A set of index keys is included in an index search system that are associated with the scope of the search rather than the content of the documents that are the target of the search. These scope related index keys, or scope keys allows the scope of the search to be selected, reducing the number of documents that a search is required to sift through to obtain results. Furthermore, compound scopes are recognized and stored such that an index of complex search scopes is provided to eliminate rehashing of the searches based on these complex search scopes.