Search usage
To use Search, do the following:
Launch Search
There are several ways to open the Search window:
- From the Unity menu, choose Edit > Search All.
- Click the magnifying glass icon in the top right in the Editor window.
Shortcuts:
| Shortcut: | Function: |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + K | Open Search |
Tip: You can change the keyboard shortcuts used to launch Search from the Shortcuts Manager.
Note: The last search term you used appears in the search field and the last changes you made to the filter configuration are still in effect.
Keep the Search window opening
To keep the window open after selecting a search item, select Keep Open from the More Options (:) menu.
Perform searches
To perform searches, type a query into the search field.
For most search queries, using the Search All window and the default Asset index created with your project will find your content effectively.
For more refined searches, use specific Search Providers and Search Expressions.
To include packages in your search, select Show package results from the More Options (:) menu.
View search results
Use Alt + ↑ (up arrow) and ↓ (down arrow) cycle through the search history, or choose a saved search from the left pane.
Change the search results view
Use the sizing slider to change from a list to grid view with thumbnails, or use the List view icon, the Grid view icon, or the Table view icon in the bottom right of the Search window to change the search view.
Add favorite search result items
Click the star next to a search result item to tag that item to appear at the top of the search list the next time you perform the same search to find it more easily.
Search status
To see the search time and the number of results at the bottom of the search window, select Show Status from the More Options (:) menu.
Save searches
Saving searches allows you to keep useful searches to reuse as needed. Save the search to your personal Unity for your own use (User), or to project to save it as an Asset to make the search available to anyone working on the project.
To save a search to your personal version of Unity:
- Create your search.
- Click the drop-down menu next to the Save icon at the top-right of the Search window and choose Save User.
Your search is added to the Saved Searches panel in the Search window. - To save again after making changes, highlight the search in the Saved Searches window and from the Save drop-down menu at the top-right of the Search window, choose Save <search name>
You may also click the Save icon next to User in the Saved Searches panel.
To save a search to the project:
- Create your search.
- Click the drop-down menu next to the Save icon at the top-right of the Search window and choose Save Project.
- Enter a file name in the Save search query window, and chose Save.
Your search is added to the Saved Searches panel in the Search window. - To save again after making changes, highlight the search in the Saved Searches window and from the Save drop-down menu at the top-right of the Search window, choose Save <search name>
You may also click the Save icon next to Project in the Saved Searches panel.
Find saved searches
To find a saved search:
- Click the magnifying glass icon in the Saved Searches panel.
- Enter your saved search name, or a part of the name. If found, it will appear in the panel.
Actions
After you search, you can perform actions on the items Search returns in the Preview InspectorA Unity window that displays information about the currently selected GameObject, asset or project settings, allowing you to inspect and edit the values. More info
See in Glossary pane or through More Options (⋮) . The actions you can perform depend on the type of item.
For example, if Search returns a package, you can install/uninstall it. If Search returns an Asset, you can select, open, or highlight it in the Hierarchy window.
- Every type of item has a default action.
- Some items support additional actions via a context menu.
- Some items also support drag and drop actions.
To find out which actions you can perform on different types of items, see the Search Provider pages for individual search filters.
Default actions
Every type of item has a default action.
To perform the default action for an item do one of the following:
- Double-click the item.
- Select the item and use Enter.
Note: You can edit the default actions in the Search section of the Preferences page.
Additional actions
Some items support additional actions that you access from the Preview Inspector menu.
To access the additional actions context menu for an item, do one of the following:
- Right-click the item.
- In the item entry, select More Options (⋮).
You can also use the Alt + Enter shortcut to perform a secondary action on a selected item without opening the context menu:
Drag and drop actions
Some Search Providers (for example, the AssetAny media or data that can be used in your game or project. An asset may come from a file created outside of Unity, such as a 3D Model, an audio file or an image. You can also create some asset types in Unity, such as an Animator Controller, an Audio Mixer or a Render Texture. More info
See in Glossary and 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 providers) support drag and drop actions. You can drag items from the results area to any part of Unity that supports them, for example, the Hierarchy window, the Scene viewAn interactive view into the world you are creating. You use the Scene View to select and position scenery, characters, cameras, lights, and all other types of Game Object. More info
See in Glossary, or the Inspector.