Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Create custom Search Result Page using a basic page (No search center required)


I know this is a very basic thing which all SharePoint experts know very well when they started their JOURNEY with SharePoint but there is something very interesting & simple we missed to check or use
Here are few steps with which we can create a custom search result page in very simple way. I use word because SIMPLE because it’s not required to create any search center sites or any search pages. This can be achieved with a simple Blank web part page and with ALL OOTB features.
  • First of all create a page, (i.e. Blank web part page). I call it “Simple Search”
  • Then click on Add a web part and add following web parts in sequence.
1.      Search box
2.      Search Paging
3.      Search Core Results
  • Now click on edit page and select Search Box web part > click “Modify Shared Web part”
  • Under Miscellaneous section change – Target search results page URL to the newly created page – i.e. http://sitename/doclib/simplesearch.aspx (i.e. http://sitename/pages/simplesearch.aspx for site with publishing enabled)
  • That’s all, now when user lands on Simple Search Page and query for search he / she will get all search results on the same page and it gives the same look and feel which is there on OSSearchResult page as we have added search paging.
  • Search paging gives number of pages containing search results.
There are few more customizations which we can do on the same page like creating a custom scope for a search box or by customizing search core results.
Here are some references
Search Core Results XSLT Transformation:
Creating a Custom Search Page and Tabs in the Search Center of SharePoint Server:
Search Core Results Web Part XSLT:

No comments: