// solutions / Universal Search

Universal Search

Type what you are looking for. Typos, word order, and mid-word fragments do not matter. Universal Search finds the record and opens it, from one search box.

// see it in action

See Universal Search in action

Universal Search results for the query con, with per-table filter chips and grouped results
One search finds it: type con and chips above the list show live match counts per table.
Universal Search results for the fragment query maro orp matching Omaroon Corporation
Typing maro orp still finds Omaroon Corporation: mid-word fragments across words match, in any order.
Universal Search Setup card in Business Central
Universal Search Setup: activate the free license and turn on indexing.
Search Index Configuration list showing indexed tables and fields
Index Configuration: choose which tables and fields are searchable, and how they rank.
Universal Search license activation wizard, consent step
Activation is opt-in: the wizard shows exactly what's sent before you agree.
// features

What it does

01

One search box, every table

Configure any table and field as searchable, customers, items, vendors, contacts, and anything else your business tracks. Search all of it from one box.

02

Forgiving by design

Word order, spacing, typos, and mid-word fragments all still find the record. "tani" finds Itani. "maro orp" finds Omaroon Corporation.

03

Sounds-like matching

Phonetic matching finds names that sound alike but are spelled differently. Carl and Karl match each other.

04

Table filter chips with live counts

Search once, then narrow to one table with a click. Each chip shows how many matches are waiting in that table.

05

Ranking you can tune

Set a weight from 1 to 10 per field, so identifiers like No. and Name outrank long descriptive text in the result list.

06

Respects your permissions

Every result is filtered through the searching user's own table read permissions. Universal Search never surfaces a record a user could not otherwise open.

07

Free, with a background indexer

A background job queue keeps the index current as records change, with an immediate Process Now option when you do not want to wait.

// faq

Frequently asked questions

What is Universal Search for Business Central?

A free Google-style search box for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central. Type what you are looking for - typos, word order, and mid-word fragments do not matter - and it finds the record across your configured tables and opens it.

Is Universal Search really free?

Yes. Universal Search is free on Microsoft AppSource.

Which tables does it search?

It searches across the Business Central tables enabled in its configuration. The configuration guide at /solutions/universal-search/configuration walks through choosing tables and fields.

How do I install it?

Install it from Microsoft AppSource into your Business Central environment. The step-by-step guide is at /solutions/universal-search/installation.

Can developers extend it?

Yes. Developer integration points are documented at /solutions/universal-search/developer-hooks.

// wiki

Documentation

// next step

Questions about Universal Search for your environment?