Site Columns don't become Crawled Properties (in page library)

Copper Contributor

Hi all,

 

I hope someone here can help me as the admins in my organization don't seem to find a solution to my issue.

 

My problem is this: I have site columns fed by my managed metadata. I use those site columns in document libraries and in the page library. My goal is to filter all documents and news posts using the PnP Modern Search (v4).

 

This works very well so far - at least for the documents inside my document library. For whatever reason, however, when adding site columns to the page library instead and filling them with metadata, these metadata do not become crawled properties, i.e. they do not show up when I try to add them to managed properties (RefinableString). This is really odd and I suppose this is due to incorrect site settings. I was in touch with colleagues from my organization who run another SP communication site and who do not run into this problem, but where page library columns are readily available as crawles properties. 

 

Can anyone think of a possible solution?

 

Many thanks!

5 Replies
Have you tagged the field ? as in put a value on one of the pages?
If so, force a reindex

@PhilAre I think you have added values in your site columns against page properties. If not, tag few site pages with some values in those site columns.

 

Also, for how much time you waited after adding values in those site columns? It may take some time for crawling.

 

Also, you can manually request to reindex your site pages library, follow this: Reindex a document library or a list 


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I encountered the same issue. What I did was include the site column in a content type (where the parent content type is 'Site Page'), then proceeded to create a new page and filled in the page details for the managed metadata field. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I observed that the managed property was automatically generated as "owstaxid<SiteColumnName>".

@PhilAre As a seasoned SharePoint administrator, I've encountered similar challenges in the past, and I have a few suggestions that may help resolve this issue. First, let's ensure the site columns are properly configured. Double-check that the data types and settings are correct, and that the columns are published and readily available for use in the page library. Sometimes, minor configuration tweaks can make all the difference. Next, I'd recommend adding some test values to the site columns on a few sample pages in the page library. This can help trigger the crawling process and make the columns visible as crawled properties.

 

Once you've done this, you can manually request a reindex of the page library to ensure the changes are reflected. Now, let's consider the content type configuration. Have you tried creating a new content type that inherits from the "Site Page" content type and adding the site columns to that new content type? This approach can sometimes help the site columns become properly crawled, as the search engine may have an easier time indexing the data. Additionally, it's worth double-checking the search configuration for your site. Ensure that the page library is included in the appropriate search scope and that the managed property settings are correctly mapped to the site columns.

 

If none of these suggestions resolve the issue, you may want to consider an alternative approach using the PnP Modern Search web part with a search-driven page library. In this scenario, the pages are stored in a separate document library, and the page library is used only for navigation. This can sometimes work around the challenges you're facing with site columns not being properly crawled in the page library.

 

I understand that this issue can be quite frustrating, but I'm confident that with a thorough investigation and some strategic adjustments, we can find a solution that works for your organization. Please feel free to reach out if you have any additional questions or need further assistance.

Is this a site using Team site template as opposed to a communications site template, then its worth adding the user you have logged in as a Site Collection administrator and try re-indexing again.

Also refer this: https://www.techmikael.com/2020/11/mapping-or-clearing-crawled-property-to.html