What’s Next for Query: Upcoming Features and Transition to Unified View

Kathryn Hall · May 21

Discover what’s coming next for Query in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT® and how to prepare for its transition to web view.

Query is one of the most powerful and widely utilized tools in Raiser’s Edge NXT, enabling you to unlock insights, segment your data, and make informed decisions that fuel your mission. Whether you are identifying key donor groups, preparing for an upcoming campaign, or analyzing engagement trends, Query helps you get the right information quickly. We know how integral it is to your workflow, and we also know that our community has a deep appreciation for its flexibility and precision. That is why we are approaching the upcoming changes thoughtfully, giving you plenty of time to explore and get comfortable using Query before fully transitioning it to the unified view.

What’s the Unified View?

You may have heard us talk recently about the “total web solution” or “unified view.” Moving forward, we’ll primarily use “unified view” describing our vision for creating one seamless, user-friendly workspace where all your tools and data come together in one place.

Why It’s Time to Start Planning

During our recent Raiser’s Edge NXT Product Update Briefings, we emphasized the importance of beginning your transition to web view features now. Early preparation will support a smoother experience for your team and reduce disruptions as tools like Query move exclusively to web view.

We plan to transition the Query homepage to web view only by February 2026. While core functions in database view, like global changes, imports, and exports, will remain unchanged for now, you will no longer be able to create, edit, or run queries from database view or access the main Query page from the left-hand menu. To ensure that you are ready for this change, we encourage you to start exploring and running queries in web view now so your team is fully comfortable before the transition.

What Functionality Is Available in Web View Query?

Since December 2024, all Raiser’s Edge NXT customers have access to web view Query, which includes core functionality with several enhancements:

Background processing so you can keep working while queries run
Enhanced filtering and criteria options
Shareable links for better collaboration
A more intuitive export experience
Support for address processing fields
Filtering by inactive campaigns, funds, and appeals
The ability to run queries directly from your Home page

Stay current on the latest unified view enhancements, including important updates to Query, by visiting the What’s Recent resource.

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What’s Coming Next?

We’re continually enhancing Query with new capabilities, including:

Address Processing fields
Consecutive years giving summary field
Query control report

Check out the What’s Next resource for updates on Query and other development in the unified view.

What About Export?

We know Export is essential to your day-to-day work. That’s why we’ve started building a new Export experience directly in web view. Unlike the current separate module in database view, Export will become a flexible feature built into Query that will help eliminate redundancy while maintaining the functionality you currently rely on. You’ll have the choice to export just as you do today, with added enhancements that reflect your feedback.

Resources to Support Your Query Transition

Explore these resources to help you and your team members navigate, learn, and make the most of Query in web view:

Raiser’s Edge NXT Community: The Power of Query in Web View (Global)
Blackbaud University Microlearnings about Query
On Demand Town Hall: The Power of Query in Web View
On Demand Webinar: The Power of Query in Web View

We’re excited about the future of Query in web view and truly appreciate your continued feedback. The recent Query town halls were invaluable in helping us better understand your needs and perspectives, allowing us to shape enhancements together and deliver an experience that works for you. As we continue evolving Raiser’s Edge NXT, we’ll keep you informed at every step. Be sure to regularly check the Future of Raiser’s Edge NXT page to stay up-to-date with the newest features, important news, and exciting enhancements as we work together to build the next chapter of Raiser’s Edge NXT.

Karen Diener · May 22

I hope you give serious consideration to the idea bank suggestions that are related to using queries in webview. Blackbaud continually asks for feedback about why adoption is low for some features, and since quite a few suggestions contain specific use cases that are genuine roadblocks and not merely “because I won't change my processes” reasons, I hope we can count on you to listen.

Sunshine Reinken Watson · May 23

It is very important that users start using web view query as much as possible to identify any issues before the sunset date. Here are some (not all) of the key ideas that need attention before query is sunset:

Tatyana Leifman · May 23

I cannot use many of my clean up queries while some crucial fields are unavailable in WV--either completely invisible on the record (though thankfully searchable via query) or visible but not editable. And when some functionalities, like completely deleting a solicitor, are not available in WV.

Maya Rosman · May 23

I have to echo Tatyana here. You mention the reporting use cases for query, but it is also a powerful (and sometimes the ONLY) tool for data cleaning and monitoring. There isn't a way to quickly group records with issues and navigate directly to them to fix those issues other than query and until we can edit all of the fields in webview (including managing processes like adjusting gifts and complete manual recurring gift management tasks like skip, hold, and terminate) that we depend on and that we need to manage, many of cannot fully adopt webview query. This is the critical difference between a tool “working” as in it can run and produce reliable results vs it allowing us to do our work with that tool. The former is true of webview query, but the latter is not because the rest of webview isn't fully realized. We simply want to be able to continue to do our jobs in an efficient manner and decoupling query from this core database management function will make this nearly impossible for many of us.

Carrie Sorensen · May 23

When merging queries, please add the ability to find a query based on date created. It's often the fastest way to find a query that was just created but has a similar name.

Jolynn Palmbach · July 1

Could not agree more!

Jolynn Palmbach · July 1

Thank you, I agree that these are key.

Suzie Capps · July 2

I want to echo everything said below. The primary use for query for any back-office staff is data cleaning. The steps of grouping records with potential errors and then being able to go straight into that record to update it is imperative. Evidently, that means the fields you want to change must be editable.

To be functional, all fields that can be queried upon must be editable in web view, including those from various modules such as the Volunteer module (at the moment none of this is editable in webview). Expecting us to run a query in webview and then having to open database view and search for and open each constituent record separately and open the volunteer tab and make the changes there is not viable.

The same goes for something like gifts where in database gift query you can quickly scroll through those gifts and make any amends, but in webview you can't make the changes you need.

This sort of limited thinking is going to mean that those who are most involved in the selection of a CRM (back-office / data staff) will be advocating for anything other than Blackbaud!

Elizabeth Johnson · July 2

I'm curious what this sunsetting will mean for those of us that have dashboards that are build on solicitor queries. Will those still work - that is where I do the bulk of my data clean-up work.

@Sunshine Reinken Watson I only had to vote on one new idea in your list! I had all the others already.

Echoing others - please give us the ability to edit all the fields in web view first before taking this key feature away.

Also curious what it would hurt if everything was queriable in web view why sunset the database view to at least access the queries in the database view.

Elizabeth Johnson · July 2

Also would be helpful when Customer Success is offering sessions each month to know when new content has been adding - right now it is hard to tell - especially for those that are busy and don't have time to try to digest all this newness. . . Even though we might really want to.

Kristin Emmett · July 24

Nooooo!! Please do not sunset Query until the very last moment that database view is available. Webview Query continues to have limited functionality, and just as critical, it is orders of magnitude slower due to internet window loading times and constituent record page layout. When doing administrative backend maintenance of the database, I will often review hundreds and hundreds of records a day, so adding 5-10 seconds of load time on each window load, in addition the amount of time it takes me to scroll through the long webview constituent record pages adds hours of work time to my job role. It may seem insignificant to front line fundraisers, but the way that constituent records appear when you are the admin is not at all conducive to database cleanup.

What’s Next for Query: Upcoming Features and Transition to Unified View

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