Export and import customized search configuration settings in SharePoint Server
APPLIES TO: 
2013 2016 2019 Subscription Edition 
SharePoint in Microsoft 365
You can export and import customized search configuration settings between site collections and sites. The settings that you export and import include all customized query rules, result sources, result types, ranking models, and site search settings. It is also possible to export customized search configuration settings from a Search service application and import the settings to site collections and sites, but you cannot import customized search configuration settings to a Search service application. You can't export the default search configuration settings, and you can't import customized search configurations from SharePoint Server to SharePoint in Microsoft 365, or the other way around.
You can use the following methods to export or import customized search configuration settings:
To export or import customized search configuration settings at a site collection or site, use the Site Settings page or CSOM.
To export customized search configuration settings from a Search service application, use CSOM.
If you want to transfer all Master Page Gallery files, use the Design Manager. If you want to transfer a whole site, use Save site as template. If you want to export or import customized search settings programmatically, see Exporting and importing search configuration settings in SharePoint on MSDN.
This article describes how to use the Site Settings page to export and import customized search configuration settings for site collections, and sites.
Before you begin
Before you begin this operation, review the information in Overview of customized search configuration settings that can be exported and imported and ensure:
That the search configuration file and the target for your import do not have settings with the same name, except for managed properties.
That the source of your export does not include managed properties or aliases that contain the invalid characters listed in Invalid characters causing the import to fail.
That managed property names and aliases are unique within the combination of the search configuration file and the search configuration settings on the target site and its parent site collection.
Note
Because SharePoint Server runs as websites in Internet Information Services (IIS), administrators and users depend on the accessibility features that browsers provide. SharePoint Server supports the accessibility features of supported browsers. For more information, see the following resources:
Export customized search configuration settings from a site collection
To export customized search configuration settings from a site collection
Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure has Full control permission level at the site collection.
In the site collection, on the Settings menu, select Site settings.
On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, select Search Configuration Export.
In the dialog box, select Save.
Export customized search configuration settings from a site
To export customized search configuration settings from a site
Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure has Full control permission level at the site.
On the site, on the Settings menu, select Site settings.
On the Site Settings page, in the Search section, select Configuration Export.
In the dialog box, select Save.
Import customized search configuration settings to a site collection
To import customized search configuration settings to a site collection
Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure has Full control permission level at the site collection.
In the site collection, in the Settings menu, select Site settings.
On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, select Search Configuration Import.
On the Import Search Configuration page, either enter the name and location of the search configuration file to import, or select Browse, and select the file name and location of the search configuration file to import. Then, select Import.
On the Search Config List page, verify that:
The search configuration file that you imported is in the list, and that its status is Imported Successfully.
If the file has not imported successfully, the Notes column provides details about what happened. The Notes column also provides details, in some cases, when the file has imported successfully. For example if the file contains a managed property that has the same name as a managed property on the target, the Notes column indicates that this managed property already exists on the target.
The Scope column shows that the settings you imported are at the correct level, that is, at the level you meant to import the files to. For example, if you imported your settings at the site collection level instead of at the site level, you would see this information in the Scope column. The Scope column shows at which level the search configuration settings were enabled. The levels are site collection (SPSite) or site (SPWeb).
Import customized search configuration settings to a site
To import customized search configuration settings to a site
Verify that the user account that is performing this procedure has Full control permission level at the site.
On the site, on the Settings menu, select Site settings.
On the Site Settings page, in the Search section, select Configuration Import.
On the Import Search Configuration page, either enter the name and location of the search configuration file to import, or select Browse, and select the file name and location of the search configuration file to import. Then, select Import.
On the Search Config List page, verify that:
The search configuration file you imported is in the list, and that its status is Imported Successfully.
If the file has not imported successfully, the Notes column provides details about what happened. The Notes column also provides details, in some cases, when the file has imported successfully. For example if the file contains a managed property that has the same name as a managed property on the target, the Notes column indicates that this managed property already exists on the target.
The Scope column shows that the settings you imported are at the correct level, that is, at the level you meant to import the files to. For example, if you imported your settings at the site collection level instead of at the site level, you would see this information in the Scope column. The Scope column shows at which level the search configuration settings were enabled. The levels are site collection (SPSite) or site (SPWeb).
Overview of customized search configuration settings that can be exported and imported
When you export customized search configuration settings, SharePoint Server creates a search configuration file in XML format. This search configuration file includes all exportable customized search configuration settings at the Search service application, site collection, or site level from where you start the export. A search configuration file for a site collection does not contain search configuration settings from the individual sites within the site collection.
When you import a search configuration file, SharePoint Server creates and enables each customized search configuration setting in the site collection or site from where you start the import.
This table shows the settings that you can export and import. For each setting, the table indicates any dependencies on other customized search configuration settings. If the customized search configuration settings depend on a customized search configuration setting at a different level, for example, if a site query rule depends on a result source at site collection level, you must export and import settings at all of the relevant levels.
| Customized search configuration setting | Dependency on other customized search configuration settings |
|---|---|
| Query rules. These include result blocks, promoted results, and user segments. | Result sources, result types, search schema, ranking model |
| Result sources | Search schema |
| Result types | Search schema, result sources, display templates |
| Search schema | None |
| Ranking model | Search schema |
Conditions that may cause the import to fail
If the search configuration file and the target for your import have settings with the same name, the import of the search configuration file fails when it encounters this setting. Exceptions:
If you reimport a search configuration file, the settings that have the same name in the search configuration file and on the target do not cause the import to fail.
Managed properties with the same name do not cause an import to fail if the individual managed property settings are the same on the property in the search configuration file and on the target property.
Managed properties with the same name do not cause an import to fail if the aliases and mappings to crawled properties are different on the managed property in the search configuration file and on the target managed property. The import adds the aliases and mappings on the managed property in the search configuration file to the aliases and mappings on the target managed property.
If the search configuration file contains managed property names or aliases that contain invalid characters, the import fails when it encounters that managed property name or alias.
The managed property names and aliases of a search schema must be unique for a site and its parent site collection. This means:
If your search configuration file has a managed property that has the same name as an alias for a managed property on your target site or the parent site collection of your target site, then the import fails.
If your search configuration file has a managed property with an alias that has the same name as a managed property on your target site or the parent site collection of your target site, then the import fails.
Note
Customized search settings that SharePoint Server created and enabled before the import failed remain enabled.
If the import fails, remove the condition that caused the failure and reimport the search configuration file. For example, if the Notes column states that there is already a query rule with the same name as the query rule that you are trying to import, then you should remove that query rule either from the target or from the import file, and then reimport the file.
Invalid characters causing the import to fail
If managed properties or aliases contain any of the listed characters, the import of the customized search schema that contains these properties will fail.
| Character | Name |
|---|---|
| space | |
| : | colon |
| ; | semicolon |
| , | comma |
| ( | opening parenthesis |
| ) | closing parenthesis |
| [ | opening bracket |
| ] | closing bracket |
| { | opening brace |
| } | closing brace |
| % | percent |
| $ | dollar sign |
| _ | underscore |
| + | plus sign |
| ! | exclamation point |
| * | asterisk |
| = | equal sign |
| & | ampersand |
| ? | question mark |
| @ | at sign |
| # | number sign |
| \ | backslash |
| ~ | tilde |
| < | opening angle bracket |
| > | closing angle bracket |
| | | pipe |
| ` | grave accent |
| ^ | caret |
| ' | escape sequence |
| " | escape sequence |