# Global Search
Nova not only allows you to search within specific resources and relationships, you may also globally search across all your resources using the global search input within the top-navigation bar of the Nova administration panel:
Focusing Global Search
You can focus the global search input by pressing / (forward slash) on your keyboard. Pressing ESC (escape key) will also close the global search input.
# Searchable Columns
To define which resource fields are searchable, you may assign an array of database columns in the search property of your resource class. This includes id column by default, but you may override it to your needs:
/**
* The columns that should be searched.
*
* @var array
*/
public static $search = [
'title', 'author'
];
Scout Integration
If you are using Nova's Scout integration, the $search column has no effect on your search results and may be ignored. You should manage the searchable columns in the Algolia dashboard.
# Title / Subtitle Attributes
When a resource is shown within the search results, the results will display the "title" of the resource. For example, a User resource may use the name attribute as its title. Then, when the resource is shown within the global search results, that attribute will be displayed.
To customize the "title" attribute of a resource, you may define a title property on the resource class:
/**
* The single value that should be used to represent the resource when being displayed.
*
* @var string
*/
public static $title = 'name';
Alternatively, you may override the resource's title method:
/**
* Get the value that should be displayed to represent the resource.
*
* @return string
*/
public function title()
{
return $this->name;
}
Displaying Avatar in Search Results
You may also display resource's "avatar" next to the title in the search result by adding an Avatar field to the resource.
# Subtitles
You may also display a smaller "subtitle" attribute within the global search results. The subtitle will be placed directly under the title attribute. In this screenshot, you can see that the Post resource's author is displayed as a subtitle, allowing the quick identification of who wrote the post:
To define a resource's subtitle, override the subtitle method of the resource:
/**
* Get the search result subtitle for the resource.
*
* @return string
*/
public function subtitle()
{
return "Author: {$this->user->name}";
}
Eager Loading
If your subtitle accesses information on a related resource, you should consider adding the related resource to your resource's eager load array.
# Custom Avatars / Covers
If you are building a custom field that you would like to serve as the "avatar image" / cover art for global search results, your field should implement the Laravel\Nova\Contracts\Cover interface. This contract requires you to define a resolveThumbnailUrl method, which should return the URL of your desired "cover art":
class CoverField extends Field implements Cover
{
/**
* Resolve the thumbnail URL for the field.
*
* @return string|null
*/
public function resolveThumbnailUrl()
{
return 'https://www.example.com/avatar/'.md5(strtolower($this->value)).'?s=300';
}
}
# Limiting Global Search Results
You can limit the number of results that are returned in the global search by overriding the globalSearchResults property on the resource:
/**
* The number of results to display in the global search.
*
* @var int
*/
public static $globalSearchResults = 5;
# Disabling Global Search
By default, all Nova resources are globally searchable; however, you may exclude a given resource from the global search by overriding the globallySearchable property on the resource:
/**
* Indicates if the resource should be globally searchable.
*
* @var bool
*/
public static $globallySearchable = false;
# Customizing Global Search Links
By default, clicking a result will take you to resource's detail page; however, you may customize this to instead take you to the edit page.
/**
* Where should the global search link to?
*
* @var string
*/
public static $globalSearchLink = 'edit';
If you need to fine-tuned control over which link is used, you can override the globalSearchLink method on the resource:
/**
* Detetermine whether the global search links will take the user to the detail page.
*
* @param \Laravel\Nova\Http\Requests\NovaRequest $request
*
* @return string
*/
public function globalSearchLink(NovaRequest $request)
{
return static::$globalSearchLink;
}