Configure the index

Choose what to index

Choose which Business Central tables and fields Universal Search can find: add any Text or Code field, then set its weight, phonetic matching and record filter.

updated: Oct 8, 2026applies-to: 1.0.0.1

This page applies to version 1.0.0.1; the current product version is 1.0.0.0.

Search Index Configuration decides what people can find with Universal Search. Each row makes one field on one table searchable, with its own ranking weight, phonetic setting and optional record filter. This page shows you how to review the starting rows, add the tables and fields your teams actually search, and set each row up correctly the first time.

Prerequisites

The BAA SEARCH ADM permission set, or SUPER.

Review and add rows

Open Universal Search Setup and choose Actions, then Index Configuration, or search for Search Index Configuration in Tell Me. The six starting rows from installation are listed.

Search Index Configuration with the six starting rows and their weights — *Step 1: one row per searchable table and field.*

To make another field searchable, choose New.
In Table No., pick the table, for example 23 (Vendor). In Field No., pick the field, for example 1 (No.). Table Caption and Field Caption fill in automatically.

A new Search Index Configuration row for the Vendor table and its No. field — *Steps 2 and 3: add a row and pick the table and field.*

Set Weight, Enable Phonetic and, if needed, Record Filter, as described below.

Weight, Enable Phonetic and Record Filter columns on Search Index Configuration — *Step 4: set how the field ranks and which records it covers.*

Repeat for every field your teams search on. Add one row per field, from the same table or a different one.

Each new row starts in status Pending rebuild. The next run of the background job builds it, or you can choose Process Now to build it immediately.

NOTE

Only Text and Code fields can be indexed. The Field No. lookup lists only those fields. Option, number, date and FlowField fields are not available.

Set each row up

Column	What to enter
Weight	1 to 10. Matches in fields with a higher weight rank higher. Use 10 for identifiers such as No. and Name, and lower values for descriptive text. New rows start at 5.
Enable Phonetic	Turn on to match spellings that sound alike, such as Carl and Karl. Works best on short name fields. On by default for new rows.
Record Filter	Optional. A table view that limits indexing to matching records, for example `WHERE(Blocked=CONST(No))` on the Item table. Leave blank to index every record in the table.

When you enter a Record Filter, Business Central checks it against the table immediately. If the filter does not fit the table, you see "The filter is not valid for this table." and the value is not saved. A valid new filter puts the row back in Pending rebuild, so the next run reindexes it.

TIP

A new Weight applies from the next search. Changing Enable Phonetic on a row that is already built does not reindex existing records: select the row, choose Rebuild Selected Table, then Process Now. See Tune relevance.

Read-only status columns

The last three columns are maintained by the indexer:

Status: Pending rebuild, Indexing, Active or Error.
Indexed Records: how many records of the table the last rebuild processed.
Last Error: the most recent indexing problem for the table, if any.

See Monitor indexing for how to use them, and the field reference for every column's tooltip.

Removing a row

Delete a row to stop indexing that field. Deleting a row does not remove the entries already in the index for it. To clear them, select another row of the same table, choose Rebuild Selected Table, then Process Now: a rebuild removes the table's existing entries and reindexes only the rows that remain.

NOTE

Changes to the list are picked up for live change tracking in sessions opened after the change. Users who already had Business Central open pick them up when they start a new session.

What's next

Build the index straight away instead of waiting for the job: Build the index now.