Before you start

Set up global search

Set up Universal Search, the free global search app for Business Central: install, start indexing, assign permissions and search. Activation is optional.

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.

Universal Search is a free Business Central global search app from Bitta Apps. It adds one search box that looks across customers, vendors, items, contacts and any other table you choose, and it finds the record even when the search text has typos, the wrong word order, missing spaces or only fragments of a name. This page is the short path from installation to the first search; each step links to the full guide.

The five steps

Steps 1 to 3 are for an administrator and take a few minutes. Step 4 is what every user does from then on. Step 5 is optional and can wait.

Install from AppSource. Universal Search is free and has no dependencies. It needs Business Central online, version 28.0 or later. See Install the app and Requirements.

Extension Management with Universal Search by Bitta Apps, LLC installed — *Step 1: install from AppSource.*

Start indexing. Open Universal Search Setup and choose Actions, then Start Indexing. Then open Index Configuration and choose Actions, then Process Now to build the index straight away. A SUPER user can do this right after installing; any other administrator first needs BAA SEARCH ADM (step 3). See Start indexing and Build the index now.

Universal Search Setup card with the Start Indexing action highlighted — *Step 2: Start Indexing. Nothing is searchable until you do.*

Assign the permission sets. Give BAA SEARCH ADM (Universal Search - Admin) to the people who set the app up, and BAA SEARCH (Universal Search - Use) to everyone who searches. See Assign permissions.

Permission Sets list showing the BAA SEARCH ADM and BAA SEARCH permission sets — *Step 3: assign the two permission sets.*

Search. Open Universal Search from Tell Me and type what you remember. Results arrive grouped by table, with a filter chip for each table. See Search from Tell Me.

Universal Search returning Front Wheel Supplies for the query front wheel — *Step 4: search from Tell Me.*

Optional: activate the free license. In Assisted Setup, choose Set up Universal Search and follow the three-step wizard. You can also decline or skip it: search works the same either way. See Activate the license.

Assisted Setup page with Set up Universal Search in the Set up your company group — *Step 5: optional free license activation.*

WARNING

Installing the app does not turn indexing on. Until an administrator completes step 2, Universal Search returns no results.

What gets indexed out of the box

Installation adds six starting rows to Search Index Configuration: Item No., Item Description, Customer No., Customer Name, Vendor Name and Contact Name. Add any other Text or Code field of any table on Choose what to index, and adjust result limits on Set result limits.

Search Business Central records with typos

Universal Search tolerates the mistakes people actually make:

Typos: omraoon finds Omaroon Corporation.
Word order: wheel front finds Front Wheel Supplies.
Spacing: icecream finds Ice Cream Cone.
Fragments: maro orp finds Omaroon Corporation.
Sound-alikes: Carl finds Karl.

See Fuzzy search, then Use the result list for chips, paging and the keyboard.

For administrators and developers

How ranking works and Tune relevance explain and adjust the order of results.
Monitor indexing and Troubleshooting keep the index healthy.
Reference: Permission sets, Field reference, API and events and Release notes.

What's next

Check your environment before you install: Requirements.