Implicit managed properties in SharePoint and SharePoint Online

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are some managed properties in the SharePoint search schema displaying as disabled or gray?

In SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server 2016, site columns that contain values automatically become managed properties when they are crawled. This saves you time. In the Search schema, these automatically generated managed properties are indicated by gray text.

Why are automatic managed properties displayed as if they have no settings?

When they are created, Search associates relevant, crawled properties to the auto-generated managed properties. Search also gives the managed properties applicable settings. Several managed properties are created automatically, and Search selects an implementation that ensures good performance. However, Search can’t display the settings and mappings of these auto-created managed properties in either the Search schema interface or the Query Builder. In the schema, managed properties seem to have no settings or mappings, but settings and mappings are created nevertheless.

Can I convert an automatically created managed property into a standard one?

If you prefer to see the settings for all managed properties in the Search schema, convert the automatically created managed property to a standard property. Edit the gray managed property, set the settings that you want, and then save. You will see that the property is no longer gray and that you can view all its settings. These are applied during the next content recrawl as with regular schema changes.

Note When you open the edit page for a managed property, all the settings are displayed as disabled. This is because Search can’t display the actual settings. If you change a setting on this page, Search overwrites the automatic settings with all the settings on the page.

You can map more crawled properties to this managed property without overwriting the automatic settings and mappings.

How can I find the settings for a managed property?

You can determine which crawled property is mapped to the automatically created managed property based on the names of the two properties. The managed property name is derived from the crawled property name. For more information, view https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj613136.aspx.

Other settings can be inferred from query results. If queries don't work as expected, create your own managed property that uses the settings that you want

 

Post By: Marek Višňovský

Comments

• Anonymous
  July 11, 2017
  I prefer the 2013 model! Even an end user could use autocreated managed properties! But now they arent reterivable! Fortunately they are queriable yet;). If you want to use them as properties in display template you have to change their setting which needs admin permission.