OFAC FAQ #246 · How to Search OFAC's Sanctions Lists
How does Sanctions List Search work?
OFAC's answer
In addition to returning results that are exact matches (when the match threshold slider bar is set to 100%), [Sanctions List Search](https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/) can also provide a broader set of results using fuzzy logic. This logic uses character and string matching as well as phonetic matching. Only the name field of Sanctions List Search invokes fuzzy logic when the tool is run. The other fields on the tool use character matching logic. For more information on what a true sanctions list match is, see [FAQ 5](https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/5). For more information on the slider bar, see [FAQ 247](https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/247).