SharePoint Search Verticals – is it the same as using “search” in SharePoint? While the out-of-the-box functionality works for many, there’s ways you can customize results to show different data. This comes in handy when you’re using custom content types, like specialized documents or list items. SharePoint allows you to customize what they term “search verticals,” which are clickable filters right below the search box.
What are SharePoint Search Verticals?
Say you Google a phrase or keyword. Google will then display a list of web pages that meet that term, but also allow you to show Images, Maps (or places that match that phrase), Videos, News, and more. Each of these terms is called a “search vertical,” which automatically filters content based on the type.
If you’ve got a SharePoint site with a great deal of information, adding SharePoint search verticals can help your users locate the information they’re looking for much faster. It can also help with user adoption, as they understand the concept of SharePoint search verticals, even if they don’t know what they’re called.
SharePoint Search Verticals – How to Add a New Search?
- Adding a new custom search vertical is simple using the Search Center. You can access the Search Center by typing in “Everything” in the search field on any SharePoint page. Once there, you’ll see a list of all the out of the box search verticals, including Everything, People, Conversations, and Videos.
- To add a new search vertical, create a new page in the Search center by accessing the gear and selecting “new page.” Then, modify the search results on that page to display whatever content you’d like. Simply modify the web part and change the query to display ‘Items matching a content type(System)’ to whatever content type you’d like. Alternatively, you can adjust this to display content from a specific metadata tag, person, and more. So if you wanted to create a search vertical for all content type Presentation, you’d filter ‘Items matching content type (‘Presentation’).
- Once you’ve created the search vertical pages, return to the Search Center gear and visit Site Settings. Under the Search Settings link, locate the Configure Search Navigation button, and add a new link. Enter a title (Presentation), and then set the order.
Coupled with a robust content management plan, customizing your search results can increase user satisfaction across your organization, and help your business more effectively manage their data. Still need some help with SharePoint Search Verticals? Contact eSoftware Associates for a quote on how to build your content management solution in SharePoint.