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The Search Results Web Part shows the search results of a query that was entered in a Search Box Web Part.

By default, the classic Search Results Web Part is used on all default search vertical pages in the classic Search Center. Learn about classic and modern search experiences. Search verticals are customized for searching specific content, such as (Everything, People, Conversations, and Videos), and they display search results that are filtered and formatted for a specific content type or class. The Search Results Web Part shows search results, and it also sends the search results to the Refinement Web Part and to the Search Navigation Web Part.

Note: See Configure a Content Search Web Part in SharePoint to add a Content Search Web Part (CSWP) to your page and configure it for simple and advanced results.

The Search Results Web Part uses a query that's specified in the Web Part to show search results. As a SharePoint Online administrator, you can change the query or other settings for displaying search results.

To add and configure a Search Results Web Part on a page, see About configuring the Search Results Web Part. You can also find additional information see Configure properties of the Search Results Web Part in SharePoint Server.

What do you want to do?

Change the query in the Search Results Web Part

The Search Results Web Part uses a query that is specified in the Web Part to show search results. By default, this query uses the query variable {searchboxquery}. The query variable is a placeholder for a value, which means that when you run the query, a value replaces the placeholder. For example, when a user types the search term yellow in the Search Box, the {searchboxquery} variable in the Search Results Web Part searches for all items that contain the phrase yellow.

By changing the query in the Search Results Web Part, you can:

  • Change the result source to specify which content should be searched. 

  • Add query variables or property filters to customize search results for different users or user groups.

  • Promote or demote items or pages within the search results.

  • Change the sorting of search results.

There are two main ways of changing the query:

Define the query by using Keyword Query Language (KQL) in Advanced Mode

  1. On the search results page, click Settings, and then click Edit Page. The search results page opens in Edit mode.

  2. In the Search Results Web Part, move the pointer to the right of the Web Part title, click the arrow, and then click Edit Web Part on the menu. The Search Results Web Part tool pane opens under the ribbon in the top right of the page.

  3. In the Web Part tool pane, in the Search Criteria section, click Change query. The Build Your Query dialog box opens in Advanced Mode.

  4. On the BASICS tab, in the Select a query section, select a result source to specify which content should be searched.

  5. You can now change the Query text. By default, the query variable {searchboxquery} is defined. Change the query text by using Keyword Query Language (KQL), or use the Keyword filter and Property filter lists to build the query:

    • The keyword query can consist of free-text keywords, property filters, or operators. Use braces to enclose query variables. The query variables will be replaced with a value when the query is run. Keyword queries have a maximum length of 2,048 characters. For more information about KQL, see Keyword Query Language (KQL) syntax reference.

    • Use keyword filters to add query variables to your query. Select predefined query variables from the list, and then add them to the query by clicking Add keyword filter. For a list of available query variables, see Query variables in SharePoint Server 2013.

    • Use property filters to query the content of managed properties that are set to queryable in the search schema. Select managed properties from the Property filter lists. Click Add property filter to add the filter to the query.

      Note: Custom managed properties are not shown in the Property filter list. To add a custom managed property to your query, in the Query text box, enter the name of your custom managed property followed by the query condition, for example MyCustomColorProperty:Green

  6. Click Test query to see a preview of the search results.

  7. You can also add more details to your query:

  8. Click OK to save the query and return to the Web Part tool pane.

Add refiners

On the REFINERS tab, you can choose to limit returned results by adding preselected refiners to your query.

You can specify that the search results that are returned in the Search Results Web Part should be limited to one or more values from the refiners. The list shows all managed properties that are enabled as refiners in the search schema.

  • To add a refiner to the query, choose a refiner from the list, and then click Add.

You can specify that the search results should be grouped based on one or more managed properties. This is useful when there are several variants for a given item, and you want to group them under a single result.

  • To define grouping of results, click Show more to show the Group results section.

Define sorting

Use the SORTING tab to specify how to sort search results. You can define several levels of sorting and add rules for dynamic ordering.

The Sort by list shows all managed properties that are set as sortable in the search schema.

  • To sort results based on managed properties:

    1. In the Sort by list, select a managed property, and then select Descending or Ascending.

    2. To add more sorting levels, click Add sort level.

  • To sort results by relevance rank:

    1. In the Sort by list, select Rank.

    2. (Optional) Under Dynamic ordering, you can specify additional ranking by adding rules that will change the order of results when certain conditions apply. Click Add dynamic ordering rule, and then specify conditional rules.

Add more settings

Use the Settings tab to select more settings for your query. You can choose to use query rules, use URL rewriting, and specify whether to remove duplicate results or not.

Test your query

The Test tab shows the final query text based on what you selected in the other tabs. You can test alternative queries by editing the query text directly. You can also test different query options by clicking Show more.

Note: Any changes that you make to the query in the Test tab are not saved.

Section

Description

Query text

Shows the final query that will be run by the Search Results Web Part. The final query text is based on the original query template where dynamic variables are replaced with current values. Other changes to the query may be made as part of a query rule.

Click Show more to display more information.

Query Template

The content of the query template that is applied to the query.

Refined by

The refiners that are applied to the query, as defined on the REFINERS tab.

Grouped by

The managed property on which search results should be grouped, as defined in the REFINERS tab.

Applied query rules

Shows which query rules are applied to the query.

Query template variables

The query variables that will be applied to the query and the values of the variables that apply to the current page. Type other values to test the effect they will have on the query.

User segment terms

Test how the query works for different user segment terms. Click Add user segment term to add terms to the query.

Test query

Click the Test Query button to preview the search results.

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Define the query by using predefined values in Quick Mode

  1. On the BASICS tab, make sure that you are in Advanced Mode. Click Switch to Quick Mode in the top right corner if you are in Advanced Mode.

  2. In the Select a query section, select a result source to specify which content should be searched.

  3. In the Restrict by app section, select an option from the list to restrict results to a specific site, library, list, or URL.

  4. Choose options in the Restrict by tag section to limit results to content that's tagged with a term from a term set:

  5. Don’t restrict by any tag: Search results will not be limited based on tags (default).

  6. Restrict by navigation term of current page: Search results will be limited to content that's tagged with the term of the current page. The current tag is shown as the last part of the friendly URL. This choice only makes sense if your site uses managed navigation.

  7. Restrict by current and child navigation: Search results will be limited to content that's tagged with the term of the current page (shown as the last part of the friendly URL), and content that's tagged with subterms of the current page. Only relevant if your site uses managed navigation.

  8. Restrict on this tag: Search results will be limited to content that's tagged with the tag that you type in the box.

  9. You can also add more details to your query:

  10. Click OK to save the query and return to the Web Part tool pane.

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Change display template settings

  1. On the search results page, click Settings, and then click Edit Page. The search results page opens in Edit mode.

  2. In the Search Results Web Part, move your pointer to the right of the Web Part title, click the arrow, and then click Edit Web Part on the menu. The Search Results Web Part tool pane opens under the ribbon in the top right of the page.

  3. In the Web Part tool pane, in the Display Templates section, in the Results Control Display Template list, you can choose a display template to control the overall look of the Web Part.

  4. In the other lists in this section, you choose a display template for individual results:

    • The default selection is Use result types to display items. This selection will apply different display templates according to the result type of the search result. For example, if the result type of a search result is a PDF file, the display template PDF Item is applied. If the result type of a search result is an image, the Picture Item display template is applied.

    • To apply one display template to all result types of the search results, select Use a single template to display items, and then select the display template that you want to apply.

See Change how search results look by using result types and display templates for more information.

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Change Results settings and Results control settings

  1. On the search results page, click Settings, and then click Edit Page. The search results page opens in Edit mode.

  2. In the Search Results Web Part, move your pointer to the right of the Web Part title, click the arrow, and then click Edit Web Part on the menu. The Search Results Web Part tool pane opens under the ribbon in the top right of the page.

  3. In the Web Part tool pane, in the Settings section, change Results Settings to specify how results are shown:

If you select

Then the Web Part displays

Selected by default

Number of results per page

The maximum number of search results displayed per page.

Show ranked results

Ranked results.

Clear to show only promoted blocks (such as promoted results) or result controls (such as result counts).

Yes

Show promoted results

Search results that are promoted by using query rules.

Yes

Show "Did you mean?"

Query spelling corrections as Did you mean suggestions.

Yes

Show View Duplicates link

A View Duplicates link that users can click to view results that were classified as duplicates.

No

Show link to search center

Link to the Search Center.

No

4.   In the Web Part tool pane, in the Settings section, change Results control settings to specify more options for what to show in the Search Results Web Part:

If you select

Then the Web Part displays

Selected by default:

Show advanced link

A link to the Advanced Search page.

Yes

Show result count

The number of results found.

Yes

Show language dropdown

A language drop-down list. Gives users a way to switch the language of their query. The drop-down list will only appear if the user's selected two or more languages from the search user preferences page

Yes

Show sort dropdown

A sort drop-down list. Gives users a way to change the sort order of results.

No

Show paging

A paging control below the search results.

Yes

Show preferences link

A link to the search user preferences page.

Yes

Show AlertMe link

A link to the Alert Me page.

Yes

Change how to show results from users' own OneDrive content

By default users see results from shared OneDrive and SharePoint content, not from their private content. Private OneDrive content is their own content that only they have access to.

You can set up the search results to show a separate block containing the results from the user's private OneDrive content.

  1. On the search results page, click Settings, and then click Edit Page. The search results page opens in Edit mode.

  2. In the Search Results Web Part, move your pointer to the right of the Web Part title, click the arrow, and then click Edit Web Part on the menu. The Search Results Web Part tool pane opens under the ribbon in the top right of the page.

  3. In the Web Part tool pane, in the Settings section, go to Also show results from and select "Their own OneDrive".

If you select

Then the Web Part displays

Selected by default

Their own OneDrive

A separate block with results from the user's own OneDrive, including content that only the owner has access to.

No

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See also:

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