--- title: Global search finds records from multiple tables description: Search multiple record types from a single search field. locale: en-US canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c\_GlobalTextSearch.html release: australia product: Search Administration classification: search-administration topic_type: concept last_updated: "2026-03-12" reading_time_minutes: 4 breadcrumb: [Zing text indexing and search engine, Search administration, Configure core features, Administer the ServiceNow AI Platform] --- # Global search finds records from multiple tables Search multiple record types from a single search field. To perform a global search, perform one of the following actions based on your UI version. |UI version|Action| |----------|------| |Next Experience UI|Enter your search terms in the Unified Navigation search field, then select **View results** or press Enter.| |Core UI|Select the search icon in the banner on the upper right of the [System settings for the user interface \(UI\)](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-user-interface/r_UI16BannerFrame.md) , then enter your search terms and press Enter.| All UI versions also have a global search keyboard shortcut. The `ui_global_text_search` UI Macro provides the global search field. For a list of search source tables that the system searches by default, along with steps for adding new search source tables, see [Default global search sources for Next Experience UI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/search-settings-filter-group-table.md) and [Default global text search groups for Core UI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/search-settings-filter-group-table.md). Global search supports Boolean operators, quoted phrases, and wildcard characters. For details on these search features, see [Boolean operators allow conditional search results](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c_BooleanOperators.md), [Quotation marks allow exact phrase searches](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c_PhraseSearches.md), and [Wildcard characters allow searching for patterns and variations](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c_Wildcards.md). - **[Global search displays a page of matching results](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/global-search-polaris-ui.md)** Global search displays a page of results that match your search, grouped by table. - **[Text search views control format of global search results for tables](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/text-search-view-formats-results.md)** The text\_search view for a table determines how global search displays results from that table. - **[Search settings filter and group global search results by table](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/search-settings-filter-group-table.md)** Global search filters and groups matching results by table. You can configure search sources \(in Next Experience UI\) or search groups to define tables and groups for global search. - **[Global search displays exact matching records](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/exact-matches-global-search.md)** When your search exactly matches the **Number** field value for a record, global search takes you directly to that record, bypassing the search results page. - **[Global search displays your most recent search queries and results in Next Experience UI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/global-search-recent-queries-results.md)** When you select the empty Unified Navigation search field, the system displays lists showing your most recent search queries and your most recently viewed search results. Select a **Recently Searched** query to repeat it, or select a **Recently Viewed** search result record to navigate to it. - **[Set global text search properties](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/set-global-text-search-properties.md)** Administrators can control how global text search behaves with system properties. - **[Set the preview limit for global or workspace search in Next Experience UI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/set-app-preview-limit-polaris-ui.md)** Override the default limit of 5 preview results per search source on the Next Experience UI search results page for global or workspace search. - **[Hide per-table search result counts in Next Experience UI](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/hide-result-counts-polaris-ui.md)** Suppress display of per-table search result counts in the Next Experience UI search results page. - **[Add a workspace application to the Unified Navigation search context menu](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/add-app-search-context-polaris-ui.md)** Enable users to view results for their Unified Navigation searches in workspace applications as well as in global search. - **[Global text search suggestions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/r_GlobalTextSearchSuggestions.md)** Global text search offers two types of search suggestions. **Parent Topic:**[Zing text indexing and search engine](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/c_ZingTextSearch.md) **Related topics** [Features of Zing text indexing and search engine]() [Available search options]() [Zing generates search results in four phases]() [Zing filters search results with access controls]() [Zing computes document scores using three components]() [Zing indexes words]() [Zing can include attachments in search results]() [Zing removes stop words from queries]() [Zing matches derived words with stemming]() [Zing can expand search results with synonyms]() [Zing displays search suggestions as users enter search terms]() [Installed with Zing]() [Keyboard shortcuts](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-user-interface/r_KeyboardShortcuts.md)