Use this article to work out which of the two Document Searches tabs to use when you buy a property document on Landchecker. Title Search starts from a property, Standard Searches start from a document reference number.
This article explains what each tab does, how to order through each one and which tab to pick in common situations. Document Searches is available to Landchecker members who order documents through the platform.
What the Document Searches Page Is
The Document Searches page is where you buy titles, plans, instruments and property certificates on Landchecker. Open it by selecting Document Searches in the navigation bar. The page has two tabs and both end in the same shopping cart and checkout:
Title Search – you identify a property first, then Landchecker shows you every document it can supply for that property.
Standard Searches – you pick a product first, then enter the reference number for the specific document you want.
Neither tab is a cut-down version of the other. They are two entry points to the same ordering process, built for two different starting points. The set of products each tab offers is not identical.
Title Search vs Standard Searches at a Glance
The table below compares the two Document Searches tabs across the things members usually ask about.
| Title Search tab | Standard Searches tab |
What you start with | A property | A document reference number, or a product you know you need |
What you enter | A property identifier: address, volume/folio (the volume and folio numbers on the title), lot/plan (the lot number and the number of the plan it sits in) or title reference. The identifier types offered vary by state | A product from the Products list, then the reference number for that document |
What Landchecker returns | A list of every document available for that property, for you to choose from | The single document matching the reference you entered |
Best for | Ordering a title when you only have the address, or seeing what else is available for a property | Ordering a plan or an instrument whose number you already have from a title |
Products available | The documents Landchecker can supply for the property you searched | A set list of products that varies by state |
Job Reference | Can be added before you add items to the cart | Can be added before you add items to the cart |
When to Use the Title Search Tab
Use the Title Search tab on the Document Searches page when the property is your starting point and you want Landchecker to tell you what is available for it. This is the right tab when:
You have an address, a volume/folio or a lot/plan but no document reference numbers.
You want to see the full set of documents Landchecker can supply for a property before you decide what to buy.
You are ordering the title itself rather than a document referenced on the title.
Because the Title Search tab lists everything available for the property in one view, it also works as a check on coverage. If a document you expected is not listed, Landchecker cannot currently supply that document for that property.
How to Order a Document from the Title Search Tab
To order a document by searching for the property first:
Log in to Landchecker and select Document Searches in the navigation bar.
Select the Title Search tab.
Select the state the property is in, then select Next.
Choose the identifier type you have, for example Address, Lot/Plan or Title Reference, enter it and run the search.
Add a Job Reference if you want this order labelled in the Order Manager, the page in your account that lists your document orders and their statuses, and on your invoice.
Tick the checkbox next to each document you want to buy.
Select Add selected items to shopping cart.
Select the cart icon in the navigation bar, then select Go To Checkout.
Confirm your delivery method and payment method, then select Buy.
Once the order is placed, the documents are delivered by your chosen delivery method and the order appears in the Order Manager with its status. Documents that have to be fulfilled by an issuing authority sit at a status of With Authority until the authority returns them.
When to Use the Standard Searches Tab
Use the Standard Searches tab on the Document Searches page when you already know exactly which document you need and you have its reference number. This is the right tab when:
You have read a title and want to order a document it references, such as an instrument, a dealing or a plan.
Someone has given you a document reference number and you do not need to look up the property at all.
You want a certificate that is ordered by product and state rather than by property identifier.
Ordering a document you already have the number for through Standard Searches saves you buying a title first just to find a reference you already hold.
Reference Numbers You Can Use in Standard Searches
Two document reference types come up most often when members move from a title to Standard Searches:
Instrument or Dealing number – the reference a title gives for a registered interest or transaction on the land, such as a transfer, a mortgage, a caveat or an easement. Instrument is the Victorian term, Dealing is the New South Wales term for the same kind of record.
Plan number – the reference for the survey plan the title is based on, for example a plan of subdivision or a deposited plan.
Both numbers appear on the face of a title, which is why members commonly order a title through the Title Search tab first, read the references off it, then order those documents through Standard Searches.
How to Order a Document from the Standard Searches Tab
To order a document using its reference number:
Log in to Landchecker and select Document Searches in the navigation bar.
Select the Standard Searches tab.
Select the state the document belongs to, then select Next.
Add a Job Reference if you want this order labelled in your Order Manager and on your invoice.
Select the document you need from the Products list.
Enter the reference number for that document, for example the Instrument, Dealing or Plan number.
Select Add to Cart.
Select the cart icon in the navigation bar, then select Go To Checkout.
Confirm your delivery method and payment method, then select Buy.
The order then appears in your Order Manager, the same as an order placed through the Title Search tab. If a reference number is not recognised, check it against the title it came from before ordering again, because a document that cannot be retrieved is returned with a status of Error.
Which Products Are Available in Standard Searches
The Products list in Standard Searches is set by state, so the documents you can order change depending on which state you select in step 3. The examples below show the products offered in Victoria and NSW.
Victoria
Register Search Statement (Copy of Title)
Copy of Plan
Instrument Search
Building Approvals, 51(1) and 51(2)
Section 151 Certificate from Owners Corporation
Flood Level Certificate
Water Information Statement
Section 105 Land Tax Certificate
Designated Bushfire Prone Area and Planning Report
Final Search Statement
Sale History Report
NSW
Land Title Search
Plans
Dealings
Certificate of Title (CT) Inquiry
Sub Folio Inquiry
88B Search (the instrument setting out easements and restrictions created on a deposited plan)
For the current product list in every state Landchecker covers, read Overview of National Title and Property Document Searches on Landchecker.
Limitations to Know Before You Choose a Tab
Both Document Searches tabs have constraints worth knowing before you start:
Standard Searches will not find a document for you. It orders a document against the reference number you supply, so if you do not have that number you need to order the title through the Title Search tab first and read the reference off it.
The Products list in Standard Searches varies by state. A product available in one state may not be offered in another. If you cannot find a product, confirm you have selected the right state in step 3.
Identifier names differ between states. Vic uses volume/folio while NSW uses Title Reference, so the identifier options in the Title Search tab change with the state you select. Select the state first and the Title Search tab will show you the identifier types available for it.
An address is a fallback, not always an exact match. Where a search accepts an address instead of a title identifier, include the suburb and postcode so the property can be matched. If you have the volume/folio, lot/plan or title reference, use that instead.
How the Document Searches Tabs Support Your Work
Which of the two Document Searches tabs you reach for tends to depend on what your work starts from. Here is how members in different roles use the two tabs.
Legal Professionals and Conveyancers
Order the title for a matter through the Title Search tab using the address, then work down the title and order each referenced instrument or dealing through Standard Searches. Add the matter number as the Job Reference on both orders so every document for the file is grouped in your Order Manager and on your invoice.
Real Estate Agents
Use the Title Search tab when you only have the listing address, since it shows the title and the certificates available for that property in one view, which is the fastest way to assemble what a vendor statement needs.
Property Developers
When you are working across several lots in one plan of subdivision, order the plan once through Standard Searches using its plan number instead of running a separate property search for every lot.
Valuers
Use the Title Search tab to confirm ownership and registered interests from the address, then order supporting plans through Standard Searches using the plan reference on the title, so you are not paying for a second property search.
Architects and Town Planners
Order a copy of plan through Standard Searches when a surveyor or client has given you the plan number, and use the Title Search tab when you have only the site address and need to see what is available for the site.
Common Questions
What is the difference between the Title Search and Standard Searches tabs?
Title Search starts from a property. You enter a property identifier such as an address, volume/folio or lot/plan, and Landchecker shows you every document available for that property. Standard Searches starts from a document. You pick a product from a state-specific list and enter that document's reference number, without searching for the property at all.
Which tab should I use if I only have the property address?
Use the Title Search tab. It is the only tab that takes a property identifier and returns the documents available for that property.
Which tab should I use if I have an Instrument, Dealing or Plan number?
Use Standard Searches. Select the state, select the matching product, enter the reference number and add it to your cart.
Can I order the same document through either tab?
In many cases yes, but the two tabs are not identical. The Title Search tab offers what Landchecker can supply for the property you searched, while Standard Searches offers a set list of products for the state you selected.
Where do I find the Instrument, Dealing or Plan number to enter in Standard Searches?
On the title. Order the title first through the Title Search tab, then read the referenced instrument, dealing and plan numbers off it and order those documents through Standard Searches.
Do both tabs use the same cart and checkout?
Yes. Documents added from either tab go into the same shopping cart, and you confirm your delivery method and payment method once at checkout.
Where do I track an order placed from either tab?
In the Order Manager. Both tabs feed the same order list, with the status, the date ordered and the invoice for each order. For the detail, read How to track the status of document purchases in Landchecker.
Can I add a Job Reference in both tabs?
Yes. Both tabs let you add a Job Reference before you add items to the cart, and it appears against the order in your Order Manager and on your invoice.
If you have questions or need help, use the live chat in the platform and our team will be happy to assist.