Define scopes for searches (Search Server 2008)
Applies To: Microsoft Search Server 2008
Topic Last Modified: 2010-02-22
To focus a search on particular locations or content, end users select scopes from the scope list beside the Search box. They can choose All Sites to search all available locations and their content. They can also limit their searches to certain locations or to content marked with particular property values. For example, a query on the This Site scope (if available) focuses the search on the current site and its subsites.
Note
Unless otherwise noted, the information in this article applies to both Microsoft Search Server 2008 and Microsoft Search Server 2008 Express.
Default scopes, such as All Sites, are defined by default and are shared among all end-user site collections. A site collection administrator can copy a default scope and modify that copy and can add more scopes for use within the site collection. The site collection administrator creates scope display groups and arranges scopes within them, so that site owners can apply them to modify instances of the scope list on their pages.
Note
By default, the scopes picker on the Advanced Search page is hidden. However, an administrator with permission to edit the Advanced Search page can choose to modify the Advanced Search Web part to display its list and assign a display group to populate it with scopes.
In this article:
Planning scopes
Displaying the View Scopes page
Defining or editing a scope
Adding or editing scope rules
Deleting a scope or scope rules
Configuring scope display groups
Assigning a display group to a scope list
Planning scopes
An administrator defines scopes so that users can focus their searches on particular locations and content. When defining a scope, you can combine location rules with property rules to limit searches as desired. For example, a scope can direct a query to particular sites, or to documents marked with particular property values.
Note
Property values are available to searches by using the managed properties feature to which certain content properties are mapped. A drop-down list of the managed properties that can be used in scopes appears in the Property Query section of the Create Scope page and the Edit Scope page. See the later section Adding or editing scope rules.
Displaying the View Scopes page
To access the View Scopes page to add or modify scopes and scope display groups, you need to have site collection administrator permissions.
Display the View Scopes page
Log on to the Search Center site with site collection administrator permissions.
Click the Site Actions menu, and choose Site Settings.
On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, click Search scopes. This displays the View Scopes page.
To define a new scope, click New Scope, and then follow the steps in the next section, Defining or editing a scope.
To edit the rules for an existing scope, click the Add rules link when it appears under Update Status, and then follow the steps in the later section Adding or editing scope rules.
To define a custom display group and arrange scopes within it, click New Display Group, and then follow the steps in the later section Configuring scope display groups.
Defining or editing a scope
Scopes make it possible to focus searches on particular locations or materials. An administrator with site collection administrator permissions can copy a default scope and modify that copy, and can also add scopes for use within the site collection.
When adding a custom scope to a site collection, it can be helpful to begin by copying a default scope such as All Sites, and then add rules that specify locations, content types, or property values. By combining and adjusting multiple rules, the administrator can design scopes that provide focused searches tailored to the needs of particular work groups.
Define or edit a scope
Follow the steps in the previous section Displaying the View Scopes page.
Click New Scope to display the Create Scope page.
Or click the name of an existing scope to display the Scope Properties and Rules page, and then click Change scope settings to display the Edit Scope page.
In the Title box, type a word, name, acronym, or short phrase to display in the Scopes list.
In the Description box, explain the purpose of the scope. This is an optional description, for your reference, and does not display to end users.
In the Display Groups section, choose where to display this scope, for example, Search drop-down list.
In the Target Results Page section, choose whether to display the results from searches of this scope on the default search results page or a different Web page. To use a different search results page, select Specify a different page for searching this scope, and type the Web address (URL) for another existing results page in the Target results page box. (For example, http://site/subsite/folder/CustomResultsPage.aspx).
Click OK to save the scope and return to the View Scopes page.
To add scope rules, click Add rules next to the name of the scope, and then follow the steps in the following section Adding or editing scope rules.
Adding or editing scope rules
Add or edit scope rules
Follow the steps in the previous section Displaying the View Scopes page.
Under Update Status, click the Add rules link next to the name of a scope. This displays the Add Scope Rule page.
Or click the name of the scope to display the Scope Properties and Rules page, and then, in the Rules section, click an existing rule to edit that rule or click New Rule to display the Edit Scope Rule page and create a new rule.
In the Scope Rule Type section of the page chosen, choose a type of rule. The choices are Web Address, Property Query, Content Source, or All Content.
To include or exclude a location, choose Web Address, and type a location in one of the boxes. (To apply rules to multiple locations, define a separate rule for each location.)
If you type a path in the Folder box (for example, http://site/subsite/folder), the rule applies only to items located within the folder indicated and its subfolders.
If you type a host name in the Hostname box, the rule applies to items located anywhere on that host.
If you type a domain name in the Domain or subdomain box (for example, widgets.msn.com), the rule applies to all items located within that domain.
To include or exclude content found by searching on a value assigned to a managed property, choose Property Query. Select a property, and then enter a value. (To apply rules to multiple properties or values, define a separate rule for each property setting.)
To make additional managed properties available for use in scopes, navigate to the managed properties list, and then select Allow this property to be used in scopes for the desired managed properties. To navigate to the managed properties list, go to the Search Administration page, and, under Queries and Results, click Metadata properties.
To create a scope that includes anything that is crawled by the content source called Local Office SharePoint Server sites, under Scope Rule Type choose Content Source, and under Content Source select Local Office SharePoint Server sites.
To apply a rule to all content from all sites included in the search index, choose All Content.
Select a Behavior to choose how this rule combines with other rules to define the scope. Choose Include for an "OR" rule, or Exclude for an "AND NOT" rule, or Require for an "AND" rule, and click OK to apply the rule.
For example, if you apply include rules named I1 and I2, require rules named R1 and R2, and exclude rules named E1 and E2, the resulting scope equals the following:
(I1 OR I2) AND R1 AND R2 AND (NOT E1) and (NOT E2)
Note
Search scopes and their rules are compiled on a schedule that is adjusted automatically based on the frequency of past updates. The search services administrator can also set scope updates to occur manually. A new scope does not appear in a Search Box scope list until after its first compilation.
Deleting a scope or scope rules
To delete scopes or scope rules, follow the steps in the previous section Displaying the View Scopes page. Then do the following:
Deleting a scope
Delete a scope
Move the cursor over the name of the scope on the View Scopes page, expand the menu that appears, and then click Delete.
When you are prompted, click OK.
Deleting scope rules
Delete scope rules
Move the cursor over the name of a scope on the View Scopes page, expand the menu that appears, and then click Edit Properties and Rules. This displays the Scope Properties and Rules page.
To delete an individual scope rule:
Click the name of the rule on the Scope Properties and Rules page.
At the bottom of the Edit Scope Rule page, click Delete.
To delete all rules for a scope:
Find the Rules section of the Scope Properties and Rules page.
Click Delete all rules.
Configuring scope display groups
An administrator with site collection administrator permissions can create a new scope display group and arrange scopes within it, or add scopes to existing display groups.
Creating or editing scope display groups
To enable a site owner to change the scopes available from the scope list beside a Search box, a site collection administrator can modify existing display groups, or create new display groups and arrange scopes within them. A site owner can then use this new display group to modify the scope list in instances of the Search Box Web Part.
Create or edit scope display groups
Follow the steps in the previous section Displaying the View Scopes page.
Click New Display Group to display the Create Scope Display Group page.
Or click the name of a custom display group to display the Edit Scope Display Group page.
On the page selected, type a Title that helps site owners to identify the display group.
Type a Description that explains the range of scopes provided in this display group, and where these choices might be useful.
In the Scopes section, select the check box next to each scope to include in the display group.
Use the Position from Top lists to adjust the order of scopes within the display group.
In the Default Scope list, choose the scope to be selected when the scope list is displayed, and searched if the user does not change the selection.
Click OK to finish creating the new display group.
Including a scope in display groups
A scope can be added to existing display groups from the Edit Scope page.
Include a scope in display groups
Follow the steps in the previous section Displaying the View Scopes page.
Click the name of a scope for which to Edit Properties and Rules.
On the Scope Properties and Rules page, click Change scope settings in the Scope Settings section.
On the Edit Scope page, select any Display Group to include in this scope, and clear any not to include.
Click OK to save your changes.
Assigning a display group to a scope list
Assign a display group to a scope list
- Log on to the Search Center site with Designer permissions or higher.
Note
An administrator with site collection administrator permissions can modify any Web site within the site collection. A site owner can modify all pages on one site.
Click the Site Actions menu, and choose Edit page.
Move the cursor to the Search Box Web Part, expand its Edit menu, and choose Modify Shared Web Part.
Within the Search Box tool pane, click the plus sign (+) to expand the Miscellaneous section.
Scroll to the Scope Display Group box, type the name of the display group that furnishes the scopes for this scope list, and then click Apply.
Make any other changes desired, and then click OK to close the tool pane.