About the GitHub Search Query Tool
The GitHub Search Query Tool is an enhanced version of SharePoint's native search tool that provides comprehensive KQL testing and debugging capabilities. This community-maintained tool offers advanced features for testing search functionality, debugging query issues, and analyzing search behavior in SharePoint Online environments. It includes better error handling, enhanced result visualization, and additional debugging options not available in the standard SharePoint tool. The tool is actively maintained and regularly updated with new features based on community feedback.
Access the Tool
GitHub Repository: SharePoint Search Query Tool
Download and host locally or use the web-based version for immediate testing.
Key Features and Capabilities
- Enhanced KQL Testing: Advanced Keyword Query Language testing with syntax highlighting and error detection
- Result Analysis: Detailed search results with metadata, relevance scores, and performance metrics
- Query Debugging: Step-by-step query execution analysis with detailed error messages
- Property Inspector: View and analyze managed properties and their values
- Performance Monitoring: Track query execution time and result count statistics
- Export Capabilities: Export search results and configurations for documentation
Installation and Setup
- Download from GitHub: Clone or download the repository from the official GitHub location
- Host Locally: Deploy to your SharePoint environment or host on a local web server
- Configure Permissions: Ensure the tool has appropriate permissions to access search APIs
- Test Connection: Verify connectivity to your SharePoint Online tenant
Basic Usage Examples
# Search for documents in a specific library
ContentClass:STS_ListItem_DocumentLibrary
# Find content by specific author
Author:"John Smith" AND ContentClass:STS_ListItem_DocumentLibrary
# Search for recently modified documents
LastModifiedTime>=2025-09-01 AND FileExtension:pdf
# Find pages in specific site collections
Path:"https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing*" AND ContentClass:STS_Web
# Search by content type
ContentTypeId:0x0101* AND Title:budget
# Complex query with multiple conditions
(FileExtension:xlsx OR FileExtension:pdf) AND Author:"Jane Doe" AND LastModifiedTime>=2025-09-01
Advanced Query Techniques
Property-Based Searches
# Search specific managed properties
Title:budget AND Department:Finance
# Use wildcards for partial matches
Author:John* AND FileExtension:doc*
# Range queries for dates and numbers
LastModifiedTime:[2025-09-01..2025-09-15]
Size:[1000000..5000000]
# Boolean operations
(Title:budget OR Title:financial) AND -Author:external
Site and Location Targeting
# Target specific sites
Site:https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing
# Search within site collections
SiteCollection:https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/finance
# List-specific searches
ListId:"{12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789012}"
# Web-specific content
WebId:"{87654321-4321-4321-4321-210987654321}"
Debugging and Troubleshooting
Common Query Issues
- No Results Returned: Check managed property names and ensure content is crawled
- Syntax Errors: Validate KQL syntax and proper use of operators
- Performance Issues: Optimize queries by adding specific filters and avoiding wildcards
- Permission Errors: Verify user has read access to target content
Query Optimization Tips
# Use specific properties instead of general text search
Title:budget (instead of just "budget")
# Combine filters to narrow results
Author:"John Smith" AND LastModifiedTime>=2025-09-01 AND ContentClass:STS_ListItem_DocumentLibrary
# Use exact paths for better performance
Path:"https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/finance/documents*"
# Limit results for testing
(Your query here) AND RowLimit:50
Best Practices
Query Development
- Start Simple: Begin with basic queries and gradually add complexity
- Test Incrementally: Add one filter at a time to understand impact
- Use Specific Properties: Target exact managed properties rather than full-text search
- Document Queries: Save successful queries for reuse and documentation
Performance Optimization
- Limit Scope: Use Path or Site properties to narrow search scope
- Use Filters: Apply ContentClass and other filters to reduce result set
- Avoid Wildcards: Minimize use of wildcard characters in queries
- Set Row Limits: Use RowLimit property for testing and development
Security Considerations
- Test Permissions: Verify queries respect security trimming
- Use Service Accounts: Use dedicated accounts for automated queries
- Audit Query Usage: Monitor and log query execution for compliance
- Protect Sensitive Data: Ensure queries don't expose confidential information
Integration with SharePoint Administration
Search Configuration Testing
Use the tool to validate search configurations:
- Managed Properties: Test custom managed properties and their mappings
- Result Sources: Validate result source configurations and scoping
- Query Rules: Test query rule triggers and result modifications
- Search Scopes: Verify search scope definitions and content inclusion
Content Analysis
# Analyze content distribution
ContentClass:STS_ListItem_DocumentLibrary AND FileExtension:pdf
# Check indexing completeness
LastModifiedTime>=2025-09-14 AND ContentClass:STS_ListItem_DocumentLibrary
# Verify metadata extraction
Author:* AND Department:* AND Title:*
# Test multilingual content
Language:1033 OR Language:1036
Troubleshooting Common Scenarios
Search Not Finding Recent Content
- Check if content is within crawl scope
- Verify LastModifiedTime properties
- Test with specific document URLs
- Check for permission issues
Query Performance Issues
- Analyze query complexity and filters
- Check for inefficient wildcard usage
- Verify result source configurations
- Monitor query execution time
Unexpected Results
- Review managed property mappings
- Check for query rule interference
- Verify security trimming behavior
- Analyze relevance scoring factors
About the Author: Nagendra Jayaram is a Microsoft Sr Technical Advisor with 18+ years of enterprise experience specializing in SharePoint Online search architecture and administration.