Editor Selection History

Example showing the Editor Selection History buttons initial position

The Editor Selection History is the Editor-wide history that tracks any selection affecting the main Inspector window. This is the shared navigation context across the Editor.

1. Single, Editor-wide history stack
2. Keyboard shortcuts are Ctrl/Cmd + [  or  Ctrl/Cmd + ]
3. Optional toolbar buttons in the main toolbar
4. Records up to 50 selections
5. Managed by the core Editor

Registration with Global Selection History:

1. Registration is implicit
2. Selection changes as they happen via the Selection.selectionChanged callback, anything that emits this callback is automatically in the Editor selection History

Examples of Global selections:

1. Selecting a GameObject in Hierarchy or Scene View
2. Selecting an Asset in the Project window
3. Navigating folders in Project window

Local Selection History

Example showing local Selection History buttons in an authoring window

Local Selection History is window-specific navigation for self-contained editing environments that manage their own selection context independently from the main Inspector.

1. Per-window history stack
2. Window provides its own back/forward UI (toolbar buttons within the window)
3. Does not clutter the global history with internal navigation
4. Window manages its own history depth and persistence

Implement Local Selection History when:

1. Your window is a self-contained editing environment
2. Selections within your window do NOT affect the main Inspector
3. Internal navigation is frequent and would overwhelm global history
4. Users need to navigate within your window while maintaining their global selection

Examples of Local selections:

1. Browsing documentation or reference panels
2. Navigating within a custom asset browser
3. Internal state changes in a wizard or multi-step workflow
4. Preview navigation in an inspection tool

Decision Tree

Use this flowchart to determine which pattern applies:

Choice Examples