Search Scopes in SharePoint 2013 Using Result Sources

Introduction

In SharePoint 2013 Search Scopes have become Result Sources, the "scopes" are replaced by a new thing called “Result Sources”. By replaced I mean you cannot create or use the Search Scopes anymore. No more displaying a custom Search Scope in a drop-down next to the search box. There are only two system Search Scopes, All Sites and People, will be available in the search results page. The method of customizing the display of the search results in a SharePoint 2013 search has improved drastically from SharePoint 2010.

What happened to Search Scopes: They are depreciated or rather are integrated into Federated Search to create an advanced version of these scopes.

What are Result Sources: Result Sources are actually the combination of Federated Search and Search Scopes. In SharePoint 2013 you can create a new Result Source and specify the “Protocol” (to search Local SharePoint or a Remote SharePoint farm and so on) and can specify the “Query Transformation”.

Procedure:

1. Log in to your SharePoint Central Administration site as a SharePoint Farm Administrator.
2. Click "Manage service applications" under the "Application Management" heading.
3. Click "Search Service Application".
4. Click "Result Sources" under the "Queries and Results" heading in the left-hand navigation panel.
   
   
   
   
5. Click "New Result Sources".
   
   
   
   Search scopes and the clumsy rules to define them are gone in SharePoint Search 2013.
   
   
   
   Figure. Screenshot of search scope rules in SharePoint 2010
   
   Instead of Search Scopes, SharePoint 2013 Search uses Results Sources to define a subset of searchable content. Result Sources use a query transform property to define the items that are included in the result source.
    
6. Fill in the following information on the Add Result Source that is opened:
   
   
   • Name: Key in the Result Source name. The value should be distinct with a different value from any other Result Source.
   • Description: For the result that will be created, enter the description.
   • Protocol: In order to retrieve the search results, this is utilized to select one of the protocols.
     
       : In this specific Search Service application, if the results will be shown utilizing the Search Index, choose Local SharePoint.
      : A trust must be set up between the two farms in order to consume the Search Index of another farm. If the Search results are going to be shown utilizing the index of a Search Service in a different farm, select Remote SharePoint.
      : When the search results are shown using a Search Engine that utilizes OpenSearch 1.0/1.1, choose OpenSearch
      : When the results are shown using Exchange Server 2013 use Exchange
      
   • Type: If everything in the Search Index is included in the results displayed using the Result Source, choose SharePoint Search Results. Choose People Search Results when the search results shown take only results focuses on people.
   • Query Transform: A different Query transform can be keyed in or the Query Transform Tab can be omitted with the default query transform. The Query builder can be set up utilizing a different Query Transform. There will be more discussion in a different article regarding more details on constructing a Query transform using the Query Builder.
   • Credentials Information: You can mention the authentication that must be utilized for connection to the Result Source here.
      
7. Fill in the information for the new Result Sources, and then click "OK".
   
   For example: People Scope / Result Sources as in the following: