Text search views control format of global search results for tables

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 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 define how global search results are formatted and displayed for records from specific tables in ServiceNow. Thetextsearchview for a table determines which fields are shown and how they appear within each search result. If a table lacks a textsearch view, the system defaults to using the table's standard form view to format results. Administrators can control the view used by setting theglide.ui.textsearch.viewsystem property.

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    Key Features

    • Title: The first line in each search result, linking to the record. It uses the first string field in the textsearch list view that is not the record number. If none exists or is empty, "No title" is displayed.
    • Field List: The second line displays up to 10 field name-value pairs (excluding the title and description fields) separated by pipes. For example, fields like number, opened date, caller, priority, and assignment group often appear here.
    • Description: An optional third line showing the first string field over 100 characters (excluding the title field) from the textsearch list view. If no field meets this criterion, the description line is omitted.
    • Default Fields: Each table enabled for global search has a default textsearch list view that specifies which fields appear in search results.

    Practical Use for ServiceNow Customers

    By understanding and configuring textsearch views, ServiceNow customers can tailor global search results to highlight the most relevant and meaningful information for their users. This customization improves search usability by making results more informative and easier to scan. Adjusting the textsearch list view fields or the system property allows administrators to optimize search result presentation according to business needs.

    Additionally, related settings and tasks enable fine-tuning of search behavior, such as filtering results by table, setting preview limits, or controlling search suggestions, helping organizations deliver a more efficient and user-friendly global search experience.

    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.