Global Search
Global Search is the Salesforce search bar at the top of every Lightning Experience page that queries across multiple objects and surfaces matching records, files, and Knowledge articles in one ranked result list.
Definition
Global Search is the Salesforce search bar at the top of every Lightning Experience page that queries across multiple objects and surfaces matching records, files, and Knowledge articles in one ranked result list. The search uses the same Apache Lucene-based engine that powers Knowledge search and the App Launcher search. Typing a query like "Acme" returns Accounts named Acme, Contacts at Acme, Cases referencing Acme, and any other indexed object that matches. The results respect sharing: users only see records they have permission to view.
Global Search is the primary navigation pattern for users who know what they want but not where it lives. The search index covers all standard objects, custom objects with searchable fields, Files (Content Documents), and Knowledge Articles by default. Search behavior is governed by Search Layouts (which fields appear in the result snippet), Synonym Groups (admin-defined word equivalents), and Promoted Search Terms (admin-pinned results for specific queries). Together these tools shape how the search behaves for end users, with the index refreshed in near-real-time as records change.
How Global Search finds records across the Salesforce platform
What Global Search indexes
The search engine indexes all standard sObjects (Account, Contact, Lead, Case, Opportunity, Task, Event, User) by default. Custom objects with at least one searchable field become searchable as soon as they have data. Searchable fields include Text, Long Text Area, Rich Text Area, Email, Phone, and URL fields. Fields like Number, Date, Picklist, Boolean are NOT indexed for full-text search but can be used as filters. Knowledge Articles, Files (Content Documents), and Chatter posts are also indexed. The index is updated within seconds of a record change in most cases, though high-volume creates can lag by a minute or two.
Search Layouts and result display
Each searchable object has a Search Layout that controls which fields appear in the search result list. The layout is configured in Setup, Object Manager, the object, Search Layouts. Different layout types control different surfaces: Default Layout drives the Global Search results, Lookup Dialogs drive related-record pickers, Tab Search Results drive object-specific search pages. Configuring a meaningful Search Layout transforms search results from "Account: Acme" into "Account: Acme | Industry: Manufacturing | Owner: Jane Smith", which dramatically improves usability.
Synonyms: making search forgiving
Salesforce supports Synonym Groups, admin-defined sets of words treated as equivalent. A group might be (laptop, notebook, computer): searching for any one returns results for all three. Synonyms cover misspellings, regional variations, internal terminology. Default synonyms ship from Salesforce for common business terms; admins add custom ones for org-specific vocabulary. The Synonym Group setup lives in Setup, Search, Synonym Groups. Most orgs underuse this feature; building 20 well-chosen synonym groups visibly improves search accuracy.
Promoted Search Terms
For Knowledge Articles, Promoted Search Terms let admins pin specific articles to the top of results when a customer searches for matching terms. Searching for "return policy" can be configured to pin the official Returns FAQ article regardless of where it would rank organically. The mechanism is rare but valuable for steering customers to the right content when the natural ranking is misleading. Setup, Search, Promoted Search Terms is where the configuration lives.
Search dialog and the Top Results pattern
When the user types in the Global Search bar, an auto-complete dialog appears with Top Results: a small list of likely matches grouped by object type. The user can click directly into a result without pressing Enter. The dialog is fast (250 ms response time is the target) and respects access: items the user cannot see do not appear. The Top Results dialog is the most common Global Search consumption path. Pressing Enter goes to the full Search Results page, which shows all matches grouped by object type with pagination.
Filters and search scope
The Search Results page lets users narrow by object (just Accounts, just Cases), by owner (My Records vs All), by recency, by custom filters defined per object. Search scope filters compose with the original query, narrowing the result set without re-running the search. Common patterns: "Find all open Cases assigned to my queue containing the word refund", "Find all Accounts in California with the word Tech in the name". The filter UI is on the left side of the Search Results page.
Boolean operators and phrase search
Global Search supports limited Boolean syntax. Quoted phrases match exact strings: "refund policy" matches that exact phrase, not the words separately. The AND, OR, and AND NOT operators (all caps) combine terms: "Acme AND Manufacturing", "Acme OR ACME", "Acme AND NOT Closed". Wildcards (*) match prefixes: "Acm*" matches Acme, Acmera, Acmed. The operators are case-sensitive (must be uppercase). Many users do not know about Boolean syntax and end up with too-broad or too-narrow results; teaching the syntax to power users pays off quickly.
Tuning Global Search for better user results
Global Search works out of the box. Admin work is about tuning Search Layouts, building Synonym Groups, and configuring Promoted Search Terms for Knowledge. The ROI on tuning is high; most orgs ship with defaults that leave search noticeably weaker than it could be.
- Customize Search Layouts on key objects
Setup, Object Manager, Account (or other), Search Layouts, Search Results. Edit the Default Layout to include Industry, Type, BillingState, Owner alongside the Name. Repeat for Contact, Case, Opportunity, and frequently searched custom objects.
- Build Synonym Groups
Setup, Search, Synonym Groups, New. For each internal vocabulary term, add the standard term plus its variants (laptop, notebook, computer). For common misspellings, add the correct spelling plus the typo (separately, separately). Aim for 20 well-chosen groups before adding marginal ones.
- Configure Promoted Search Terms for Knowledge
Setup, Search, Promoted Search Terms, New. Pin high-traffic FAQs (return policy, password reset, business hours) to specific search queries. This applies to Knowledge search in Experience Cloud and in the Console.
- Audit Search Indexing on custom objects
Setup, Object Manager, custom object, Fields. Confirm Text and Long Text Area fields are marked searchable. Without searchable fields, the object does not appear in Global Search results.
- Train users on Boolean and phrase syntax
A short Knowledge Article or training session covering "use AND OR NOT operators", "quote phrases for exact match", "use * for prefix matching" lifts everyone's search effectiveness immediately.
- Monitor Search Term History
Setup, Reports, Salesforce Knowledge Search Term History (or via SOQL on KnowledgeSearchEvents). Review monthly to find what users search for and fail to find. The data drives new Synonym Groups and content gaps.
Per-object configuration of which fields appear in search results. Multiple layout types per object (Default, Lookup Dialog, Tab Search Results).
Admin-defined set of equivalent words treated identically by the search engine.
Admin-pinned association of a search query with a specific Knowledge Article, overriding natural ranking.
Field type that contributes to full-text search index. Text, Long Text, Rich Text, Email, Phone, URL are searchable; Number, Date, Picklist, Boolean are not.
AND, OR, AND NOT (uppercase) plus quoted phrases and wildcards (*). Extend search precision for power users.
- Search Layouts default to showing only the Name field in results. Most orgs benefit from adding 2 to 4 more fields. The default is the most common single tuning miss.
- Custom objects without a searchable field do not appear in Global Search. New custom objects need at least one Text or Long Text field marked searchable.
- The search index updates in near-real-time, but high-volume creates can lag by a minute or two. Newly created records may not appear in search results immediately.
- Boolean operators are case-sensitive. Lowercase and, or, not are treated as search terms, not operators. Train users on uppercase syntax.
- Synonym Groups apply globally to the org. A synonym that helps the support team may confuse the sales team if the terms mean different things in their context. Build synonyms carefully.
Trust & references
Straight from the source - Salesforce's reference material on Global Search.
- Global Search OverviewSalesforce Help
- Customize Search ResultsSalesforce Help
- Synonym GroupsSalesforce Help
About the Author
Dipojjal Chakrabarti is a B2C Solution Architect with 29 Salesforce certifications and over 13 years in the Salesforce ecosystem. He runs salesforcedictionary.com to help admins, developers, architects, and cert/interview candidates sharpen their fundamentals. More about Dipojjal.
Test your knowledge
Q1. What is Global Search?
Q2. Does Global Search respect permissions?
Q3. What enhances Global Search with AI?
Discussion
Loading discussion…