How SharePoint managed properties improve search results

When it comes to the SharePoint search schema in Microsoft 365, managed properties play an important role—particularly for filtering, refining, and querying content. They work alongside Microsoft Search’s broader relevance and Graph-based signals to support accurate and consistent search results. 

Whether searching for files stored in SharePoint or OneDrive, managed properties help make sure your data is actually findable through filtering and refinement experiences surfaced in Microsoft Search.

In this guide, we’ll break down how SharePoint managed properties work, common challenges to watch for, and best practices to help you get the most out of your metadata.

What are managed properties in SharePoint?

SharePoint crawls your content to build a searchable index, pulling metadata and system properties—such as site columns, document properties, and system-generated fields—into what are known as crawled properties. But to make this data usable and searchable, it needs structure—that’s where managed properties come in. These mapped fields turn raw data into queryable metadata across Microsoft 365.

Managed properties let you filter, sort, and refine search results, making it easier to return relevant and predictable results when searching across SharePoint content. Well-structured metadata can improve content discoverability in SharePoint search experiences, which may indirectly support how content is surfaced across Microsoft 365 workloads.

While crawled properties remain the foundational layer of the search schema in SharePoint, managed properties are where organizations define how metadata can be queried, filtered, and refined in search experiences. Crawled properties are automatically generated during content ingestion and serve as the raw inputs for search, but managed properties are where organizations control how content is indexed, queried, and surfaced across M365 apps.

Another bonus is how well-managed metadata supports broader Microsoft Search experiences. While Copilot and Microsoft Graph rely on a wide range of signals—such as permissions, content relevance, and user context—clear, consistently defined managed properties help ensure SharePoint content is well structured and easier to surface through search-driven experiences across Microsoft 365.

Why managed properties matter for IT admins

Managing SharePoint means keeping content structured, discoverable, and secure. Managed properties bring order to chaos, offering a clear, easily searchable way to interact with company data. 

Here are some of the biggest reasons IT admins depend on managed properties.

Building refiners and filters in search results

Managed properties turn metadata tags into usable refiners in Microsoft Search. If you’re filtering through large datasets, a wide range of managed properties (refiners) make the process much more intuitive.

Enabling targeted search queries using metadata

Every managed property created adds another layer of depth to the search experience. Accurately mapping out metadata gives teams the ability to comb through data piece by piece, pinpointing exact files or pages through targeted search queries.

Supporting compliance and security searches

Need to make sure your environment aligns with company policies? Managed properties can help surface metadata related to content classification, but permissions and retention policies are enforced and queried through Microsoft Purview—not SharePoint search.

Preparing for Copilot and advanced Microsoft 365 search

Structured metadata helps create clearer context for search-driven experiences in Microsoft 365. While Copilot relies on multiple signals beyond the SharePoint search schema, consistent metadata and well-defined managed properties help ensure content is organized, discoverable, and easier to surface when users search for information. ShareGate helps you get there faster by automating visibility into metadata and content structure at scale, making it easier to maintain a clean, consistent environment that’s ready for AI-driven experiences.

How to configure managed properties in SharePoint

Managed properties are configured directly within the SharePoint search schema. These settings control how crawled data is mapped, indexed, and made searchable across your environment.

Here’s a step-by-step walkthrough of the configurations.

1. Access the SharePoint search schema

From the Microsoft 365 admin center, open the SharePoint admin center, then navigate to Search schema. From there:

• Select More Features
• Click Open under the Search tab
• Click on Manage search schema

Now you’re ready to create new managed properties or edit existing ones.

2. Create or edit a managed property

From the Manage Search Schema page, you’ll be able to select Managed Properties to see a list of active properties. If you want to add a new field, click New Managed Property. 

This window lets you define the property name, description, type, and applicable search attributes, as well as map it to relevant crawled properties. Once you’ve finished adding details, just hit OK to create the new managed property. 

If you want to edit a managed property, you’ll start from the Manage Search Schema page. This time, select the property name you want to edit, then select Edit to access its current configurations. 

3. Map crawled properties (if applicable) and verify configuration

From the Manage Search Schema page, you can map out connections between existing crawled properties and managed properties. 

Once you’ve navigated to the Search Schema, follow these steps:

• Choose the Crawled Properties page
• Select the crawled property you want to map to a managed property (use filters to find a specific crawled property quickly)
• Click Edit/Map property
• Select Add a Mapping on the Edit Crawled Properties page
• Map the crawled property by associating it with an existing managed property
• Select the Include in Full-Text Index box if you want to include this crawled property in your search index
  

4. Set key attributes

Attributes determine exactly how your managed properties show up in search results. Managed properties include configurable search attributes—such as Queryable, Searchable, Retrievable, Refinable, and Sortable—along with fixed characteristics like data type and value structure that are defined when the property is created.

By toggling one of these on, you add another condition to that managed property to use when querying.

5. Test results in SharePoint search

After configuring a managed property or editing an existing one, it’s a good idea to test if it’s still working as expected. Use SharePoint search to see if the managed property comes up for the right queries. Validate behavior by running SharePoint search queries and refiners once indexing has finished.

Limitations and best practices

Managed properties definitely make querying data easier, but they’re not perfect. Considering how much manual interaction admins have with them, it’s not uncommon for a misconfiguration to lead to some missing information in your searches.

While checking the mapping system goes a long way, here are a few extra best practices to make managed properties more reliable.

Audit and clean up unused managed properties

When multiple admins all have access, redundant configurations can quickly stack up. Consider regularly scheduled cleaning to delete any duplicates and keep things running smoothly.

Avoid confusion with clear, consistent naming conventions

Naming properties clearly makes for better search results and fewer admin headaches. To keep things consistent, create an internal doc for all admins to reference when they create a new managed property. 

Use managed properties to enhance Microsoft 365 compliance

It’s easier for compliance teams to do a pulse check if you create surface classification-related metadata that complements compliance workflows. Simultaneously, enforcement of data loss prevention, retention, and access control is handled through Microsoft Purview and Entra ID. With tags in place, any incorrect or mismanaged configurations will stand out and can be corrected quickly.

Periodically review and adjust usage to support SharePoint search consistency

Clear, consistent metadata should be your top priority, especially when maintaining reliable SharePoint search experiences. Validate existing mappings, update metadata structures no longer in use, and add context where appropriate. While enriching these fields takes time, it helps maintain predictable filtering and refinement behavior in SharePoint search.

Simplify data hygiene across Microsoft 365 with ShareGate

A healthy Microsoft 365 environment starts with clean structure, clear ownership, and consistent access. Not guesswork.

ShareGate helps IT teams build and maintain that foundation across Microsoft 365 by keeping data organized, accessible to the right people, and easy to manage as environments grow and change.

With ShareGate Migrate, you can move content while preserving metadata, structure, and permissions. Data lands right where you need it, ready to be used without rework.

With ShareGate Protect, you get unified visibility into oversharing, inactive content, and workspace sprawl across Microsoft 365. You can quickly identify what needs attention and fix issues directly—cleaning up clutter, tightening access, and keeping your environment under control.

The result is a Microsoft 365 tenant that’s easier to understand, easier to govern, and better prepared for everyday collaboration and AI-powered tools like Copilot.