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---
stage: Data Stores
group: Global Search
info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated with this page, see https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/ux/technical-writing/#assignments
---
# Searching in GitLab **(FREE)**
GitLab has two types of searches available: **basic** and **advanced**.
Both types of search are the same, except when you are searching through code.
- When you use basic search to search code, your search includes one project at a time.
- When you use [advanced search](advanced_search.md) to search code, your search includes all projects at once.
## Global search scopes **(FREE SELF)**
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/68640) in GitLab 14.3.
To improve the performance of your instance's global search, a GitLab administrator
can limit the search scope by disabling the following [`ops` feature flags](../../development/feature_flags/index.md#ops-type).
| Scope | Feature flag | Description |
|--|--|--|
| Code | `global_search_code_tab` | When enabled, global search includes code. |
| Commits | `global_search_commits_tab` | When enabled, global search includes commits. |
| Issues | `global_search_issues_tab` | When enabled, global search includes issues. |
| Merge requests | `global_search_merge_requests_tab` | When enabled, global search includes merge requests. |
| Users | `global_search_users_tab` | When enabled, global search includes users. |
| Wiki | `global_search_wiki_tab` | When enabled, global search includes project and [group wikis](../project/wiki/group.md). |
All global search scopes are enabled by default on self-managed instances.
## Global search validation
Global search ignores and logs as abusive any search with:
- Fewer than two characters
- A term longer than 100 characters (URL search terms must not exceed 200 characters)
- A stop word only (for example, `the`, `and`, or `if`)
- An unknown `scope`
- `group_id` or `project_id` that is not completely numeric
- `repository_ref` or `project_ref` with special characters not allowed by [Git refname](https://git-scm.com/docs/git-check-ref-format)
Global search only flags with an error any search that includes more than:
- 4096 characters
- 64 terms
## Search in all GitLab
To search in all GitLab:
1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**).
1. Type your search query. You must type at least two characters.
1. Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to search, or select from the list.
The results are displayed. To filter the results, on the left sidebar, select a filter.
## Search in a project
To search in a project:
1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your project.
1. Select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) again and type the string you want to search for.
1. Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to search, or select from the list.
The results are displayed. To filter the results, on the left sidebar, select a filter.
## Search for code
To search for code in a project:
1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your project.
1. Select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) again and type the code you want to search for.
1. Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to search, or select from the list.
Code search shows only the first result in the file.
To search for code in all GitLab, ask your administrator to enable [advanced search](advanced_search.md).
### View Git blame from code search
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/327052) in GitLab 14.7.
After you find search results, you can view who made the last change to the line
where the results were found.
1. From the code search result, hover over the line number.
1. On the left, select **View blame**.
### Filter code search results by language
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/342651) in GitLab 15.10.
To filter code search results by one or more languages:
1. On the code search page, on the left sidebar, select one or more languages.
1. On the left sidebar, select **Apply**.
## Exclude search results
### From archived projects
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/121981) in GitLab 16.1 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `search_projects_hide_archived`. Disabled by default.
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available,
an administrator can [enable the feature flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `search_projects_hide_archived`. On GitLab.com, this feature is not available.
Archived projects are included in search results by default. To exclude archived projects, ensure the `search_projects_hide_archived` flag is enabled.
To include archived projects with `search_projects_hide_archived` enabled, you must add the parameter `include_archived=true` to the URL.
### From issues in archived projects
> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124846) in GitLab 16.2 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `search_issues_hide_archived_projects`. Disabled by default.
FLAG:
On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is not available. To make it available,
an administrator can [enable the feature flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `search_issues_hide_archived_projects`. On GitLab.com, this feature is not available.
Issues in archived projects are included in search results by default. To exclude issues in archived projects, ensure the `search_issues_hide_archived_projects` flag is enabled.
To include issues in archived projects with `search_issues_hide_archived_projects` enabled, you must add the parameter `include_archived=true` to the URL.
## Search for a project by full path
> - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/108906) in GitLab 15.9 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `full_path_project_search`. Disabled by default.
> - [Generally available](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/114932) in GitLab 15.11. Feature flag `full_path_project_search` removed.
You can search for a project by entering its full path (including the namespace it belongs to) in the search box.
As you type the project path, [autocomplete suggestions](#autocomplete-suggestions) are displayed.
For example:
- `gitlab-org/gitlab` searches for the `gitlab` project in the `gitlab-org` namespace.
- `gitlab-org/` displays autocomplete suggestions for projects that belong to the `gitlab-org` namespace.
## Search for a commit SHA
To search for a commit SHA:
1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your project.
1. Select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) again and type the commit SHA you want to search for.
1. Press <kbd>Enter</kbd> to search, or select from the list.
If a single result is returned, GitLab redirects to the commit result
and gives you the option to return to the search results page.
## Search for specific terms
> - [Support for partial matches in issue search](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/71913) removed in GitLab 14.9 [with a flag](../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `issues_full_text_search`. Disabled by default.
> - [Generally available](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/124703) in GitLab 16.2. Feature flag `issues_full_text_search` removed.
You can filter issues and merge requests by specific terms included in titles or descriptions.
- Syntax
- Searches look for all the words in a query, in any order. For example: searching
issues for `display bug` returns all issues matching both those words, in any order.
- To find the exact term, use double quotes: `"display bug"`.
- Limitation
- For performance reasons, terms shorter than three characters are ignored. For example: searching
issues for `included in titles` is same as `included titles`
- Search is limited to 4096 characters and 64 terms per query.
- When searching issues, partial matches are not allowed. For example: searching for `play` will
not return issues that have the word `display`. But variations of words match, so searching
for `displays` also returns issues that have the word `display`.
## Run a search from history
You can run a search from history for issues and merge requests. Search history is stored locally
in your browser. To run a search from history:
1. On the left sidebar, at the top, select **Search GitLab** (**{search}**) to find your project.
1. To view recent searches:
- For issues, on the left sidebar, select **Plan > Issues**. Above the list, to the left of the search box, select (**{history}**).
- For merge requests, on the left sidebar, select **Code > Merge requests**. Above the list, to the left of the search box, select **Recent searches**.
1. From the dropdown list, select a search.
## Remove search filters
Individual filters can be removed by selecting the filter's (x) button or backspacing. The entire search filter can be cleared by selecting the search box's (x) button or via <kbd>⌘</kbd> (Mac) + <kbd>⌫</kbd>.
To delete filter tokens one at a time, the <kbd>⌥</kbd> (Mac) / <kbd>Control</kbd> + <kbd>⌫</kbd> keyboard combination can be used.
## Autocomplete suggestions
In the search box, you can view autocomplete suggestions for:
- [Projects](#search-for-a-project-by-full-path) and groups
- Users
- Various help pages (try and type **API help**)
- Project feature pages (try and type **milestones**)
- Various settings pages (try and type **user settings**)
- Recently viewed issues (try and type some word from the title of a recently viewed issue)
- Recently viewed merge requests (try and type some word from the title of a recently viewed merge request)
- Recently viewed epics (try and type some word from the title of a recently viewed epic)
- [GitLab Flavored Markdown](../markdown.md#gitlab-specific-references) (GLFM) for issues in a project (try and type a GLFM reference for an issue)
## Search settings
You can search inside a Project, Group, Administrator, or User's settings by entering
a search term in the search box located at the top of the page. The search results
appear highlighted in the sections that match the search term.
|
