Empty library search - Sharepoint online

[SteffenHNW]

Hi,

24h ago, I created a document library and added some Word documents. I can find these documents with the website search, but if I use the search in document library, the results are always empty.

Search option for this library is activated.. reindex didn't help though.

Can somebody help me with this problem?

Thanks

Steffen

[#2]

Hello @SteffenHNW 

are the site index also activated?

Please sure, that every document are NOT checked out and only documents with a MAJOR version are indexed in search, when you use versioning, publish the documents.

Best, Dave

[#3]

Hi Dave - @DaveMehr365 ,

site index is activated.. the search works for other librarys.

No document is checked out and 3 documents have a major version and are published.

Hallo David,

hier nochmal auf deutsch 🙂

Ich habe eine Bibliothek erstellt, in der ich Dokumente mit Genehmigungsflow (PowerAutomate) freigeben möchte. Das funktioniert auch alles. Wenn ich auf unserer Startseite suche, finde ich auch die genehmigten Dokumente. Aber wenn ich in der Bibliothek bin und da bei "Diese Bibliothek durchsuchen" ein Keyword eingebe, kommt immer "Es stimmen keine Elemente mit Ihrer Suche überein". Vielleicht könnte ich das Problem lösen, indem ich die Bibliothek neu anlege, aber ich würde gerne wissen warum das in dieser Bibliothek nicht funktioniert 🙂

Danke für deine Zeit und Hilfe!

[#4]

Hello @SteffenHNW 

ok, what do you mean with "keywords"? It's a term in a document or it's a specific SharePoint field?

You can try to create a new library, only for search check.

Best, Dave

[#5]

Hi @DaveMehr365 ,

with keyword I mean the search (key-)word. Just like "user", "test", "update".

I have created a blank library and there is the same problem. Our older librarys doesn't have this problem. Just uploaded 4 files to the library and created 1 manually... no further changes.

Here some screenshots:

library

settingssearch

[#6]

Hello @SteffenHNW

is this setting on yes?

 Best, Dave

[#7]

Hi @DaveMehr365 ,

yes it is.

Greets, Steffen

[#8]

Hello @SteffenHNW 

have you also created a new site? Does the problem exist there too?

When yes...looks like an tenant issue and create an MS case.

Best, Dave

[#9]

@SteffenHNW have you had any progress on this issue? We have been having this issue since 12/28 with any new files created.

[#10]

@SageEdsall and @SteffenHNW - We are experiencing the same symptom. Documents added to a specific document library after Dec 31, 2022 are not appearing in document library search results.  However, they DO appear when you expand the search to "search across sites".

I was going to try reindexing, but have not yet because this particular document library is huge. 

Edit:  I just checked a couple other SP sites in our tenant and some random document libraries in them.  The issue is the same everywhere.  No documents added in 2023 are returned in the document library search.  They only return in a "search across sites" search.

[#11]

Hi @SageEdsall and @bperry ,

today I have opened a microsoft support case for this problem.

I'll report the resolution as soon as I get the answer.

Greets,

Steffen!

[#12]

Happy Monday @SteffenHNW !

Just wondering if Microsoft has responded to your support case yet.

I opened my own this morning.  Microsoft tech collected some details and is looking into it.

[#13]

Hi @bperry ,

the microsoft supporter said he is going to answer on tuesday.

But today something changed. If I upload a new file or update details of a file, then it appears in the search. Can you see this behaviour, too?

I started a reindex.. perhaps its working tomorrow.

Steffen

[#14]

Hi @SteffenHNW 

We are also able to search new files created after 1/6, but still unable to search files created between 12/28 and 1/6. Can you let us know if the reindex allows you to search the previously unsearchable files?

[#15]

@SteffenHNW and @SageEdsall - I can confirm that files added today to the document libraries I've tested with this issue are showing up in "document library" search results. It does seem like something changed. I didn't do a re-index on either of the document libraries I'm using for testing.

FYI - the document libraries I'm using for this test are in different SP sites.

[#16]

Hi @SageEdsall and @bperry ,

24h after the reindex it looks like it doesn't help. But Microsoft support says it can be 72h.

If the search isn't working in 48h, I will reupload the files.

Greets, Steffen

[#17]

@SteffenHNW - Thanks for the update.

I received a response from Microsoft Support instructing me to run the repairSPOSite cmdlet.

Repair-SPOSite (Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell) | Microsoft Learn

I am hesitant to run that on one of the document libraries where this has been noticed due to the size.  There are 10's of thousands of documents in it.  

That said, I am going to run it on a smaller site and I'll report the results here.

[#18]

The repair command didn't work. I'm done troubleshooting and moving on.

We have just been making copies of the files/folders missing from "document library" search results. Then we delete the original one. The copies show up fine in the search results.

[#19]

@bperry 

The reindex didn't work.

I had to reupload the files between 28/12 and 06/01.

Thanks all for looking into it. I'm sad we didn't find a better solution.

Steffen

[#20]

Anyone has a resolution on this? We have a client who is facing this problem and is seriously impacting their operations