diff --git a/src/vs/platform/search/common/search.ts b/src/vs/platform/search/common/search.ts
index 288f124c21e..9392a486e27 100644
--- a/src/vs/platform/search/common/search.ts
+++ b/src/vs/platform/search/common/search.ts
@@ -73,6 +73,9 @@ export interface IFolderQuery<U extends UriComponents=uri> {
 }
 
 export interface ICommonQueryProps<U extends UriComponents> {
+	/** For telemetry - indicates what is triggering the source */
+	_reason?: string;
+
 	folderQueries?: IFolderQuery<U>[];
 	includePattern?: glob.IExpression;
 	excludePattern?: glob.IExpression;
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
index e9b5d62fc1b..b5828cf89b9 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/api/electron-browser/mainThreadWorkspace.ts
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ export class MainThreadWorkspace implements MainThreadWorkspaceShape {
 			type: QueryType.File,
 			maxResults,
 			disregardExcludeSettings: excludePatternOrDisregardExcludes === false,
-			useRipgrep
+			useRipgrep,
+			_reason: 'startFileSearch'
 		};
 		if (typeof includePattern === 'string') {
 			query.includePattern = { [includePattern]: true };
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ export class MainThreadWorkspace implements MainThreadWorkspaceShape {
 
 		const queryBuilder = this._instantiationService.createInstance(QueryBuilder);
 		const query = queryBuilder.text(pattern, folders, options);
+		query._reason = 'startTextSearch';
 
 		const onProgress = (p: ISearchProgressItem) => {
 			if (p.matches) {
@@ -204,6 +206,7 @@ export class MainThreadWorkspace implements MainThreadWorkspaceShape {
 		const queryBuilder = this._instantiationService.createInstance(QueryBuilder);
 		const folders = this._contextService.getWorkspace().folders.map(folder => folder.uri);
 		const query = queryBuilder.file(folders, {
+			_reason: 'checkExists',
 			includePattern: includes.join(', '),
 			exists: true
 		});
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
index 8c6d8ab843c..ec191af0f51 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/openFileHandler.ts
@@ -202,6 +202,7 @@ export class OpenFileHandler extends QuickOpenHandler {
 
 	private doResolveQueryOptions(query: IPreparedQuery, cacheKey?: string, maxSortedResults?: number): IFileQueryBuilderOptions {
 		const queryOptions: IFileQueryBuilderOptions = {
+			_reason: 'openFileHandler',
 			extraFileResources: getOutOfWorkspaceEditorResources(this.editorService, this.contextService),
 			filePattern: query.value,
 			cacheKey
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ export class OpenFileHandler extends QuickOpenHandler {
 
 	private cacheQuery(cacheKey: string): IFileQuery {
 		const options: IFileQueryBuilderOptions = {
+			_reason: 'openFileHandler',
 			extraFileResources: getOutOfWorkspaceEditorResources(this.editorService, this.contextService),
 			filePattern: '',
 			cacheKey: cacheKey,
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/searchView.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/searchView.ts
index 0d52f6c9fa5..8e8b1cb18c8 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/searchView.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/browser/searchView.ts
@@ -1053,6 +1053,7 @@ export class SearchView extends Viewlet implements IViewlet, IPanel {
 			250;
 
 		const options: ITextQueryBuilderOptions = {
+			_reason: 'searchView',
 			extraFileResources: getOutOfWorkspaceEditorResources(this.editorService, this.contextService),
 			maxResults: SearchView.MAX_TEXT_RESULTS,
 			disregardIgnoreFiles: !useExcludesAndIgnoreFiles,
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
index a5555d4a033..fec05d60ad5 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/parts/search/common/queryBuilder.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export interface ISearchPathsResult {
 }
 
 export interface ICommonQueryBuilderOptions {
+	_reason?: string;
 	excludePattern?: string;
 	includePattern?: string;
 	extraFileResources?: uri[];
@@ -115,6 +116,7 @@ export class QueryBuilder {
 		});
 
 		const queryProps: ICommonQueryProps<uri> = {
+			_reason: options._reason,
 			folderQueries: folderQueries || [],
 			usingSearchPaths: !!(searchPaths && searchPaths.length),
 			extraFileResources: options.extraFileResources,
diff --git a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/searchService.ts b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/searchService.ts
index 3a9cfc19414..fcddb7cb17f 100644
--- a/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/searchService.ts
+++ b/src/vs/workbench/services/search/node/searchService.ts
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ export class SearchService extends Disposable implements ISearchService {
 		return this.doSearch(query, token);
 	}
 
-	private doSearch(query: ITextQuery | IFileQuery, token?: CancellationToken, onProgress?: (item: ISearchProgressItem) => void): TPromise<ISearchComplete> {
+	private doSearch(query: ISearchQuery, token?: CancellationToken, onProgress?: (item: ISearchProgressItem) => void): TPromise<ISearchComplete> {
 		const schemesInQuery = this.getSchemesInQuery(query);
 
 		const providerActivations: TPromise<any>[] = [TPromise.wrap(null)];
@@ -266,6 +266,7 @@ export class SearchService extends Disposable implements ISearchService {
 
 				/* __GDPR__
 					"cachedSearchComplete" : {
+						"reason" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth"  },
 						"resultCount" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth", "isMeasurement": true  },
 						"workspaceFolderCount" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth", "isMeasurement": true  },
 						"type" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth" },
@@ -279,6 +280,7 @@ export class SearchService extends Disposable implements ISearchService {
 					}
 				 */
 				this.telemetryService.publicLog('cachedSearchComplete', {
+					reason: query._reason,
 					resultCount: fileSearchStats.resultCount,
 					workspaceFolderCount: query.folderQueries.length,
 					type: fileSearchStats.type,
@@ -295,6 +297,7 @@ export class SearchService extends Disposable implements ISearchService {
 
 				/* __GDPR__
 					"searchComplete" : {
+						"reason" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth" },
 						"resultCount" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth", "isMeasurement": true },
 						"workspaceFolderCount" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth", "isMeasurement": true },
 						"type" : { "classification": "SystemMetaData", "purpose": "PerformanceAndHealth" },
@@ -310,6 +313,7 @@ export class SearchService extends Disposable implements ISearchService {
 					}
 				 */
 				this.telemetryService.publicLog('searchComplete', {
+					reason: query._reason,
 					resultCount: fileSearchStats.resultCount,
 					workspaceFolderCount: query.folderQueries.length,
 					type: fileSearchStats.type,