Improve portal document search with concrete tasks

Good portal search takes a user from a question to the relevant document they are allowed to access. Check that journey with concrete tasks before commissioning more search features. A clearer filename helps people navigate; finding and opening the right instructions also depends on content, search data and permissions.

Define three documents and the expected results

The following portal and documents are fictional. The table defines acceptance expectations, not measured search results. The example uses the roles reader for readers and admin for project administration.

Each file contains the relevant instructions. The title should describe the content accurately. An authorised person must be able to move from the result to the current instructions; a similar-sounding title alone does not complete the task.

Check what is actually searchable

The search index is the data prepared for searching. Establish which fields it contains: filename, visible title, tags, language and document text may serve different purposes. Check an imported file to see whether the necessary text is actually searchable. Having a PDF does not establish that.

Add the terms people use for the same task. In the example, “Download CSV” can lead to “Export a report as CSV”. Maintain these mappings around tasks. “Export” and “Delete” must not be treated as equivalent just because both concern a word such as “report”.

Microsoft describes synonym mappings as a way to expand search queries. Suitable rules depend on the language and domain vocabulary. Also test queries that an expansion might make less relevant. A German term pair is not a tested French search rule.

Include permissions and updates in the search journey

Limit results to permitted documents before displaying them. In the example, the reader role must not discover D-13 through a result, title, preview or derived result counts. Direct access to the document also needs a permission check. Microsoft's documentation explains application-supplied security filters among other approaches; the implementation depends on your platform.

Agree when changed text, new versions and revoked rights take effect in search and caches. An up-to-date title over an outdated text index can still lead to the wrong instructions. After access is revoked, a previously stored result must no longer open or display protected content.

Run acceptance checks as complete tasks

Try the three queries with the intended roles. Record the query, role, document version, expected result and actual outcome. Open the document and check whether it explains the steps needed. Add an unsuitable search term, a check with restricted access and a repeat after changing a document or revoking access.

If a case fails, identify the cause as specifically as possible: missing indexed text, unsuitable term mapping, incorrect ranking, an outdated version or a faulty permission. This gives the development team a verifiable change rather than the general instruction to “make search better”.

Sources

• Microsoft — Search synonyms

• Microsoft — Document-level access control