Advanced Searcher into multiple libraries SP On-Premise

Question

Advanced Searcher into multiple libraries SP On-Premise

Charlie Martharper 385

Hi guys!

So I created multiple libraries in a Main page in SharePoint On-Premise, instead of only one.

I have a Searcher

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Right now it was looking on 1 library:

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Now I need to look at 4 different libraries the same searcher, is it possible? How could I do it?

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Answer 1

Steven-N 21,165 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Charlie Martharper

Thank you for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A forum

As far as I know, in SharePoint On-Premises, a “searcher” (Search Results / Content Search / modern search results web part) typically uses a query template that is currently scoped to a single document library (for example, using a Path:"…/LibraryName" restriction).

That said, there is possibility that after you created additional libraries, the same search box will still only return results from the original library until you update the query to include all required library locations (or switch to a Result Source that already scopes to them). If the query syntax is not valid (often due to incorrect Path formatting or encoding), the Search REST call can fail and surface a generic 500 “unknown error.”

In this situation based on your requirement, I suggest that you can try the first 2 options below to see if it can help you:

Option 1: Use KQL with multiple Path

If your “Searcher” is using SharePoint Search with a Query template, update the query template to:

{searchTerms} AND (
  Path:"https://yourserver/sites/yoursite/Library1"
  OR Path:"https://yourserver/sites/yoursite/Library2"
  OR Path:"https://yourserver/sites/yoursite/Library3"
  OR Path:"https://yourserver/sites/yoursite/Library4"
)

Option 2: Create a custom Result Source that targets the 4 libraries

Based on my research, SharePoint Search supports building queries and scoping them via Result Sources (SSA / Site Collection / Site), then selecting that source in your search web part. You can check the instruction at Microsoft’s search query guidance explicitly covers using Result Sources and query transformation.

You can try the above workaround method, if the problem still persists, kindly let me know in the comments for further support.

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Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-01-26T12:16:04.0533333+00:00

Hi @Steven-N

So what I have in my Query si:

"https://Myserver/Library1" and then added only to get the files and titles of it, don't search inside the file those words. Then they will search from refiners. Is this Query right¿

Example of library path:
Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-01-26T12:50:37.5566667+00:00

Other way to filter results, could be from this part.

First filters everything in the site:

What should I add in the url in the others to return only the values from specific libraries?

I just copied the url of the library, so when clicking there, it justs sends me to the library, it doesn't show the results. So What I have to right there to return me the files with the words in the search box?
Steven-N 21,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-27T13:54:25.01+00:00

Hi Charlie Martharper

Kindly allow me some time to run a few tests, and I will get back to you shortly.

Thank you for your patience

Regards
Steven-N 21,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-28T09:04:13.9533333+00:00
Hi Charlie Martharper

Could you please try the following steps to see if it can resolve:

Step 1: Create a Result Source for each library (or one Result Source per scope)

You can try to create 3–4 Result Sources (one per library) and in each one set the Query Transform to restrict results to that library. The key is that the filtering lives in the Result Source (not in the URL). The Result Source definition is what replaces old “scopes” and is intended for these scoping scenarios.

Example query transform pattern (per library):

Restrict to a library path (and optionally to Title/FileName only, as you discussed earlier).

Keep boolean logic in the query, not in the URL.

Step 2: Create a dedicated results page (vertical page) per library

In a Search Center, search verticals are simply pages (for example, results.aspx, peopleresults.aspx, etc.). You can create your own search vertical pages and customize the Search Results Web Part on them. [learn.microsoft.com]

Practical approach:

Copy the existing results.aspx page (or create a new page based on it) into the Pages library.

Edit the page and edit the Search Results Web Part.

Configure that web part to use the Result Source you created for that library.

Save the page as results-HJ23.aspx, results-GiPSS.aspx.

Step 3: Point Search Navigation entries to those pages

In Search Settings, update each link URL to the corresponding custom results page you created (no query string). The Search Navigation Web Part is meant to send users to different search pages (verticals) where results are filtered according to how that page is set up.

Kindly try it and get back to me the results.
Regards
Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-01-28T10:13:48.66+00:00

Hi @Steven-N

So what you mean is to create 4 differents searchers, one for each library? Is not possible to get them all from one? It would be great, if it's not the case I will create one for each, no problem.

Could you bring one example of the query? I don't really know how them work :(

Right know there are URLs in the "Ambits" scopes, so it brins us to the library, not the results in the searcher box results.

What does keep boolean logic in the query? And yes the important is to get only the title/filename, because there will be columns with metadata fot filter other important information, but that would be refiners work.

Could you please, add some images in the steps so I can visually see how and where to act? Thanks.
Steven-N 21,165 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-01-29T14:06:20.8733333+00:00
Hi Charlie Martharper

From my perspective view, you don’t need 4 separate search boxes. Keep one Search Box + one Search Results page, and scope what it searches either by (a) one Result Source for all 4 libraries or (b) 4 Result Sources + 4 “vertical” result pages (Ambits).

The key is that Ambits must point to a search results page (for example, results.aspx) where the Search Results Web Part runs the query and then passes results to the Refinement (refiners) and Search Navigation web parts a library view (AllItems.aspx) will never behave like a search results page.

Example query (Title + FileName only, scoped to 4 libraries): in the Search Results Web Part → Change query, use the default query variable {searchboxquery} and place it only in property restrictions (so you don’t do a free-text “content” search).

(Title:"{searchboxquery}" OR FileName:{searchboxquery}*) AND (Path:"https://MyServer/Library1" OR Path:"https://MyServer/Library2" OR Path:"https://MyServer/Library3" OR Path:"https://MyServer/Library4") AND IsDocument:1

Additionally, if you want Ambits (HJ23/GiPSS/AP/All) to switch scopes cleanly, I suggest that create Result Sources (each can have a query transform to narrow to a subset like one library), then configure each vertical results page to use the matching Result Source.
Charlie Martharper 385 Reputation points

2026-02-13T07:37:31.5166667+00:00

Hi @Steven-N

I just need to add filename in this querytext so the search specifies just into filenames and not summary:

Path:"https://[Moderator note: personal info removed]/PROCESSOS AP/*" OR Path:"https://[Moderator note: personal info removed]/PROCESSOS HJ23/" OR Path:"https://[Moderator note: personal info removed]/PROCESSOS TERRITORIAL/" OR Path:"https://[Moderator note: personal info removed]/PROCESSOS GIPSS/" isdocument: 1

Where should I put it? Right now it looks ok, because it finds the files in the libraries I specified. But now I just want to look throufh file names, not summary.

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Advanced Searcher into multiple libraries SP On-Premise

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