Text search views control format of global search results for tables

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Text search views control format of global search results for tables

    Text search views in ServiceNow determine how global search results are formatted and displayed for records from specific tables. Each table'stextsearchlist view defines which fields populate the elements of the search results shown to users. This configuration enables a consistent and meaningful presentation of search results tailored to each table's data.

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    Key Features

    • Title: The first line in each search result block is the title. It links to the matching record and is sourced from the first string field in the table's textsearch list view excluding the number field. If none exists, "No title" is displayed.
    • Field list: The second line displays up to 10 field name-value pairs separated by pipes. These fields come from the first 10 fields in the textsearch list view that are not used for the title or description.
    • Description: An optional third line shows a descriptive string field from the textsearch view that is over 100 characters and distinct from the title. If no such field exists, this line is omitted.
    • Default behavior: By default, global search uses the table’s textsearch list view to format results. If no textsearch view exists, the table’s default form view is used.
    • Customization: Administrators can specify a different view for formatting search results by setting the glide.ui.textsearch.view system property.
    • Preconfigured tables: Many tables enabled for global search come with default textsearch list views that define which fields appear in search results.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    Understanding and customizing textsearch views allows you to control how global search results appear, making it easier for users to find relevant records quickly. By tailoring the title, field list, and description, you can enhance search usability and surface the most important information at a glance.

    Adjusting the glide.ui.textsearch.view property or modifying the textsearch list view for a table provides flexibility in optimizing search result formatting according to your organization's needs.

    Related Considerations

    • Global search results can be filtered and grouped by table using search settings.
    • Next Experience UI supports additional features like recent search queries and previews.
    • Other related configurations include setting preview limits and hiding per-table search counts.

    The text_search view for a table determines how global search displays results from that table.

    Results displayed by global search include multiple elements. For each search result, the system populates these elements with values of fields included in the table's text_search list view.

    Figure 1. Sample search result listing in Next Experience UI
    Sample search result listing in Next Experience UI showing title, field list, and description.
    Figure 2. Sample search result listing in Core UI
    Sample search result listing in Core UI showing title, field list, and description.
    Table 1. Search result elements
    Element Description Matching criteria
    1. Title The title is the first line of the search result block. It links to the matching record of the search result. Global search uses the first string field in the table's text_search list view that is not the number field. If there is no matching string field or the contents of the field is empty, the system displays the text "No title" in the session language.

    For example, in the default text_search view for the Incident table, the short description field satisfies the title criteria. Global search uses this field as the search result title.
    2. Field list The field list is the second line of the search results. It displays field name-value pairs, separated by the pipe character, for up to 10 fields. Global search uses the first 10 fields in the table's text_search list view that don't match the title or description criteria.

    For example, in the default text_search view for the Incident table, the number, opened, caller, priority, state, category, and assignment group fields satisfy the field list criteria. Global search displays the names and values for these fields in the search result field list.
    3. Description The description is the third line of the search results. This line is optional and may not appear for all search results. Global search uses the first string field in the table's text_search list view that is not the title and is over 100 characters in length. If no field matches these criteria, the search results omit this line.

    For example, in the default text_search view for the Incident table, the description field satisfies the description criteria. Global search uses this field as the search result description.

    By default, the system uses the text_search list view for a table to format global text search results for that table. If a text_search view doesn't exist for the table, the system instead formats search results using the table's default form view. Implementers can specify which view the system uses to format search results by modifying the value of the glide.ui.text_search.view system property.