A search scope defines a subset of information in the search index. Search scopes are created to make it easier for users to find what they need on the portal site. Typically, search scopes encompass specific topics and content sources that are important and common to users in the organization. For example, you can create a search scope for all items that are related to a specific project or for all items that are related to a specific group in the organization, such as Finance or Marketing. You can also create a search scope that encompasses several other scopes.

Search scopes are available to end users in two places by default:

• The Search box on the Search Center page
• The Advanced Search page

Search scopes can be set at both the Shared Services Provider level and the site administration level. As a site administrator, you can create a search scope that is available only at the site level.

Create a site search scope

Add rules to a search scope

Edit search scope settings and rules

Delete search scopes

Create a site search scope

1. On the portal site home page, click Site actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, click Search scopes.
3. On the View Scopes page, click New Scope, and then type a brief title for the search scope that will best explain it to your users. You can also type a fuller description for reference by site administrators.
4. Select the display groups in which you want to place the search scope.
5. To display the search results on a page other than the default search results page, click Specify a different page for searching this scope, and then type the URL in the Target results page text box. Click OK.
6. On the View Scopes page, click Add rules next to the scope name. To add rules to the search scope, follow the steps in the next section.

Add rules to a search scope

1. On the Add Scope Rule page, in the Scope Rule Type section, select one of the following:

   Web Address   Select this option if you want the search scope to include content from any resource in the search index that can be identified either by a URL (such as Web sites, file shares, and Microsoft Exchange Server public folders), or by host name, domain name, or subdomain name.

   • Select Folder to include or exclude items in the folder and subfolders of the indicated URL (for example, http://site/subsite/folder).
   • Select Hostname to specify a host resource, such as server name. All items in the host name will be included or excluded from the scope according to the behavior rules.
   • Select Domain or subdomain to specify a domain or subdomain (for example, widgets.msn.com). All items in the domain or subdomain will be included or excluded from the search scope.

   Property query   Select this option if you want the search scope to include content that has a particular string in the managed property.

   1. In the Property Query section, in the Add property restrictions list, select the managed property that you want to use to limit the search scope.
   2. In the = text box, type the string that the managed property needs to match. For example, type the name of an author.

   All Content   Select this option if the rule should not restrict the search scope (the search scope will include or exclude all content in the search index), and then click OK.

2. In the Behavior section, select one of the following settings to determine how the rule is combined with other rules:
   • Select Include to have the rule applied unless another rule precludes its inclusion. Include is analogous to the logical AND.
   • Select Require to apply the rule regardless of other rules. Require is analogous to the logical OR.
   • Select Exclude to exclude items that match this rule from the search scope. Exclude is analogous to the logical NOT.
3. Click OK.

 Note    Search scopes are compiled automatically every 20 minutes.

Edit search scope settings and rules

To change the title, description, and target results page of an existing search scope, do the following. You can also change the display group in which the search scope resides and the search scope rules.

1. On the portal site home page, click Site actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, click Search scopes.
3. On the View Scopes page, rest the pointer on the search scope that you want to edit, click the arrow that appears, and then click Edit Properties and Rules.
4. On the Scope Properties and Rules page, do any of the following:
   • To edit the search scope settings, in the Scope Settings section, click Change scope settings.
   • To edit a search scope rule, in the Rules section, click the name of the rule, and then on the Edit Scope Rule page, make the changes that you want.
   • To delete individual scope rules, in the Rules section, click the name of the rule, and then scroll to the bottom of the page and click Delete.
   • To delete all search scope rules, in the Rules section, click Delete all rules.

Delete the search scopes

1. On the portal site home page, click Site actions, point to Site Settings, and then click Modify All Site Settings.
2. On the Site Settings page, in the Site Collection Administration section, click Search scopes.
3. On the View Scopes page, rest the pointer on the search scope that you want to delete, click the arrow that appears, and then click Delete.
4. When you are prompted, click OK.