Using NBS Search instead of pnp searcher

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Using NBS Search instead of pnp searcher

Charlie Martharper 385

Hi!

So I am using a SP on premise and I am having trouble setting it up. I want to look files inside a library that is public, not all the content of the site.

What should I write in the first part?

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The second is almost the same, should I change any of the Query template? In the path(siteCollection) should I put my site name?

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The last part is the refiners, which some of them are already created, and when wanting to add some, it doesn't load:

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How should I create it to get the files from the public library i want propperly with filters of that library?

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Answer 1

Gabriel-N 14,025 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Update ( Feb 13 )

The OP wants to perform a free-text search on filenames across four libraries and the approach is:

In the Search Query Configuration, set: Path:"LibraryA" OR Path:"LibraryB" OR Path:"LibraryC" OR Path:"LibraryD" and check the box “Use default search query”.
In the Search Query Keywords, leave a single trailing space
In the Query Template, use: {searchTerms} isdocument:1 FileName:{searchboxquery}

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Hi Charlie Martharper

Thank you for reaching out to the Q&A forum and I really appreciate the details you’ve provided so far.

Please understand that I don’t have the same environment or architecture setup as yours, so you might consider asking this on the Tech Community for additional insights. However, I will still try my best to help you. To better understand what’s happening, could you please clarify a few points?

Is NBS Search a third‑party application integrated into your SharePoint Server environment, and is it built on top of the standard KQL (Keyword Query Language)? I tried looking for official documentation but couldn’t find anything authoritative, so your input would help me understand the setup more accurately.
When testing, are you using a Path filter that points directly to the document library? For example: {searchTerms} Path:"https://…/LibraryName/*" This should behave differently compared to using {SiteCollection}, which still causes the search to crawl the entire site.
For refiners, have they been mapped to a Refinable managed property, and has the library been reindexed after mapping? If not, refiners may not load correctly or may appear empty.
Lastly, does the version of NBS Search you’re using support custom refiners and custom managed properties? Some versions handle these differently. Fields intended for refiners usually need to be mapped to properties such as RefinableStringXX. For reference, Microsoft’s documentation on managing the Search Schema in SharePoint Server may also be helpful: Manage the search schema in SharePoint Server

I hope this information helps.

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-01-05T12:48:04.09+00:00

Hi @Gabriel-N

Yes, it's a third party, it's like PnP modern search but for SharePoint On-Premise.

Yes, i have this which is the link + the library I am looking into:

For refiners I think I don't have the permissions to modify or add more. I think I have 2 created but cannot do anything with them:

Its all blocked.

Will try to solve this thing of the refiners but try at least to make searches of the files if I can. Would be great to get this done, because this will be in the main page to look for files and don't have to go into libraries and folders.

I am also getting this error.
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-05T15:25:09.0566667+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Thank you for taking the time to provide such a detailed response.

Could you try removing the /* at the very end of the Path value and run the query again? In some cases, that trailing wildcard can prevent results from returning.

If it still doesn’t work, please check with your IT team that your account has permission to read/query that specific library (SharePoint search is security-trimmed, so results only appear for content you can access).

Since NBS Search appears to be a custom/third‑party solution in your environment, troubleshooting beyond the query level may require internal logs/configuration. I recommend opening a ticket via Service Hub so the support team can review the server/search logs and configuration.

Please note that this is a paid support ticket, which means it requires an active support plan or a one-time support purchase. However, the benefit of using this channel is that your inquiry will be routed directly to the Microsoft Product Group responsible for the specific service or feature in question. This team includes engineers and developers who work on the product itself, so they are best positioned to provide accurate, in-depth, and authoritative answers especially for complex or edge-case scenarios that go beyond publicly available documentation or community knowledge.

Hope this helps!
Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-01-27T09:18:10.0333333+00:00

Hi @Gabriel-N

I am trying to solve this, I think it's only getting the trouble with the search query, . This is the path:serversite/subsite/folder.

Not getting any as results when it should, the other things are well done I guess, so the only thing missing is this part.

In a SharePoint Online, I have a code like: {?{searchTerms} path:"https://serversite/sites/subsite/Documents%20compartits"} and it works.

But in this one, there is no /sites/ only serversite/subsite/folder and is not returning, what should I do?
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-27T14:30:03.3466667+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Thank you very much for your response. As mentioned earlier, I do not have NBS Search available in my testing environment, as it appears to be a custom or third‑party solution specific to your setup.

To ensure the accuracy and reliability of my findings, may I kindly request a bit more time to review the related scenarios and complete the necessary validations? I will follow up with you as soon as these checks are fully completed.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-30T15:22:34.84+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Thank you for your patience, and I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. I am currently continuing the testing process and will do my best to provide an accurate response by tomorrow or the following day. Since you’ve been waiting for some time, I want to ensure the answer I deliver is thorough and reliable. Thank you very much for your understanding.
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-03T15:06:51.56+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Hope you’re doing well and sorry for the late reply.

I’ve completed the testing on SharePoint Online and everything is working correctly there. However, the process on SharePoint Server is taking a bit longer than I expected, so I’m still continuing the tests on that environment.

Also, just a quick note: in SharePoint Online, I’m using PnP Modern Search v4, not NBS Search. During my testing, I found that the Search Query Keywords field is what determines the scope of the search, for example, as shown in the screenshot, I’m querying within a library named Lib 01.

Meanwhile, the Query Template is used to further filter the results inside that library, such as choosing whether to show only documents, and so on.

Additionally, could you share your library column settings with me via private message? Having those details would really help me investigate the issue more thoroughly.
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T12:05:26.94+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Sorry for the late reply. I’m currently testing the column‑mapping part, but I didn’t want to keep you waiting, so I’m sharing a few findings that I think might be helpful for you.

First, regarding the query: in my environment, I used the same queries shown in the below images, and they work perfectly. Just make sure that the account acting as the admin of the app site also has access to the site containing the library, that part is important.

As for the error “Error making HttpClient request in queryable [500] Internal Server Error”, it looks like the query you used on page 2 may have an extra or missing { } . Try running the query exactly as shown in the screenshot I shared and see if that resolves it.

That’s it for now, I’m continuing to test the column‑mapping behavior and will update you as soon as I have more results.
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-11T15:24:52.2733333+00:00
Hi Charlie Martharper

I’ve just tested the column mapping and it’s working fine (as shown in the image below).

The process I followed was:

Reindex the document library in Library Settings, then run a full crawl.

After the crawl completes, go to Search Schema to map the column (at this point, the column is already available for mapping).

After mapping, reindex the library once again and run an incremental crawl.

Since my library is quite small, it only took about 10 ~ 15 minutes for the RefinableString to appear.

Please note that every time you want to map a RefinableString, you need to go through all of these steps. Try following this flow again and let me know how it goes.

Thanks.
Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-02-17T09:00:15.79+00:00

@Gabriel-N

I am trying but still no results shown as it should... I will keep trying but I don't know why I am not getting the refinable strings...
Gabriel-N 14,025 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-17T09:25:55.3333333+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

I wanted to check whether the search results aren’t showing up, or if it’s related to the column issue you asked about in a private message?

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Using NBS Search instead of pnp searcher

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