Manage Search Scope in Sharepoint 2010

Search Scope allows the user to search within a particular scope. By default SharePoint provides an entire site collection search. If the user knows the search item is within a file system, he/she can specify the scope to narrow the search results. This will allow faster location of the context item.

The default search scope is All Sites.

Adding a new Search Scope

1. Open SharePoint Central Administration > Manage Service Applications > Search Service Application page:
   
   
    
2. Click on the Scopes link as highlighted above
   
   
    
3. Click on the New Scope link from the page that appears. Enter the details as shown below and click the OK button:
   
   
    
4. Click the Add rules for our newly created scope as shown below:
   
   
    
5. Set the properties as shown below (Pointing to our File System Content Source):
   
   
   
   Click the OK button to continue. Now we are ready with a Scope set with rules. But in order to view the scope in Search drop down list, we need to do the following steps.
    
6. Click Search Administration > Start Updating Now link as shown below:
   
   
    
7. Now open our default SharePoint site and open the Site Settings > Search scopes:
   
   
    
8. Click the Display Groups button from the top bar as shown below:
   
   
    
9. Select the Edit Display Group option as shown below:
   
   
    
10. Select the File System Scope and click the OK button:
    

Now the Search Scope is ready within our site. You can experiment with it by opening a site and selecting the scope from the scope drop-down list.