Forum Discussion
How to Index and Search SharePoint Online Custom Columns
SharePoint Online is basically a big Azure SQL application. Custom columns for sites and libraries enhance metadata and are even better if they’re properly indexed to become searchable. This article explores how even non-SharePoint administrators can create, index, and search custom columns. The key thing is to take your time. SharePoint cannot be rushed!
https://office365itpros.com/2025/02/13/custom-columns-search/
1 Reply
Tony, In SharePoint Online, custom columns can be made searchable using crawled properties and managed properties. We know library column indexing improves filtering performance but is different from SharePoint Search indexing.
Here are the recommended steps:
1. Create a site column: Create a custom column (for instance `ProjectCode`), add it to the document library, and populate it with values.
2. Verify search properties: Navigate to Site Settings → Search Schema and check whether SharePoint has automatically generated a managed property, such as `ProjectCodeOWSTEXT`. Reach out to me if you need to understand the difference between managed and crawled properties; it's key here.
3. Configure mapping if needed: For advanced filtering or refiners, map the crawled property to an unused managed property such as `RefinableString00` and optionally assign an alias.
4. Reindex the library: Navigate to Library Settings → Advanced Settings → Reindex Document Library. Allow time for SharePoint to process the changes.
5. Search using KQL: Once indexing is complete, search using the managed property: `ProjectCodeOWSTEXT:PRJ001`
Important: Automatically generated managed properties may eliminate the need for manual mapping. Also, reindexing is asynchronous, so search updates may not appear immediately. Give it a try and let me know, if this is still an issue.
