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susheel020's avatar
susheel020
Copper Contributor
Sep 13, 2023

SharePoint Online Query Rules

We are migrating SharePoint on premise 2013 site to SP online. In on premise, we had a PowerShell script to export all the query rulles report for review on monthly basis. But when we are migrating to SP online, MS engineer suggested that there is no PowerShell script available to export the queryrules from SharePoint online. 

 

Please let me know if there is a way to export all query rules in CSV and import them as well in SharePoint online.

  • NikolinoDE's avatar
    NikolinoDE
    Gold Contributor

    susheel020 

    As far as I know, there is not a direct PowerShell script or native SharePoint Online cmdlet that can be used to export and import query rules in SharePoint Online as easily as in SharePoint on-premises. Query rules in SharePoint Online are managed differently compared to the on-premises version.

    However, you can potentially achieve this by a combination of methods. Here is a high-level approach to export and potentially import query rules in SharePoint Online:

    Exporting Query Rules:

    1. Use the SharePoint Online Management Shell: You can use the SharePoint Online Management Shell to retrieve information about query rules. While it will not export them to a CSV directly, you can script it to collect the data you need and format it as desired. Here is a basic example:

    Powershell  code:

     

    # Connect to SharePoint Online
    Connect-SPOService -url https://yourdomain-admin.sharepoint.com
    
    # Get all query rules
    $queryRules = Get-SPOSite -Identity https://yourdomain.sharepoint.com | Get-SPOSearchQueryRules
    
    # Output to CSV or format as needed
    $queryRules | Export-Csv -Path "QueryRules.csv" -NoTypeInformation

     

    1. Use Graph API: You can also use Microsoft Graph API to retrieve query rules information. This might require some coding, but it offers more flexibility. Here is an overview of how you could do it:
      • Authenticate with Microsoft Graph API.
      • Use the /sites/{site-id}/lists/{list-id}/items endpoint to retrieve items from the Query Rules list.
      • Format the retrieved data as needed and export it to a CSV file.

    Importing Query Rules:

    Importing query rules in SharePoint Online is more challenging because there is no direct PowerShell cmdlet or API for creating query rules. Microsoft recommends using the SharePoint Online UI or using PnP PowerShell to provision query rules programmatically. You would need to script the creation of query rules based on your exported data.

    Here is a general approach for importing query rules:

    1. Create a Template: Manually create a query rule in SharePoint Online that represents the structure of the rules you want to import. This will serve as a template.
    2. Use PnP PowerShell: You can use PnP PowerShell to provision query rules based on your exported data. Write a script that reads the data from your exported CSV and creates query rules using the PnP PowerShell cmdlets.

    Here is a simplified example of creating a query rule using PnP PowerShell:

    Powershell code:

     

    # Connect to SharePoint Online
    Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://yourdomain.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite -UseWebLogin
    
    # Create a query rule based on your exported data
    New-PnPSearchQueryRule -Title "My Query Rule" -ActionType "QueryModification" -QueryString "YourQuery" -QueryTransform "YourTransform" -PropertyMappings "PropertyMappings"

     

    Please note that the specific implementation details will depend on your exact requirements and the complexity of your query rules.

    Check if there may have been updates or changes to SharePoint Online capabilities and APIs. It is always a good idea to check the latest Microsoft documentation or consult with Microsoft support for the most up-to-date information and guidance regarding query rules in SharePoint Online. The text and steps were edited with the help of AI.

     

    My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

     

    Hope this will help you.

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