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BrianWKBrianWK 

Global Search: Create a default saved "Search Option" and access to "old" search

Hi everyone!

 

Like many of us, my team has been having some challenges adopting the new Global Search feature. There's lots of great additions to this, but I have some teams that only search Accounts, Contacts, Leads, and Opportunities (Sales). We also have a strong argument for using the old search based on certain features and performance that didn't get carried over to Global Search.

 

Our Challenge? We want to keep Chatter and Global Search.

 

Create a Default Saved Search option:

I posted this on this idea: https://sites.secure.force.com/ideaexchange/ideaView?c=09a30000000D9xtAAC&id=08730000000JRVd

 

This workaround takes advantage of Internet Explorers ability to create "Custom Search Providers"

You can create a custom search provider to save a default Search Option.

For example this URL searches for "TEST" on Accounts, Cases, and Contacts: https://na5.salesforce.com/_ui/common/search/client/ui/UnifiedSearchResults?sen=001&sen=500&sen=003&str=TEST&cache=gfb6ue46

The key here is the "sen=" this appears to reference the 3 character code for the object. The EASIEST way to do this is to click Search Options, Check which objects you want as a default and then save the Search Results URL. I used "TEST" in this example in order to use this URL for my custom search provider.
Here's the URl for the Custom Search Creation. You can also get there by clicking "Find more providers" in the search box (upper right corner of the browser)
http://www.ieaddons.com/en/createsearch.aspx

 

Access Old Search without turning off Global

 

You can access the old search tool using this URL: https://na5.salesforce.com/search/SearchResults

How to use this? Well you could just spread a bookmark around, but what's the fun in that?

You could create a custom search provider using this URL: : https://na5.salesforce.com/search/SearchResults?searchType=1&sen=0&setLast=1&sbstr=TEST&search=+Go

 

But what's the fun in that:)

 

I"m currently planning on creating a either a little Javascript page or if I want to get fancy a VF page that references the above search link. I can then place this little page as a left column homepage component. Viola old search and Global search active at the same time!

 

Why do this?

 

Here's a list of our reasons:

  • Global Search doesn't default to partial word search. You MUST use a wildcard. Old search will automatically do a partial word search. For example: MICH will return completely different accounts in the old search than new search
  • Data overload: Many of our users don't care about all the other objects and records. For instance they don't care if "Paul Lucas" might return in a case comment. They're looking for the contact only. For this group, Global Search returns a bunch of useless data
  • Global Search doesn't sort based on "Best Match" Think of Yahoo & google. If you search for "Paul Lucas" the results at the top will match both "Paul" and "Lucas." With Global search it's in a some order I haven't figured out yet. This means a Case Comment that hits "Lucas" but not Paul will sort above the contact that contains a hit for "Paul" and "Lucas" So what? As an end user having to click that filter list or scroll down is an extra step and it feels like it takes significant more time. Combined the fact that closest matching returns are buried among lots of other records I simply don't care about is frustrating and annoying

Hope this helps everyone!

 

Jo_DengJo_Deng

This is very helpful Brian!  A few tricks I have no ideas about!

 

My original question was how do I turn off Global Search and revert back to the old search box in my SFDC org?  I can't seem to be able to find documentation on that.

BrianWKBrianWK

Glad you find this useful.

 

To turn off Global Search you have to turn off Chatter as well. Going to App Setup, Chatter you can turn off Chatter and Global Search.

 

I didn't want to disable Chatter and that is why we did this work around. Salesforce has made improvements since their original deploy and yet my users still prefer the old method of searching!

Jo_DengJo_Deng

Ah, that's what I figured.  I agree with you; I personally still find Global Search cumbersome, even after the enhancements they just made.  The biggest benefit it offered us so far is combining record and Content search in one search box.  That's about it.