What changed
As of Release 3, August 2026 (live 19 Aug 2026), Global Search received two sets of improvements delivered together.
Quick links, Show all, and Back navigation:
Global Search results page now includes a Quick links row at the top for fast category navigation, a "Show all (N)" button on each category block to view the full listing, and a Back navigation control that returns users to the Global Search results page after drilling into a category.
Additional UI improvements:
Changes include:
-
The search field is now permanently visible on the page (below the sponsored banner, not closable)
-
Result counts moved onto "Show all" buttons, the Results title now shows total count in bold above the object tabs
-
News cards display as equal-size horizontal scroll (no enlarged first card), and sponsored section labels updated to "Sponsored Exhibitors" and "Sponsored Products".
Navigating Global Search results
-
Open Global Search from the header. The search results page displays a search field directly on the page (positioned below the sponsored banner). The field is not closable and the entered query remains visible. The header search icon now focuses this on-page field rather than opening a separate panel.
-
A Quick links row is displayed at the top of the results page. It lists the same search categories — in the same order and with the same labels — as the Global Search field selector. Quick links are always visible regardless of whether a given category has results for the current query. The All categories option does not appear in Quick links.
-
Click a Quick link to navigate directly to that category's listing page, filtered by the current query. This behaves identically to selecting that category in the Global Search selector.
-
Each category result block on the results page has a Show all (N) button showing the total result count for that category. The button (and the block itself) only appears when the category has more than 0 results — a category with 0 results is not shown at all. Exception: the Exhibitors and Products blocks still display if the event has active sponsors, showing the sponsored rail plus a "No results found" message, but without a Show all button. This is different from Quick links, which are always shown regardless of result count (item 2 above). Click Show all to navigate to the full listing for that category with the current query applied.
-
When you navigate to a category listing page via a Quick link or Show all, a Back button (labelled "Back to All search results") appears on that listing page. Click it to return to the Global Search results page with the same query and results state. Important: the Back button disappears as soon as you navigate away from the listing page (e.g. open a detail page, switch to another section, or use the main navigation). It is only available immediately after arriving from the Global Search results page.
Understanding the results page layout (August 2026 changes)
-
The Results title is displayed above the object navigation tabs. It shows the total result count across all categories, with the search query and count rendered in bold.
-
The "Sponsors" block is now labeled "Sponsored Exhibitors". The sponsored products block is now labeled "Sponsored Products". This is a deliberate rename — advise clients that the functionality is unchanged.
-
News article cards are now displayed as equal-size cards in a horizontal scroll row. The previously enlarged first card has been removed.
Troubleshooting
-
If a user cannot find the Quick links row: confirm they are on the Unified Search Results page (reached by submitting a query from the header Global Search field). Quick links appear at the top of that page.
-
If a user asks why a category doesn't appear on the results page at all: that category has 0 results for the current query, so its block (and Show all button) is hidden entirely. The exception is Exhibitors/Products, which stay visible with the sponsored rail if the event has active sponsors, even with 0 organic results.
-
If a user expects to see a Back button that has disappeared: explain that the Back-to-Global-Search control is only available immediately after navigating from the results page to a category listing via Quick links or Show all. Any further navigation from the listing page removes it.
-
If a user asks why the "Sponsors" section was renamed: confirm the rename to "Sponsored Exhibitors" is deliberate, with no change to functionality.
-
If a client reports the search field staying open on the results page: this is intended. The field is now permanently displayed and not closable