How to use universal search in STOQ to quickly find anything
Universal search in STOQ lets you quickly find anything in your dashboard without clicking through menus. You can search for settings, products, preorder offers, and orders — all from one place. You can also ask questions using the built-in AI copilot. This guide explains how to open universal search and get the most out of it.
Overview
Universal search (also called Spotlight) is a search overlay that appears on top of any page in STOQ. Type a keyword and it instantly searches across five categories at once: navigation/settings, products, product variants, preorder offers, and orders. Results appear grouped by category so you can find what you need in seconds.
Open universal search
There are two ways to open universal search from any page in the STOQ app.
Use the keyboard shortcut
- On Mac: Press ⌘ + J (Command + J).
- On Windows / Linux: Press Ctrl + J.
Press the same shortcut again to close it, or press Escape.
Use the search bar
Click the Search bar in the top navigation area of the STOQ app. This bar shows the keyboard shortcut as a reminder.
Search for items
Once universal search is open, start typing in the search field. Results appear automatically after you type at least 3 characters.
What you can search for
Universal search queries five categories in parallel and groups the results:
Category | What it finds | What you see in results |
|---|---|---|
Settings & Navigation | Pages, settings, and features in the app (e.g., "Notifications," "Integrations," "Shipping") | Page title, description, and an icon for the section |
Products | Products tracked in your back-in-stock waitlist | Product name, image, and waitlist count |
Product Variants | Individual variants of products (only shown when the product has multiple variants) | Product name, variant title, image, and waitlist count |
Preorder Offers | Your preorder selling plans | Offer name, status badge (Enabled, Disabled, or Scheduled), variant count, and revenue |
Orders | Preorder orders by order number, customer name, or email | Order number, payment status badge, customer name, email, and total price |
Navigate results with your keyboard
You can navigate and select results without touching your mouse:
- Arrow Down / Arrow Up — move through the results list.
- Enter — open the selected result.
- Escape — close universal search.
The selected result is highlighted with a purple left border.
Open a result
Click on any result (or press Enter on the selected item) to navigate directly to it:
- Settings & Navigation results — takes you to that page in the app (e.g., clicking "Notifications" opens the Notifications settings page).
- Product results — opens the product's back-in-stock waitlist page showing unsent notifications.
- Variant results — opens the variant's back-in-stock waitlist page.
- Offer results — opens the preorder offer editor.
- Order results — opens the preorder order detail page (only for preorder orders).
Use the AI copilot
Universal search includes an AI-powered copilot mode that can answer questions about your dashboard.
Switch to Ask AI mode
- Open universal search with ⌘ + J (or Ctrl + J).
- Below the search field, you will see two mode pills: Search and Ask AI.
- Click Ask AI to switch to copilot mode.
Ask a question
- Type your question in the search field (e.g., "How do I set up a preorder offer?").
- Press Enter to submit your question.
- The AI copilot returns an answer in markdown format, along with source links where applicable.
Switch back to Search mode
Click the Search pill to return to the standard search mode. Your previous query is cleared when you switch modes.
Tips for effective searching
Use these tips to find what you need faster.
- Search by order number — type the order number (e.g., "#1001" or "1001") to quickly find a specific order.
- Search by customer name or email — find orders by typing the customer's name or email address.
- Search for settings by keyword — type a feature name like "shipping," "notifications," or "klaviyo" to find the relevant settings page.
- Use at least 3 characters — search does not return results for queries shorter than 3 characters.
- Use specific keywords — the more specific your query, the more relevant the results. For example, "summer preorder" is better than "offer."
Known limitations
These are the current constraints of universal search.
- Minimum 3 characters required. Search does not return results for queries with fewer than 3 characters.
- Products shown are waitlist products only. The Products section shows products tracked in your back-in-stock waitlist, not all Shopify products.
- Non-preorder orders are not clickable. Orders that are not preorder orders appear in results but cannot be opened from search.
- Ask AI requires Enter to submit. Unlike Search mode, the AI copilot does not search automatically as you type.
- Results are limited to 5 per category. Each category returns a maximum of 5 results. If you do not see what you are looking for, try a more specific query.
- No search history. Universal search does not save previous queries. Each time you open it, the search field is empty.
Troubleshooting
Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
Universal search does not open | Keyboard shortcut may be intercepted by your browser or OS | Try clicking the Search bar in the navigation instead. Check if another extension is using ⌘ + J / Ctrl + J. |
No results appear after typing | Query is shorter than 3 characters | Type at least 3 characters to trigger the search. |
"No results found" message appears | No matches found across any category | Try different keywords, check your spelling, or use a broader search term. |
Cannot click on an order result | The order is not a preorder order | Only preorder orders are clickable. Non-preorder orders appear in results for reference but cannot be opened in STOQ. |
Ask AI returns no answer | Query may be too vague or the copilot could not find relevant information | Rephrase your question with more specific keywords and press Enter again. |
Results are loading slowly | Multiple API queries run in parallel; network speed affects results | Wait a moment for all categories to load. Check your internet connection. |
FAQs
Q: Can I open universal search from any page in the app?
A: Yes. Universal search is available on every page in STOQ. Press ⌘ + J (Mac) or Ctrl + J (Windows/Linux) from any page, or click the Search bar in the top navigation.
Q: What is the difference between Search mode and Ask AI mode?
A: Search mode finds matching items across settings, products, offers, and orders as you type. Ask AI mode lets you ask a question in natural language and returns an AI-generated answer. Search results are instant (as you type), while Ask AI requires pressing Enter to submit.
Q: Can I search for Shopify products that are not in my waitlist?
A: No. The Products section in universal search only shows products that are tracked in your back-in-stock waitlist. To find other Shopify products, use the Shopify admin search.
Q: Does universal search work on mobile?
A: Universal search is designed for desktop use. On mobile devices, the keyboard shortcut is not available. You can still access it by tapping the Search bar if visible, but the experience is optimised for desktop.
Q: Can I search for a customer by email?
A: Yes. Typing a customer's email address in universal search returns matching orders that include that email. This is useful for quickly finding all orders from a specific customer.
Q: Is there a way to filter results by category?
A: No. Universal search returns results from all categories at once. Results are grouped by category (Settings, Products, Offers, Orders) so you can scan the relevant section. There is no way to restrict the search to a single category.
Q: Why do some offer results show "Scheduled" instead of "Enabled"?
A: Offers with a scheduled start date that has not yet passed display a Scheduled badge. Once the scheduled date arrives and the offer becomes active, the badge changes to Enabled. Disabled offers show a Disabled badge.
Q: Does the Ask AI copilot have access to my store data?
A: The Ask AI copilot answers questions about your STOQ dashboard and features. It is designed to help you understand how to use the app. The responses are generated based on your query and available documentation.
Updated on: 23/04/2026
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