Connecting external data sources to Search is both art and science. Fun and challenge! Providing a unified user experience across various systems needs proper planning and implementation. In this demo-packed webinar, Agnes demonstrates practical steps of enhancing Search with external data, setting up and normalizing the search schema, using result sources, customizing the UI, and many more.

1. Connecting External Content to
SharePoint Search
Agnes Molnar, Managing Consultant
@SearchExplained

2. The Search Processes
Crawling
Content
Processing
Indexing
Querying
Presenting
Results
Capturing Clicks
Analyzing Suggesting Tuning

3. Crawling & Indexing

4. The Search Processes - Components

5. BUSINESS CONNECTIVITY SERVICE

6. External Lists
• Connect external data to SharePoint lists

7. External Data Source

8. External Lists
Pros
 Easy to set-up
 Easy to configure for crawl
 Available OOTB
Cons
- Limited functionality
- Limited performance
- Limited security options
- Limited types of data source

9. SEARCH CONNECTORS

10. Most Common Data Sources
Content Management Systems
CRM systems
Collaboration platforms
Enterprise portals
Archiving systems
Mailboxes
Databases
Other Search systems
…

11. Search Connectors

12. Challenges

13. METADATA

14. Refinement
Result Type &
Display Template On Hover Panel
Queries &
Query Rules

15. Consistent and Quality Metadata is a MUST
Crawled Properties
Managed Properties
Project Number
Client Name
Project Financial ID
Project Number
External Content
CustomerNo
ProjectNo
Unstructured
Content
Project NBR
ClientNumber
ClientName
List data
Project ID
ClientID
Client Name
Content Type
Project ID
Customer

16. SECURITY

17. Security
• Security Trimmed Results
• Goal:
to protect Enterprise Search
from “security incidents”
• Enterprise Search Security = Content Security
• Enterprise Search != Security Leak

18. USER EXPERIENCE

19. Queries

20. Queries
Searching
For…
Keyword Example Description
General Text Training Search for items containing “Training”
Wildcard Train* Search for items like “Training” and “Trainer”
Phrase “Training Room” Search for the exact phrase
Documents IsDocument Training IsDocument:1 Returns documents containing “Training”
FileExtension Training FileExtension:docx Returns Word documents containing “Training”
Author Author:Cox IsDocument:1 Returns documents authored by “Cox”
Title Title:Training IsDocument:1 Returns documents with “Training” in the title
People Lastname Lastname:C Returns all people whose last name starts with
“C”
Tasks contentClass contentClass:STS_ListItem_Tasks Returns all task items
Events contentClass contentClass:STS_ListItem_Events Returns all calendar events

21. Queries
• The most important query operators:
Type Operator
Boolean AND, OR,NOT
Parentheses ()
Wildcard *
Inclusion and exclusion operators + or -, respectively

22. Displaying the Results

23. Displaying the Results

24. + Document Display Templates
https://searchexplained.com/custom-document-search-experience-display-template/

25. Thank You & Keep in Touch!
Agnes.Molnar@SearchExplained.com
@SearchExplained
https://SearchExplained.com/roadshow
Use the code: “LightningTools” to get 25% OFF!*
* Available until Jan 18 only!
https://SearchExplained.com/books
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