Lost and Found Search Best Practices #
Lost and found searches serve a different audience than adoption pages – visitors are anxious and need to find information fast. Optimizing these pages for speed and clarity can reunite more animals with their families.
Separate Pages vs Combination #
Separate pages (recommended for most shelters):
[pmp-search type="lost"] <!-- On your "Lost Animals" page -->
[pmp-search type="found"] <!-- On your "Found Animals" page -->Combination page (PetPoint and AnimalsFirst, Preferred tier):
[pmp-search type="lost_found_combination"]Separate pages are clearer for visitors. Use combination only if your volume is low enough that splitting would leave pages feeling empty.
Field Selection #
Lost/found visitors are scanning for a specific animal. Prioritize identification fields:
- Must show: Photo, Species, Breed, Color, Sex, Date (lost/found date)
- Helpful: Location/area, Distinguishing marks, Size
- Skip: Adoption fee, Vaccination status, Spay/neuter – irrelevant for lost/found
[pmp-search type="lost" details="Photo,Name,Species,Breed,Color,Sex,DateLost,Location"]Banner Messaging #
Use banners to set expectations and provide guidance:
[pmp-search type="lost" banner="If you recognize any of these animals, please contact us immediately"]
[pmp-search type="found" banner="Stray animals are held for 5 business days before becoming available for adoption"]Detail Page Buttons #
Lost/found detail pages should emphasize contact over adoption actions. Only three buttons are valid for lost/found:
- Email – Primary contact method
- Call – For urgent sightings
- Return to Search – Navigate back
Adoption-specific buttons (Meet & Greet, Adoption App, Foster App, Donate) are automatically excluded for lost/found method types.
Custom Hover Text #
Personalize button tooltips for the lost/found context. Field tokens are partner-specific – PetPoint uses {AnimalName} while AnimalsFirst uses {Name}. PetPoint example:
[pmp-details hover_text_email="Report a sighting of {AnimalName}" hover_text_call="Call about {AnimalName}"]AnimalsFirst example:
[pmp-details hover_text_email="Report a sighting of {Name}" hover_text_call="Call about {Name}"]Tips #
- Enable filters so visitors can narrow by species, date range, or area
- Keep the default sort by date (most recent first) – visitors check for newly reported animals
- Update your lost/found instructions with clear steps for claiming an animal
- Lost/found requires Junior license or higher (PetPoint and AnimalsFirst only)
Next Steps #
- Button Configuration — Optimize buttons per method type
- Using Banners Effectively — Banner messaging best practices
- Writing Effective Instructions — Guide lost/found visitors
