{"id":59678,"date":"2026-11-09T14:01:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-09T04:01:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cloudproinc.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/11\/09\/how-to-prepare-for-sharepoint-search-without-custom-verticals\/"},"modified":"2026-11-09T14:03:53","modified_gmt":"2026-11-09T04:03:53","slug":"how-to-prepare-for-sharepoint-search-without-custom-verticals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cloudproinc.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/11\/09\/how-to-prepare-for-sharepoint-search-without-custom-verticals\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prepare for SharePoint Search Without Custom Verticals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this blog post How to Prepare for SharePoint Search Without Custom Verticals we will assess what the proposed search changes could mean for your business, identify the workflows most at risk and compare practical mitigation options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If employees rely on search tabs such as \u201cPolicies\u201d, \u201cContracts\u201d or \u201cApproved Drawings\u201d, losing those shortcuts is not simply a cosmetic change. It can mean slower work, more support requests and a greater chance that someone uses an outdated or inappropriate document.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our earlier article explains which custom SharePoint filters may be affected. This follow-up focuses on the decision leaders now face: how much does the change matter, and what should you do about it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is changing at a high level?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Microsoft is moving towards a more consistent, AI-assisted search experience across Microsoft 365. Employees can search with normal keywords or everyday questions instead of needing to know a document\u2019s exact name or storage location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The concern is that the new SharePoint search interface may not carry forward every custom vertical and filter. A vertical is a search tab limited to a category such as policies or projects. A filter narrows those results by details such as department, client, region, status or review date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time of writing, Microsoft\u2019s established Search administration tools still support custom verticals and filters. The risk is therefore compatibility with the emerging interface, rather than the immediate deletion of your existing configuration. Rollout details may also change, so this should be treated as a controlled compatibility project rather than a reason to rebuild everything immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How the technology works behind the screen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SharePoint creates a searchable index of your content. Think of it as a catalogue containing document text, file names, locations and metadata, which is the descriptive information attached to a file.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, a contract might have metadata for client, business unit, document status and renewal date. SharePoint maps that information to searchable properties, allowing a vertical or filter to display only the relevant results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The new interface sits in front of this catalogue. If a custom tab disappears, the underlying documents and metadata may still exist. What employees lose is the simple route that turns a broad search into a precise, repeatable business process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Search remains permission-aware, meaning users should only see content they are authorised to access. However, search cannot correct bad permissions. Before expanding AI-assisted discovery, review the SharePoint permission risks that cause data oversharing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Assess the business impact before choosing a solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not begin by asking IT how many custom verticals exist. Start by asking which business activities depend on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A \u201cPolicies\u201d tab used occasionally by five people is different from an \u201cApproved Procedures\u201d tab used daily by 150 employees. Give each search experience a simple score based on:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Usage frequency:<\/strong> How often is it used?<\/li><li><strong>Business importance:<\/strong> What happens if the wrong document is selected?<\/li><li><strong>Number of users:<\/strong> Is this a specialist tool or a company-wide dependency?<\/li><li><strong>Workaround effort:<\/strong> Can people find the same information through a library or navigation page?<\/li><li><strong>Compliance impact:<\/strong> Does the search separate approved records from drafts or expired content?<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>Impact score = usage frequency \u00d7 business importance \u00d7 affected users \u00d7 workaround effort<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The calculation does not need to be perfect. Its purpose is to separate minor inconvenience from a change that could affect cost, safety, customer service or compliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Run a pilot that measures real work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A technical check confirming that search opens is not enough. Your pilot should ask employees to complete realistic tasks in both the current and new experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Select 10 to 20 common searches from support tickets, search reports and staff interviews.<\/li><li>Include licensed and unlicensed user groups if they may receive different interfaces.<\/li><li>Measure time to find the correct document, not just whether any result appears.<\/li><li>Record missing filters, confusing results and failed searches.<\/li><li>Test sensitive content to confirm that permissions still behave as expected.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Include tasks such as finding the current leave policy, locating an approved client template and retrieving the latest safety procedure for a particular region. These tests reveal business impact far more clearly than screenshots or feature lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Choose the mitigation option that fits the risk<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 1 Use the standard search experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If custom verticals have low usage and employees can still find information quickly, accepting the standard interface may be the sensible choice. Improve file names, metadata, document titles and promoted answers so important information remains easy to find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is the lowest-cost option, but it should be based on pilot results rather than an assumption that AI search will automatically understand every internal term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 2 Create direct routes to important content<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For predictable needs such as policies, templates or forms, search may not be the best starting point. A well-designed SharePoint landing page can provide direct links, filtered library views and clear categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This approach is inexpensive and easy to support. It works particularly well when employees need a small set of authoritative documents rather than broad discovery across the organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 3 Build a dedicated search page<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">High-value workflows may justify a custom results page using SharePoint Framework, Microsoft\u2019s supported method for adding custom components to SharePoint, or PnP Modern Search, a community-supported collection of configurable search components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A dedicated page can preserve specialist filters, layouts and search scopes. Microsoft currently supports configuring a custom search results page for a SharePoint site, although searches started inside individual lists and libraries do not automatically use that page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This option provides greater control but introduces ongoing maintenance. The solution must be tested after Microsoft updates, secured appropriately and kept accessible for all employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 4 Keep specialist and general search separate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many organisations will benefit from a mixed model. Most employees can use the new standard experience, while teams with strict requirements keep a dedicated search page for contracts, records, engineering drawings or controlled procedures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This limits cost while protecting the workflows where precision matters. It also avoids forcing every employee into a heavily customised interface they do not need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Option 5 Consider Copilot without treating it as a direct replacement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Copilot Search can interpret everyday questions and retrieve permitted information across Microsoft 365 and connected business systems. That can improve general discovery, but an AI-generated answer is not always a substitute for a deterministic filter showing only documents marked \u201cApproved\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For legal, safety or compliance processes, retain a clear route to the source document. AI can help someone find information, but the approved record should remain the authority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What the cost can look like in practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Consider an anonymised 220-person engineering firm with custom tabs for project drawings, safety procedures and approved templates. Around 80 employees perform three specialist searches each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If the new experience adds only two minutes per search, the business loses eight working hours every day. At an employment cost of A$65 per hour, that is roughly A$114,400 in annual productivity across 220 working days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The larger risk is not the search time. It is an employee selecting an obsolete drawing or draft procedure because the status filter is no longer visible. That is why the assessment must consider risk reduction as well as labour cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Protect the foundations even if the interface changes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Do not delete metadata columns, searchable property mappings or existing vertical configurations until the replacement has been tested and accepted. Those foundations can still support library views, custom pages, automation and future AI tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Custom solutions should also follow the Essential Eight, the Australian Government\u2019s cybersecurity framework that many organisations use as a baseline. Keep components patched, limit administrator access and document who is responsible for ongoing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Finally, review external access before making information easier to discover. Our guide to SharePoint and OneDrive external sharing risks explains where forgotten guests and open links commonly create exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prepare for the change without overreacting<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The right response is not to rebuild your intranet immediately. Inventory the search experiences people depend on, score their business impact, test the new interface and preserve specialist controls only where the value justifies the cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">CloudProInc is a Melbourne-based Microsoft Partner with more than 20 years of enterprise IT experience. Our team takes a practical, hands-on approach to Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Azure, Intune, AI and security rather than applying the same template to every organisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you are unsure whether the new SharePoint search could disrupt an important workflow, we are happy to assess your current configuration and map the lowest-risk options with you \u2014 no strings attached.<\/p>\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Custom search tabs may disappear from SharePoint\u2019s new experience. Here is how to measure the business impact, protect critical workflows and choose a practical fallback.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59680,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":true,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[13,14,32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-microsoft-365","category-sharepoint"],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":59642,"url":"https:\/\/www.cloudproinc.com.au\/index.php\/2026\/11\/08\/new-sharepoint-search-and-the-custom-filters-your-intranet-may-lose\/","url_meta":{"origin":59678,"position":0},"title":"New SharePoint Search and the Custom Filters Your Intranet May Lose","author":"CPI Staff","date":"November 8, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Microsoft is changing SharePoint search, putting custom verticals and filters at risk. 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