PnP Search - Notes

Overview: I have spent a considerable amount of time figuring out how to use the PnP Search Web parts again.  I do this every few years, as I forget.  This post outlines how to set up filters for the PnP search using my own columns.

Four items to get Filtering working

Tip: Filterable Managed Properties must have a "refinable" search property.  You can't create these in SPO, so use the OOTB Refinable Managed Properties setup for this purpose.

Step 1. Upload content such as docx and pdfs, and add custom metadata.  I added two documents, and there is a text column for Technology

Step 2. Ensure content is being crawled and available thru Managed properties

You need to be a Site Collection Admin > Go to Site Settings for the Site Collection

Navigate to Search > Manage Search Schema > Find an existing "Refinable.." Managed Property and use it to point to the new Crawled Property.

Tip: Force a crawl on the list, and it will take an hour or two, as the trigger is fired periodically. Depending on the size of the crawl, it will take some time.  If it's not showing up after 3-4 hours, you are definitely doing something wrong.

Step 3.

Add Selected properties (this is the Managed Property name or Alias) - paste and move out of input box - weird.

Customise the Layout Slots with the Layout Slot name.

Step 4. Add the PnPSearch Filter Web Part to the page containing the PnP results web part page

Add the Search Filter PnP web part to the search page.

Go to the PnPSearch Results web part properties, and set the "Connect to a filters Web Part" to Enabled and set the Filter web part.

Go back to the PnPSearch Filter web part, select "Configure" and on the Use data from these Web Parts  set to the PnPSearch Results web part.

"Edit" the filters.

SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 5 - Restricting Results & Enable pdf previews

SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 1 - Configure Custom Search
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 2 - Refiners
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 3 - Search Box Web Part query Managed Properties
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 4 - Search Result Removal
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 5 - Restricting Results & Enable pdf previews (This Post)

Refine your results to a specific site or part of a return result set.

Search Query Example

JavaScript API CSOM search query

Setting up Pdf Previews for Search

You will need a Office Web App (WCA) Farm (1 or more servers), the WCA needs to have any patch after the original WCA product release.

 Perform a full Crawl and..

SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 1 - Configure Custom Search
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 2 - Refiners
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 3 - Search Box Web Part query Managed Properties
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 4 - Search Result Removal
SharePoint 2013 Search Series - Post 5 - Restricting Results & Enable pdf previews (This Post)

Managed Properties in FAST

Problem: Create mapped managed properties in FAST (FS4SP) using PoweShell.

Initial Hypothesis:  You can create Managed Properties that are mapped to crawled properties using the UI thru CA.  However, for deployment thru environments it is better to script the mapped managed properties creation using Powershell.

Instructions:
1.> I created a Document Library that has extra columns for: Section, Appointment, Clinic & Hospital number as shown below.

2.> Ensure you have performed a "Full Crawl" on the Content SSA (FS4SP has 2 SSA in order for it to work, the content/index and the query SSA).

3.> PS to retriev the crawled property names, they will be at the bottom of the txt file created and are prefixed with "ows_".

4.> Find the crawled property name, this will be used in the next PS script that associates the crawled property with the managed property.  Open c:\cp.txt to see the crawled property name, this is usually at the bottom of the file.
5.> Use PS to 1) create a new managed property, 2) map the appropraite crawled property onto the managed property.

6.> Run the Full Crawl again thereby propulating the Managed Properties

7.> Check the managed properties in Central Admin (CA)

8.> Perform a search to ensure the managed property works i.e. clinic:CL123