As a SharePoint administrator, I know how frustrating it can be when search is broken. This guide covers what to check when Microsoft SharePoint Search not working and how to resolve it quickly in both Online and On-Prem environments.
I’ll explain everything you need to know:
- Common Scenarios Where SharePoint Search Does Not Work
- Why is Microsoft SharePoint Search Not Working?
- How to Troubleshoot & Fix Microsoft SharePoint Search Not Working
- Use PowerShell to Troubleshoot SharePoint Search
- Preventive Tips I Follow Now
- Still Not Working? Try This
- Author’s Verdict
- People Also Ask
Common Scenarios Where SharePoint Search Does Not Work
Common problems I’ve encountered:
- Search returns no results at all
- Search is not indexing newly uploaded documents
- Only partial results show up
- People search doesn’t work
- Managed metadata is missing from search
- SharePoint Online modern search web parts are empty
- Classic search center throws 500 errors
Next, we will discuss what’s behind these problems and how to fix them step by step.
Why is Microsoft SharePoint Search Not Working?
Recently, I faced a SharePoint search that was not working, and researched the root causes. Here are the common reasons and solutions to troubleshoot:
#1. Content Not Crawled Yet
Do you know, if the content hasn’t been crawled, it won’t show up? So, search in SharePoint relies on the search index, which is built through a crawl process. Therefore, it is suggested to wait for a full crawl, or you can manually trigger a reindex to fix SharePoint search does not work, which I’ll explain further.
#2. Custom Permissions or Broken Inheritance
If a user doesn’t have permission to the content, it won’t appear in their search results, even if the content exists. So, review site and document permissions, or contact your admin for granting access permission.
#3. Incorrect Search Scope or Query Settings
I’ve seen modern web parts configured to show only items from a specific site or list. If the scope is wrong, your results might be empty. That’s why always double-check the search scope in the web part or classic search center settings to avoid Microsoft SharePoint Search not working issues.
#4. Reindex Required
Sometimes content changes aren’t picked up because the reindex flag hasn’t been triggered. But don’t worry, you can manually reindex the library or list especially useful when you’re trying to export SharePoint list to PDF:
- Open the library settings
- Click on Advanced settings
- Select Reindex Document Library
If SharePoint search does not work related to crawling, within 15-60 minutes, it will resolve.
#5. Search Service Application Issues for SharePoint On-Premise Only
In SharePoint Server environments, I’ve had to dig into the Search Service Application itself. For the same, I check Central Admin, then select the Manage Service Applications option. Lastly, hit the Search Service Application.
Sometimes search is not running, and with the Search Service Application, you can easily resolve the issue.
How to Troubleshoot & Fix Microsoft SharePoint Search Not Working Issues
Here a five quick steps which I used to fix a recent issue:
- Step 1. Verify user permissions. Once you grant access, the documents start appearing in their search.
- Step 2. When newly added content doesn’t show up in search, open Library Settings, then move to Advanced settings. Finally, click the Reindex Document Library option, and wait for about 15–30 minutes.
In SharePoint Online, search indexing is handled by Microsoft, so you can’t trigger a full crawl like in on-premises.
- Step 3. On another site, if someone accidentally added a custom result source that restricted search to an old site collection. Then reset it back to the default to troubleshoot the SharePoint search does not work error:
- Open Site Settings > Search Settings
- Remove custom result source or custom query rules
- Step 4. Check Crawl Logs for On-Prem to identify content that failed to index due to access-denied errors. To do so, first access Central Admin, then click on Search Service App > Crawl Log.
- Step 5. To resolve Microsoft SharePoint Search not working, check modern search web parts, because modern pages use Search Vertical or Highlighted Content web parts. I had to:
- Edit the Page
- Edit the Web Part
- Ensure the source was set to This site or All sites
- Verify filters weren’t excluding relevant content
Use PowerShell to Troubleshoot SharePoint Search Does Not Work for On-Premises
If you’re on SharePoint Server, PowerShell helps you fix issues. For example, if you’re experiencing errors similar to SharePoint HTTP 404 Not Found, restarting search services resolve problems.
I’ve used this command to restart search components:
Restart-Service SPSearchHostController
Restart-Service OSearch15
Also useful:
Get-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlLog -StartTime (Get-Date).AddDays(-1) | Format-Table Url, ErrorMessage
Preventive Tips I Follow Now
To avoid Microsoft SharePoint Search not working issues in future, follow these tips:
- Reindex lists after major metadata or permission changes
- Keep permissions clean and avoid unnecessary inheritance breaks
- Use out-of-the-box search settings unless you need customisation
- For on-prem, monitor crawl logs regularly
These small steps help you to prevent search-related issues.
Still Not Working? Try This
In case nothing above helps, then follow these for quick troubleshooting:
- Create a new page and test a Highlighted Content web part
- Ask a colleague to search and compare results
- Open a Microsoft support ticket for SharePoint Online
- Use a third-party tool to search and confirm content presence
If your SharePoint Search stopped working after migrating data to another site or tenant, chances are the metadata wasn’t preserved correctly. I’ve seen this happen when moving document libraries or lists manually.
That’s why I now recommend using a professional migration solution like SharePoint Online Migrator. It helps migrate entire lists, libraries, sites, or even full tenant content while maintaining:
- Searchable metadata
- Folder hierarchy
- User/group permissions
- Version history
With the right tool, you can avoid post-migration issues like broken search, incomplete results, or reindexing.
Author’s Verdict
Search is one of the most important features in SharePoint, and also one of the most misunderstood. When Microsoft SharePoint Search not working properly, it affects productivity. I experienced this problem, and that’s why I explained the root causes and solutions to fix it quickly.
So that users and admins like me can get relief from SharePoint search does not work effortlessly.
People Also Ask
Q. How to Reindex a SharePoint List or Library Step-by-Step
Here are the quick steps to reindex a SharePoint list or library manually:
- Open list or library
- Click Settings > List/Library Settings
- Select Advanced settings
- Click Reindex List/Library
- Wait 15–60 minutes for results to show
Q. Why is SharePoint Search not returning any results?
SharePoint Search may return no results due to:
- Missing crawl data
- Broken permissions
- Misconfigured web parts
- Content not being reindexed.
Q. How long does it take for SharePoint Search to update?
In SharePoint Online, indexing takes between 15 to 60 minutes after reindexing. In SharePoint Server/On-premise, it depends on your crawl schedule.
Q. Why is SharePoint not indexing new documents?
This could be due to a paused crawl, blocked file types, custom permissions, or the need to reindex the library. Try to reindex.
Q. Does SharePoint Search respect user permissions?
Yes, SharePoint Search only shows content users have permission to view.
Q. Can I troubleshoot Microsoft SharePoint Search not working with PowerShell?
Yes, in SharePoint Server, PowerShell can be used to restart search services via the Get-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlLog. It helps identify crawl failures.