Reindex a list or library: reindex flags content for crawl, but does not repair broken mappings

Question

Reindex a list or library: reindex flags content for crawl, but does not repair broken mappings

Answer 1

Hi @Bisogno, Rocky (DES),  

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum. 

Thank you for reaching out regarding SharePoint search behavior. 

Based on your inquiry, I would like to share with you that in SharePoint the Reindex list/library action is designed to force content to be re-crawled so that existing items pick up any search schema changes. This is necessary because changes made to the search schema such as updating a managed property or the mapping between crawled and managed properties don't automatically trigger a re-crawl of the site content itself. 

To resolve broken mappings, please follow this supported order: 

• First, fix the mapping in the Search Schema first: map the correct crawled property to the intended managed property. As per Microsoft documentation, only managed properties are kept in the index, so this link must be established first. 
• Then reindex the affected scope: once the schema is updated, request a reindex of the specific list or library. This marks all content in that scope as "changed," ensuring it is picked up and reprocessed during the next crawl. 

While you can reindex an entire site for broader changes, please note that Microsoft cautions this can cause a massive load on the search system. It is best to use the more specific list or library reindex whenever possible. 

For more technical depth, you can refer to the Microsoft Learn articles on  

• Manually request crawling and reindexing of a site, a library or a list (Microsoft Learn)
• Manage the search schema in SharePoint (Microsoft Learn)

I hope this response has helped address your question and clarify the behavior you're experiencing. Please feel free to reply if you have any further questions, I would be happy to assist further.

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Answer 2

Reindexing a SharePoint list or library only marks its items as changed so that they are picked up and fully re-crawled during the next scheduled crawl. It does not change, fix, or “repair” any search schema configuration, including crawled/managed property mappings.

Key points:

1. What reindexing does
   • When Reindex List or Reindex Document Library is selected in Advanced settings, “all of the content in the document library or list is re-indexed during the next scheduled crawl.”
   • This simply flags all items so the crawler treats them as updated and reprocesses their content and metadata into the index.
2. What reindexing does not do
   • It does not modify the search schema.
   • It does not create, delete, or correct mappings between crawled and managed properties.
   • If mappings are misconfigured or “broken,” reindexing alone will not fix them; the same incorrect mappings will be applied again during crawl.
3. Correct process when mappings are wrong
   • First, fix the search schema:
     • Edit or create the appropriate managed properties and adjust their mappings to crawled properties as needed (for example, by using an unused refinable managed property and mapping it to the correct crawled property).
   • Then, request reindexing of the affected scope so the corrected mappings take effect:
     • Reindex the site if the change affects many lists/libraries or site-wide properties.
     • Or reindex only the specific list or library whose content uses the changed managed property.
   • After that, wait for the next scheduled crawl (or continuous crawl cycle) to rebuild the index entries using the corrected mappings.
4. Scope and impact
   • Reindexing a site, list, or library can cause “a massive load on the search system,” so it should be done only after all schema changes are finalized.
   • Reindexing is the mechanism to apply schema changes to existing content, not to repair the schema itself.

In summary, reindexing is necessary after fixing mappings so that content is reprocessed, but it does not itself repair or change those mappings.

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References:

• How to create a Search Center Site Collection and enable crawling of your content in SharePoint Server
• Manually request crawling and reindexing of a site, a library or a list
• Manage the search schema in SharePoint Server
• Manage the search schema in SharePoint
• Stage 4: Set up search and enable the crawling of your catalog content in SharePoint Server
• Configure cross-site publishing in SharePoint Server