diff --git a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/AbstractDAO.java b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/AbstractDAO.java
index 762b0c6..b22fb61 100644
--- a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/AbstractDAO.java
+++ b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/AbstractDAO.java
@@ -248,6 +248,13 @@ public abstract class AbstractDAO<E extends Identifiable> implements DAO<E> {
     @Getter(lazy=true) private final SearchViewContext searchViewContext = new SearchViewContext(getEntityClass());
     @Getter(lazy=true) private final SqlViewField[] searchFields = getSearchViewContext().getSearchFields();
 
+    public SqlViewField findSearchField(Class type, String name) {
+        for (SqlViewField f : getSearchFields()) {
+            if (f.getType().equals(type) && f.getProperty().equals(name)) return f;
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     // default search view is the table itself. subclasses can override this and provide custom views
     @Getter(lazy=true) private final String searchView = initSearchView();
     private String initSearchView() {
diff --git a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/SearchResults.java b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/SearchResults.java
index ce1117b..21d62cb 100644
--- a/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/SearchResults.java
+++ b/wizard-server/src/main/java/org/cobbzilla/wizard/dao/SearchResults.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ public class SearchResults<E> implements Scrubbable {
     @Getter @Setter private List<E> results = new ArrayList<>();
     @Getter @Setter private Integer totalCount;
     @Getter @Setter private String nextPage;
+    @Getter @Setter private String error;
 
     public String getResultType() { return empty(results) ? null : results.get(0).getClass().getName(); }
     public void setResultType (String val) {} // noop