Unlocking the Power of SharePoint: Crawled Properties, Managed Properties, and the Highlighted Content Web Part

In the world of SharePoint Online, Crawled Properties, Managed Properties, and the Highlighted Content Web Part are essential tools for surfacing the right content at the right time. Understanding how these elements interact allows users to supercharge their SharePoint search and content discovery capabilities, ensuring that information is more accessible, discoverable, and contextualized for end users.

1. Crawled Properties: The Foundation for Search

Crawled properties are the metadata fields that SharePoint collects from documents and list items when it crawls the content in your site. These properties are automatically generated whenever SharePoint indexes your content, and they serve as the building blocks of your search schema.

Think of crawled properties as raw data—details like author, title, or creation date—that SharePoint collects during a crawl. These properties come from both built-in metadata and custom columns you've added to your lists and libraries. For example, if you have a list with a custom column called “Project Deadline,” SharePoint will create a crawled property for that column during a site crawl.

While crawled properties are automatically generated, they aren't directly searchable by default. This is where managed properties come into play.

2. Managed Properties: Making Metadata Searchable

Managed properties are essentially search-optimized versions of crawled properties. They allow you to define which metadata fields should be searchable, sortable, and refinable in SharePoint. Managed properties provide a layer of control over your search schema, enabling you to map multiple crawled properties to a single managed property to unify search results across different content types.

For example, if you have several document libraries with different columns for "Author" or "Owner," you can map these crawled properties to a single managed property called "DocumentAuthor" to standardize how users search for documents by author.

How to Create a Managed Property:

1. Go to the Search Schema in the SharePoint Admin Center.
2. Choose or create a new managed property.
3. Map one or more crawled properties to this managed property.
4. Define the property’s behavior (e.g., searchable, queryable, refinable).

Once you've mapped the crawled properties to managed properties, your content becomes more discoverable. Managed properties also enable users to create search queries that target specific fields and improve the relevance of search results.

3. The Highlighted Content Web Part: Surfacing Relevant Content

The Highlighted Content Web Part (HCWP) is one of the most powerful tools for displaying dynamic, relevant content across your SharePoint sites. This web part allows you to filter and display content based on various criteria, leveraging crawled and managed properties to fine-tune the content you want to showcase.

Whether you're looking to display the most recent documents, announcements, or pages based on metadata or search queries, the Highlighted Content Web Part is a flexible and easy-to-use option.

Key Features of the Highlighted Content Web Part:

• Content Source Selection: Choose to display content from a specific library, site, or across all sites.
• Filtering and Sorting: Apply filters based on metadata like created date, document type, or author. You can also sort results to surface the most relevant items.
• Query Customization: Use KQL (Keyword Query Language) to build advanced queries leveraging your managed properties, giving you even greater control over which content is highlighted.
• Layout Options: Select from multiple layout options to display content in tiles, lists, or carousel formats, enhancing the visual appeal of your site.

By connecting your managed properties with the Highlighted Content Web Part, you can create personalized and targeted content views that adapt to your users' needs in real time.

4. Best Practices for Using Crawled Properties, Managed Properties, and the Highlighted Content Web Part

A. Map Relevant Crawled Properties to Managed Properties

• Focus on the metadata fields that will provide the most value in search and content discovery.
• Consolidate redundant crawled properties (e.g., “Author” and “Owner”) to ensure consistent search behavior.

B. Leverage Managed Properties in Search and Web Parts

• Use managed properties in content filters within the Highlighted Content Web Part to display highly targeted information.
• Customize your search refiners using managed properties, so users can narrow their search results more effectively.

C. Use the Highlighted Content Web Part for Key Information

• Create web parts that dynamically surface important content, such as recent updates, project documents, or announcements.
• Experiment with KQL queries to fine-tune which documents or pages are displayed based on specific metadata criteria.

5. Unlocking the Full Potential of SharePoint Search

By mastering crawled properties, managed properties, and the Highlighted Content Web Part, you can unlock the full potential of SharePoint's search capabilities. These tools give you the power to:

• Ensure that your content is discoverable through metadata and search.
• Create dynamic, targeted content displays for users.
• Improve the overall usability and relevance of your SharePoint sites.

In today’s content-driven workplace, it’s essential to leverage SharePoint’s advanced search features to provide the right information at the right time. Whether you're managing a large intranet or a single project site, understanding and using these tools effectively can help you and your team stay informed, productive, and engaged.

Conclusion

At KeyWe, we understand the importance of delivering personalized and relevant content experiences in SharePoint. By expertly configuring crawled properties, mapping them to managed properties, and utilizing the Highlighted Content Web Part, we help businesses enhance content discoverability and streamline their SharePoint environments. Partner with us to master these foundational features, ensuring your teams have access to the right information at the right time, improving efficiency and productivity across your organization.