---
question: How do I choose which Search scopes run?
kind: task
via_web: available
via_cli: na
via_python: na
via_api: na
via_config: na
ref_web: Search › Scopes
next:
  - /capabilities/platform/run-a-search
  - /capabilities/platform/configure-workspace-search
  - /capabilities/platform/search
---

# Choose search scopes

Search groups scopes in three columns: **Custom** (SPARQL topics), **Workspace** (Nexus features), and **Web** (Wikipedia and DuckDuckGo). Each scope has a switch that decides whether **All** includes it, plus a link that opens Search with only that scope (`?scope=<id>`).

## Web UI

### Open the scope column

On Search, open the panel control beside the query box to show the scope list.

![Search with the scope column open](/abi/Screenshot_Search_Scopes.png)

*Search with the scope column open: topics under Custom, Nexus features under Workspace, and the Web sources, each with its switch.*

### Turn scopes on for All

Each scope has a switch. Switched-on scopes answer when you search without a single-scope URL. Switches are kept per browser. **Web** stays off until you turn it on, because those queries leave Nexus.

Under **Web**, toggle which sources run (Wikipedia, DuckDuckGo).

### Open one scope

Select a scope name to search only that layer. The URL updates with `scope=` and your query.

### Scope groups

| Group | What it searches |
|---|---|
| Custom | SPARQL **topics** (People, Organizations, Products, and custom topics). **All topics** is the first link. Which topics appear depends on [Configure workspace search](/capabilities/platform/configure-workspace-search). |
| Workspace | Content from a Nexus feature when that feature is on for the workspace and not switched off in settings: Apps, Chats, Files, Documents, Slides, Sheets, Datasets, Ontology, Knowledge graph, Maps, and Agents. |
| Web | Public web sources configured under the Web group. |

Workspace owners and admins can open **Manage topics** from the column to edit topic definitions. See [Edit a search topic](/capabilities/platform/edit-a-search-topic).

## CLI

Not applicable.

## Python

Not applicable.

## REST API

Not applicable.

## Config

Not applicable. Scope switches in the column are browser state. Disabling a topic or workspace scope for everyone in the workspace is [Configure workspace search](/capabilities/platform/configure-workspace-search).