New SharePoint Syntex functionality has recently arrived in my tenant to extend the Advanced Search functionality that is available in document libraries to allow custom columns from your Syntex models to be added to search. This feature is only available to licenced Syntex users, only in libraries that have Syntex models applied to them and is accessible via an +Add more options link. This advanced Syntex search enables users to do an advanced metadata search over files from the top M365 suite search bar.
Before today this advanced search only allowed search using six pre-set columns: Keywords, File name, People, Modified date, File type and Content type. Now advanced search can use custom fields (managed metadata and multi line text fields not supported at present) created from extractors in your Syntex Model and other Syntex default fields such as Classification Date or Confidence Score can be used.
Testing out Advanced Metadata Search with Custom Columns
I will now show you how to use advanced metadata search on a Syntex enabled library.
Go to a SharePoint document library where you have added a Syntex model and added content. Go to the M365 global search box along the top bar of the page and then select the advanced metadata search icon.
The advanced metadata search flyout then extends out from the top search box and there is now a Add more options button which is used to search with custom columns. Select the Add more options button.
Select a custom column from the dropdown i.e. in my case Airline.
The custom field is now added to the flyout and I can even add further custom columns if required by selecting Add more options again. I am going to add the search term “British Airways” to my custom Airline field I added and then click the Search button.
A filtered view of the document library using the search queries is then displayed and the document with the Airline British Airways is displayed.
Summary
This blog is part of SharePoint Week. Find more here.
About the Author:
Leon is a M365 solutions consultant at Intelogy based in London UK and has been working with SharePoint (my first love!) in Europe & Australasia for well over a decade. Now working over the whole stack of M365 and Azure. He enjoys seeing in the workplace how technology can drive improvement and efficiency.
Leon specialises in helping clients match the best tool for the job from the Microsoft technological Swiss army knife. He works with Microsoft 365 with a big focus of SharePoint (document management, migrations, provisioning, automation, administration, Syntex), Teams, PowerShell (second love!), Power Platform and the Viva employee experience platform.
Leon is passionate about learning and sharing knowledge with others. He enjoys contributing to the PnP (Patterns & Practices) community especially PnP PowerShell.
Reference:
Armston, L. (2022). SharePoint Syntex: Advanced Search Now Using Custom Columns. Available at: https://www.leonarmston.com/2022/04/sharepoint-syntex-advanced-search-now-using-custom-columns/ [Accessed: April 24th 2022].
