Pick the fields that should appear as columns in search results and lookup dialogs for a specific object, then save and verify end users see the new column set.
- Open Object Manager
Setup, Object Manager. Pick the target object (Account, Opportunity, custom object). The object detail screen lists every configuration area including Search Layouts.
- Open Search Layouts
Click Search Layouts in the left nav. The page lists the four contexts (Search Results, Lookup Dialogs, Lookup Phone Dialogs, Tab) with current field sets.
- Edit the target context
Click Edit next to the context you want to update. The two-panel picker appears with available fields on the left.
- Select and order fields
Move the discriminator fields to the right panel. Use the Up and Down buttons to set column order. Aim for 4 to 8 fields; more is rarely useful.
- Save and verify
Save. Run a search or open a lookup dialog as a test user. Confirm the new columns appear in the expected order.
- Audit permissions
For each field added, confirm the right profiles can read it. A field included in the search layout but invisible to some users will show as blank for them.
Columns shown in the global search results tab for this object.
Columns shown in the picker that opens from a relationship field.
Columns shown in the default list view on the object's standard tab.
Actions surfaced above the search results table; configurable per layout.
- Field-level security overrides the search layout. A field in the layout that the user cannot read renders as blank, which surprises users who expected the column to be populated.
- Lightning Experience also uses Compact Layouts for record highlights. Updating one does not update the other; both need attention when a key field changes.
- Search Layout changes do not appear in saved list views. Existing list views keep their original columns; new list views inherit the updated search layout defaults.
- Object visibility in Global Search Results is controlled separately in Search Settings. If an object is missing from global search entirely, check that screen first.