> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dualentry.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Spotlight Search Reference

> Reference for DualEntry Spotlight Search covering indexed record types, keyboard shortcuts, scoped filters, result grouping, and performance.

Spotlight Search is a keyboard-first search overlay that lets you find any record, navigate to any page, or resume a recent [copilot conversation](./ai-accounting-copilot) in DualEntry. Results appear within 200 ms for tenants with fewer than 500,000 records, and the search index updates in near-real-time as records are created or modified.

## Invoking Spotlight search

Press **Cmd+K** (Mac) or **Ctrl+K** (Windows) from any screen. A centered overlay appears with a text input focused and ready for your query. Press **Esc** to close the overlay without navigating.

If the [AI Accounting Copilot](./ai-accounting-copilot) command bar is already open, Spotlight Search shares the same shortcut - type a search term and DualEntry distinguishes between a search query and a copilot question based on context. You can also prefix your input with `/search` to force a Spotlight result set. When you invoke Spotlight from a specific module - for example, from the bills list - the overlay pre-selects the corresponding type filter so results are scoped to that context. You can remove the pre-selected filter by clearing the prefix in the input field.

## What is indexed

Spotlight indexes the following record types across your tenant:

* **Transactions** - invoices, bills, journal entries, payments, credit memos, and debit memos.
* **Master data** - customers, vendors, items, and GL accounts.
* **Navigation** - reports, settings pages, and module landing pages.
* **Recent** - your most recent copilot conversations and recently viewed records.

The index reflects your [role-based permissions](../platform-configuration/user-roles-and-permissions). You only see records that your role is authorized to access. If a colleague shares a record link with you and your role does not have access, the record does not appear in your search results. The index covers all entities in a multi-entity tenant, but results are tagged with the entity name so you can distinguish records that share similar numbers across entities.

## Result groups and display

Results are organized into four groups, displayed in this order:

1. **Transactions** - matching invoices, bills, journal entries, and payments.
2. **Master Data** - matching customers, vendors, items, and accounts.
3. **Navigation** - matching reports, settings pages, and modules.
4. **Recent** - recently viewed records and copilot conversations that match the query.

Each result row shows a record-type icon, the record number or name, amount (for transactions), date, and a status badge (draft, posted, paid, void, etc.). The highest-relevance results appear first within each group. When more than five results exist in a group, Spotlight shows the top five with a "Show all" link that expands the group inline. The total count for each group is displayed in the group header so you know the full scope of matching results.

## Keyboard navigation

You interact with Spotlight entirely from the keyboard. The following shortcuts are available while the overlay is open:

* **Up / Down arrows** - move through the result list.
* **Enter** - open the highlighted result and close the overlay.
* **Tab** - preview the highlighted result in a side panel without closing Spotlight, so you can scan multiple records quickly.
* **Esc** - close the overlay.

The side panel preview shows a read-only summary of the record, including key fields and recent activity. You can press **Tab** repeatedly to cycle through results and compare records without leaving the overlay. Press **Enter** at any point to open the currently highlighted record in full.

<Info>
  Spotlight Search results update as you type. You do not need to press Enter to trigger a search - results refine with each keystroke.
</Info>

## Performance and index updates

Spotlight is designed for speed. Results appear within 200 ms for tenants under 500,000 indexed records. For larger tenants, result times scale linearly and remain under one second for most queries. The index is partitioned by entity, so search performance is determined by the size of your active entity rather than the total tenant size.

The search index updates in near-real-time. When you create, modify, or delete a record, the change is reflected in Spotlight within seconds. Bulk operations update the index in the background alongside the batch processing. During a large bulk import, newly indexed records appear in Spotlight progressively as each batch completes, so you do not need to wait for the entire import to finish before searching.

## Related reading

* [AI Accounting Copilot](./ai-accounting-copilot)
* [User roles and permissions](../platform-configuration/user-roles-and-permissions)