How to get replacement pattern for Search API's fulltext search in global text area header
The problem I was having here is my view that I was trying to build for search API was using a full text search exposed filter rather than a contextual filter. The contextual filter provides the search term title and search term input tokens that are pictured above. The exposed filter will not produce them. Live and learn.
EDIT: There is a bit of a workaround I found but it was an implementation I would not recommend. I was using Drupal core search blocks with Search API view's contextual filters together. I was able to add the contextual filter, get the token, then remove the contextual filter. That somehow allowed the token to work in that context.