[Feature]: Global Search Functionality

[unihoh]

NetBox version

v4.4.0

Feature type

New Model to plugin

Proposed functionality

It would be helpful if the NetBox global search would index Rules and ACLs so they can easily be found. It would be optimal if this included custom fields added to rules such as text (comments), IP-addresses (IPAM object), contacts (tenant object) etc.

Use case

As of right now it is not possible to search for ACLs. When doing a global search netbox does not find ACLs by name or any other parameters contained in standard or extended rules. One can also not search for user defined fields such as IP-addresses (IPAM object).

Is would be very useful to know if an IP or IP-prefix, tenant, contact etc. has an ACL Rule associated with it. When troubleshooting network issues NetBox could quickly and efficiently let a network administrator know if an ACL rule exists that could be the culprit.

External dependencies

No response

[github-actions]

Thanks for opening this Issue! We really appreciate the feedback & testing from users like you!

[pheus]

Thanks for the thoughtful request and for outlining the troubleshooting use case - very helpful context.

I agree it’s reasonable to include Access List (ACL) names in global search and to surface comments with them. I’m also open to adding a comment field on ACL rules and indexing that alongside the existing description (and possibly remark, if present).

To stay aligned with NetBox core’s search philosophy: let’s avoid indexing related objects (e.g., prefixes, tenants, contacts) from the ACL/Rule search. The expectation is that if you’re looking at a specific object, its detail view should show the relevant relationships (including any assigned ACLs or rules). This keeps global search predictable and performant.

To make this actionable and easier to track, I suggest splitting it into three smaller items:

1. Add a “comment” field to ACL Rules
   Guidance: Introduce an operator-facing notes field on rules so we can later include it in search and display it on the rule detail.

2. Add SearchIndex / Global Search coverage
   Guidance: Index AccessList.name and AccessList.comment; index Rule.description, Rule.remark (if used), and the new Rule.comment once available. Keep the scope limited to fields on the ACL and Rule models (no related objects).
   ➜ This current issue can be edited to focus on this search coverage change.

3. Show ACL/Rule assignments on source/destination object views
   Guidance: On relevant objects (e.g., IP prefixes/addresses), display associated ACLs/Rules with quick links so the relationship is visible from the object’s detail page.

If this breakdown looks good, I’m happy to help refine the scope. Thanks again for raising this!

[pheus]

Quick update: I’ve implemented item 2 (SearchIndex / Global Search coverage) for the existing ACL and Rule models (no new comment field on Rules in this pass). The work is based on my fork and is aligned with the upcoming refactors. I’ll open a PR once it’s ready for review.

If you’d like to pursue the comment field on ACL Rules so it can be included in global search, please feel free to open a separate feature request and we can scope it there.