Change search settings, provider settings, and index settings to meet your search needs.
To open the preferences, go to Edit > Preferences > Search (macOS: Unity > Settings > Search).
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Track the current selection in the search view | Invoke the SearchProvider.trackSelection callback each time the Search selection changes.The callback pings assets in the Project and Hierarchy windows, which can slow search navigation in large projects. |
| Generate an asset preview thumbnail for found items | Display thumbnails for items that are currently visible in the results pane of the Search window. When you disable this setting, the Search window displays a generic icon. This is useful in large projects, where generating thumbnails can slow navigation. |
| Refresh Search views in Play Mode | Refresh results when Play mode causes changes in the hierarchy. |
| Select the typing debounce threshold (ms) | Set the time the system waits for the user to finish typing before executing the search. |
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Provider order | Use the arrows to change the order in which the Search window lists results. All items of a given provider priority appear before any lower priority provider items. |
| Default action dropdowns | Choose the default actions to run when you select (for example, double-click) an item in the search results. |
| Reset Provider Settings | Resets all providers to their default state, action, and priority. |
Select how to search in object fields, the Project window, and the Hierarchy window: classic search or advanced search. For more information, refer to Use the Advanced Object Picker.
To customize indexing, go to Preferences > Search > Indexing.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Custom indexers list | Enable and disable custom indexers. For more information, refer to Create custom search indexers. |
| Index on Editor startup | Start indexing automatically when the Unity Editor launches. When disabled, indexing only occurs the first time any Search API or tool is used. The option is disabled by default. |
| Deep sceneA Scene contains the environments and menus of your game. Think of each unique Scene file as a unique level. In each Scene, you place your environments, obstacles, and decorations, essentially designing and building your game in pieces. More info See in Glossary and prefabAn asset type that allows you to store a GameObject complete with components and properties. The prefab acts as a template from which you can create new object instances in the scene. More info See in Glossary indexing |
Index the full content of scenes and prefabs. This process is longer than normal indexing. This option is disabled by default. |
| Packages indexing | Index the content of all the packages in the project. This process is longer than normal indexing. This option is disabled by default. |
| Ignored properties | Enter properties you want the index to ignore. The default list of ignored properties is appropriate for most use cases. |
For more information, refer to the following resources: