Building a Search Center

To build a Search Center create a new site, selecting Enterprise > Search Center with Tabs.

Once the site is built, configure the following items:

1. Search scopes
2. Search pages
3. Search tabs
4. Results pages
5. Assign scopes to result pages
6. Results tabs
7. Advanced Search Pages
   

Create a Search Scope

Scopes can be created either at the Site Collection level using SharePoint Central Administrator or at the Site Collection thru Site Actions > Site Settings > Search Scopes.

If you need to narrow a scope down to folder level, then use the Site Actions > Site Settings approach. If your scopes are broader and can be handled with Content Sources and Metadata Properties then use the SharePoint Central Administration approach.

Create a New Search Page

1. From the Search Center
2. Site Actions
3. Create Page
4. Enter a Title, Description and change the URL if desired
   
5. Select (Welcome Page) Search Page
6. Click Create

Create a New Search Tab

1. Edit the new search page just created
2. Click Add New Tab
3. Enter a name for the tab
4. Specify the name for the search page just created (ex. MySearchPage.aspx)
5. Enter a tooltip
6. Click OK

Create a New Results Page

Search pages and tabs work in pairs, for every search page, there must be a matching results page and for every search tab, there must be a matching results tab. A unique results page allows the assignment of unique scopes to a search.

1. From the Search Center
2. Site Actions
3. Create Page
4. Enter a Title, Description and change the URL if desired
   
5. Select (Welcome Page) Search Page Results
   
6. Click Create
7. Edit the new page
8. On the Search Box > Modify Shared Web Part
9. Expand Miscellaneous
10. Enter the name of the new search page created above in 'Target search results page URL"
11. Note you will come back after creating the Advanced Search page, to enter it's URL in the "Advanced Search page URL"
12. Click Apply
    

Assign Scopes to Result Page

1. Continue editing the new results page
2. On the Search Core Results web part > Modify Shared Web Part
3. Expand Miscellaneous
4. Enter the name of the Search Scope created above.
5. Click Apply
   

Create a New Results Tab

1. Still editing the new results page just created
2. Click Add New Tab
3. Enter a name for the tab
4. Specify the name for the search page just created (ex. MySearchPageResults.aspx)
5. Enter a tooltip
6. Click OK

Create an Advanced Search Page

1. Navigate back to the initial Search Center so you are not looking at a results page
2. Site Actions > Create Page
3. Enter a Title, Description and change the URL if desired
   
4. Select (Welcome Page) Advanced Search
   
5. Click Create
6. Click Add a Web Part
7. Check 'Advanced Search Box'
8. Click Add
9. On the 'Advanced Search Box' > Modify Shared Web Part
10. Expand Scopes
11. Check 'Show the scope picker'
12. Change the 'Display Group' to the correct one
13. Click OK
    
14. Edit the New Results Page previously created
15. On the Search Box > Modify Shared Web Part
16. Expand Miscellaneous
17. Enter the name of the advanced search page created in 'Advanced Search page URL". Be sure to include the entire path.
    
18. Click Apply
19. Edit the New Search Page previously created
20. On the Search Box > Modify Shared Web Part
21. Expand Miscellaneous
22. Enter the name of the advanced search page created in 'Advanced Search page URL". Be sure to include the entire path.
    
23. Click Apply

Be sure the check-in and publish all new and edited pages.