Creating an Advanced Searcher on SP on-Premise

Question

Creating an Advanced Searcher on SP on-Premise

Charlie Martharper 125

Hi,

I looked for different options to get a searcher of files inside a SP on-Premise site and couldn't find any that it's good looking for the environment. I found PnP advanced search but that is for online server.

The thing I thought was creating a list with some metadata with all the files in the subsites and then, I don't know if it exists a way to create a searcher or filters outside the list that gets the info it wants the user.

This is the way it looks now:

User's image

So the idea is they have like on another web part the different options of the columns so they can filter and then, one of the columns be the file so they can open it.

Is this possible? I think I tried using NBS search but its hard to adapt it (no IT knowledge).

2 answers

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Answer 1

Jayden-P 12,855 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Charlie Martharper

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Based on my research, you can use Search Web Parts in SharePoint Server. This web part is supported natively with in SharePoint Server.

These Web Parts have queries defined in them, and when users browse to a page that contains a Web Part that uses search technology, the Web Part issues the query automatically. The query result is then displayed in the Web Part. You can modify the query in the search Web Part to fit your content needs.

Which means you can modify the search query to point to the libraries/ lists you need.

You can also use a refiner web part in SharePoint, it is a component that filters search results into categories Users can interact with these refiners to narrow down search results, making it easier to find specific content.

Configure Search Web Parts in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Microsoft Learn

Furthermore, if you need a whole page for searching, you can Set up a Search Center in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Microsoft Learn.

A Search Center is a portal where you can search for content on your organization's intranet. It has a starting page where you can enter queries. It has search result pages where you can drill into and refine search results, or you can run a new query.

I hope this information helps.

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Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T09:21:02.2+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

Have you checked the provided answer?

Is there anything else I can help you with?
Charlie Martharper 125 Reputation points

2025-11-28T09:39:46.1933333+00:00
Hi!! @Jayden-P

Yes I was trying to configuring the Content Search Web Part but I have a lot of questions I won't lie.

First of all, the refiners which I changed the term to "Filtres" I have couple of them that are columns in terms storage management in the sharepoint, but when selecting it says it doesn't have any values, look:

It would be greta that people could use this to filter their Search. Like, the selected refiner "Paraules clau" is Keywords, so it would be perfect they could select multiple options in there (they are stored in the columns in libraries).

I will explainw what I would like to create a searcher that:

Show files there and not items on a list. It is possible to do that?

Get only the files in the main site, and not subsites. The thing is, if they don't have permission to those files, they could still see the files on the search, but cannot open?

I have the view looking like this now, in departaments I don't know what to put because I don't really know what to put when editing the link.

We keep in touch and let's see if we can make this searcher useful.

I tried looking for a tutorial but I couldn't find one that asks me this questions.
Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T10:47:56.4033333+00:00
Hi @Charlie Martharper

For the no values found, there might be 2 scenarios:

1: The preview where it finds example items based on your refiner uses the search word currently in the search bar. So, if you haven't entered anything it will show up empty.

2: The managed property might not contain any items even though it should. Make sure to test if there could be any other managed property that could contain the values you are seeking.

You can use IsDocument=1 (IsDocument:true) in your KQL to return only documents, use Path:<URL> to specific the path.

Overview of crawled and managed properties in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Microsoft Lea…

It should look something like this:

IsDocument=1 AND Path:"https://yourserver/sites/MainSite" AND -Path:"https://yourserver/sites/MainSite/Subsite1" AND -Path:"https://yourserver/sites/MainSite/Subsite2"

For the permission, users should not see items they don’t have permission to view.

If users see but can’t open, typical causes are they have Read/View but no Open/Download permission.

Answer 2

Charlie Martharper 125

Hi! @Jayden-P

Yes I see you were correct but the thing is I have refinableStrings as the values of the columns. What I saw is, if there is no metadata in the columns of the word searched, it doesn't appear anyting on the left. Is it possible to be able to make all this filters that are in this refinable strings on the refine?

User's image

That way users in the site could be doing some searches in the refiners. Are these refinable strings well configurated? I don't really know how to create them. The thing would be getting the terms store managmenet created and get those filters.

Tell me what you think.

Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T13:19:43.3833333+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

Have you mapped a crawled property to a refinable string?

How to add refiners to your search results page in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Microsof…

In Search Schema > Managed property > type the name of the refinable managed property to which you want to map a crawled property, and then click the arrow button.

From the Property Name field, select Edit/Map Property.

On the Edit Managed Property page, click Add a Mapping.

Use the Search for crawled property name field to search for the crawled property that you want to map to this refinable managed property.

Now you will add the refiner to the refinement web part.
Charlie Martharper 125 Reputation points

2025-11-28T13:39:37.72+00:00

Hi @Jayden-P

Yes, I think so, those are the map crawled properties. So it gets the information from the Terms Store Management in SharePoint.

But as you saw in the last comment, it doesn't appear in the refine section those two refines as it should.

Is there a way that all of these are on the left even if there are options tied to them or not? So they will start looking into the searcher clicking on the refines, and the searcher will be updating live time.
Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-11-28T13:50:42.8333333+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

Based on my research, classic refiners only show values that exist in the current results. If no item in the current CSWP query has a value in your mapped RefinableStringXX properties, the panel says, “No values found”.

There’s no out‑of‑the‑box setting to pin all filters on the left or to pre‑populate terms regardless of the current results.

Since I don't have the exact environment, I cannot replicate your situation to provide further instruction.

You can reach out to SharePoint | Microsoft Community Hub

This forum gathers experts and dedicated moderators that can provide more helpful insights.
Charlie Martharper 125 Reputation points

2025-12-03T09:20:28.3166667+00:00

Hi ! @Jayden-P

Ok, so I get it, if there is no words searched, there are no Filters to get. Perfect I get it, I have another CSWP before looking like this now:

So they introduce there the words they need, and they get into the other screen:

The thing is I still don't have any files on the libraries.

The row below the search bar, where it puts everything, returns every file in the library. But I want 3 more options that returns to a folder inside of the Everything library, how could I do that?

Then I will start to do some tries with the refiners.

This example returns me items in a list. The users will not see them because they will not have any permissions.

Would be thankful if you could help me with this.
Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-03T10:49:46.0433333+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

After doing some research, you can configure a search resource.

Then add it to Search result web part.

First, you create a custom Result in Site Settings → Result Sources > New Result Source with a query transform like:

{searchTerms} Path:"https://your-site/library/folderA"

Repeat for each folder you want (Folder A, Folder B, Folder C).

In the Web Part tool pane, in the Search Criteria section, click Change query.

On the BASICS tab, do one of the following:

To define your query by using Keyword Query Language (KeyQL), select options as described in the following list:

Select a query > Select a result source to specify which content should be searched.

You can read here for more details:

Configure result sources for web content management in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Micr…

Configure properties of the Search Results Web Part in SharePoint Server - SharePoint Server | Micr…
Charlie Martharper 125 Reputation points

2025-12-04T07:46:10.4+00:00

Hi! @Jayden-P

So I am here right now:

I added 3 links more: HJ23, GiPSS and AP. The thins is I added the URL so it redirects me to the library, and not results.

Biblioteca Troncal/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FBiblioteca%20Troncal%2FBiblioteca%20HJ23

This is the library plus the folder. What should I change?

How should I add what you said there? {searchTerms} Path:"https://your-site/library/folderA"

In the "Everything" the return link is this one: "My site"/sites/cerca/Paginas/results.aspx?k=ALL%28usuaria%29
Jayden-P 12,855 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-12-04T10:17:49.5266667+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

Search Navigation links need to send the user to the Search Results page with a KQL query in the URL, not to a library’s AllItems.aspx.

Right now, your links point to the library so you’re getting the library view, not search results.

You can pass a KQL query through the k= query string to scope results to a library or a folder.

For example:

/sites/cerca/Paginas/results.aspx?k=IsDocument:1

The {searchTerms} Path:"https://your-site/library/folderA"is for configuring result source.

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Creating an Advanced Searcher on SP on-Premise

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