystem (for codes) and label, system and key (for identifier). Its value is either a string or a pair of namespace and value, separated by a "|", depending on the modifier used. |
| reference | Reference | A reference to another resource (Reference or canonical). |
| composite | Composite | A composite search parameter that combines a search on two values together. |
| quantity | Quantity | A search parameter that searches on a quantity. |
| uri | URI | A search parameter that searches on a URI (RFC 3986). |
| special | Special | Special logic applies to this parameter per the description of the search parameter. A SearchParameter SHOULD be marked as special if no other type applies. |
| resource | Resource | A search parameter defined to chain through into embedded resources. |

## CodeSystem XML



```xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<CodeSystem xmlns="http://hl7.org/fhir">
  <id value="search-param-type"/>
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-wg">
    <valueCode value="fhir"/>
  </extension>
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-standards-status">
    <valueCode value="normative"/>
  </extension>
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-normative-version">
    <valueCode value="4.0.0"/>
  </extension>
  <extension url="http://hl7.org/fhir/StructureDefinition/structuredefinition-fmm">
    <valueInteger value="5"/>
  </extension>
  <url value="http://hl7.org/fhir/search-param-type"/>
  <identifier>
    <system value="urn:ietf:rfc:3986"/>
    <value value="urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.4.12"/>
  </identifier>
  <identifier>
    <use value="old"/>
    <system value="urn:ietf:rfc:3986"/>
    <value value="urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.1.12"/>
  </identifier>
  <identifier>
    <use value="old"/>
    <system value="urn:ietf:rfc:3986"/>
    <value value="urn:oid:2.16.840.1.113883.4.642.2.6"/>
  </identifier>
  <version value="6.0.0"/>
  <name value="SearchParamType"/>
  <title value="Search Param Type"/>
  <status value="active"/>
  <experimental value="false"/>
  <date value="2021-01-05T10:01:24+11:00"/>
  <description value="Data types allowed to be used for search parameters."/>
  <caseSensitive value="true"/>
  <valueSet value="http://hl7.org/fhir/ValueSet/search-param-type"/>
  <content value="complete"/>
  <concept>
    <code value="number"/>
    <display value="Number"/>
    <definition value="Search parameter SHALL be a number (a whole number, or a decimal)."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="date"/>
    <display value="Date/DateTime"/>
    <definition value="Search parameter is on a date/time. The date format is the standard XML format, though other formats may be supported."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="string"/>
    <display value="String"/>
    <definition value="Search parameter is a simple string, like a name part. Search is case-insensitive and accent-insensitive. May match just the start of a string. String parameters may contain spaces."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="token"/>
    <display value="Token"/>
    <definition value="Search parameter on a coded element or identifier. May be used to search through the text, display, code and code/codesystem (for codes) and label, system and key (for identifier). Its value is either a string or a pair of namespace and value, separated by a &quot;|&quot;, depending on the modifier used."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="reference"/>
    <display value="Reference"/>
    <definition value="A reference to another resource (Reference or canonical)."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="composite"/>
    <display value="Composite"/>
    <definition value="A composite search parameter that combines a search on two values together."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="quantity"/>
    <display value="Quantity"/>
    <definition value="A search parameter that searches on a quantity."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="uri"/>
    <display value="URI"/>
    <definition value="A search parameter that searches on a URI (RFC 3986)."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="special"/>
    <display value="Special"/>
    <definition value="Special logic applies to this parameter per the description of the search parameter. A SearchParameter SHOULD be marked as special if no other type applies."/>
  </concept>
  <concept>
    <code value="resource"/>
    <display value="Resource"/>
    <definition value="A search parameter defined to chain through into embedded resources."/>
  </concept>
</CodeSystem>
```