Created page with "{{DISPLAYTITLE:Wiki search}} '''ExtendedSearch''' replaces the default MediaWiki search engine. It is based on the [https://opensearch.org/ OpenSearch] engine. Pages and files are indexed immediately and available for searching in real-time. ==Usage== The search offers two ways of searching for content: #'''Title search''' (Quick search or autocomplete search) #'''Fulltext search''' Manual:Extension/Blue..."
BlueSpice provides three search modes for finding content: title search, full-text search, and search across all wikis.
'''ExtendedSearch''' replaces the default MediaWiki search engine. It is based on the [https://opensearch.org/ OpenSearch] engine. Pages and files are indexed immediately and available for searching in real-time.
== Search options ==
The search interface provides the following search options:
==Usage==
The search offers two ways of searching for content:
#'''Title search''' ([[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Quick search|Quick search]] or autocomplete search)
#'''Fulltext search''' [[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Search Center (extended search)|(Search center]])
By default, the search indexes:
*'''wiki pages''': all wiki pages, except for pages in the MediaWiki namespace
*'''special pages''': all pages in the namespace ''Special''
*'''repo files''': files uploaded to the wiki - for text files like Word documents and PDFs, this includes content and metadata
*'''external files (if configured)''': files from arbitrary locations from accessible storage paths (e.g., mounted drives)
===Search context===
Users always need to be aware of the search context. If the search is started from any regular wiki page, the wiki searches for '''page titles only'''. If a user switches to the Search center, the results for the search term are based on a '''full-text search'''.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|+Difference between title search and full text search
|+Search options
! style="" |
! Search option
! style="width:40%;" |Title search
! Description
! style="" |Full-text search
|-
|-
! style="" |Search scope
| Title search
| style="width:40%;" |only the page titles are searched
| Searches page titles and provides autocomplete suggestions.
| style="" |content is also searched. This includes content on wiki pages and also content in files, for example PDFs or Word documents.
|-
|-
! style="" |Search result
| Full-text search
| style="width:40%;" |up to 10 "best bet" results are displayed
| Searches the content of wiki pages and indexed files.
| Searches page titles and full-text content across all available wikis.
| style="" |are supported
|}
By default, the search index includes:
* wiki pages, except pages in the MediaWiki namespace
* special pages in the **Special** namespace
* files uploaded to the wiki. For text-based files such as Word documents and PDFs, the file content and metadata are indexed.
* external files, if configured, from accessible storage locations such as mounted drives
== Title search ==
The title search is available in the search field in the wiki header. It searches page names and display titles. <br>
Enter a search term in the search field to display matching page titles. To start a full-text search, press Enter or select the full-text search option.
=== Recently viewed ===
When the search field is opened without a search term, it displays pages accessed through recent searches.
[[File:bluespice-extendedsearch-recent-searches.png|alt=Search field with four recently viewed page suggestions|center|thumb|450x450px|Recently viewed pages]]
=== How title search works ===
The title search has the following characteristics:
* It is not case-sensitive. For example, <code>qual</code> and <code>Qual</code> return the same results.
* Search results are limited to 10 page titles.
* Spelling errors usually do not return matching results. For example, <code>Qality</code> does not return <code>Quality</code>. Depending on the wiki configuration, spelling suggestions may be displayed.
* Multiple search terms can appear in any order. For example, <code>toc download</code> and <code>download toc</code> return the same matching pages.
* Search operators such as <code>"</code>, <code>OR</code<, and <code>AND</code< are not supported.
* Results are sorted based on a combination of title relevance and the page's last edit date. The exact ranking can be affected by configuration in on-premise installations.
* The search can be limited to a specific context using search filters. <br>
A title-search result can show the following information:
* the page title
* the wiki name in a colored pill
* the namespace in bold
* the parent page in regular text
* the original page title in parentheses if the result matches the page's display title
* a redirect indicator and target page if the result is a redirect
The search field supports namespace and subpage search using wiki syntax. <br>
To limit a search to a namespace:
# Enter the namespace followed by a colon, for example <code>Controlled Document:</code>.
# Select Enter.
# The namespace is added as a search pill.
# Enter the search term after the pill. <br>
The search is then limited to the selected namespace. <br>
To limit a search to a subpage:
# Enter the parent page followed by a slash, for example <code>TestPage/</code>.
# Enter the search term.
# The search results are limited to matching subpages of the specified page.<br>
For example, <code>TestPage/Te</code> matches subpages such as <code>TestPage/Test</code> and <code>TestPage/TestSubpage</code>. <br>
When searching for a subpage in a namespace, include the namespace prefix in the search path. For example, a page with the path <code>Minutes:JourFixe/2026-09-30</code> can be found with:
* <code>Minutes:JourFixe/20</code>
* <code>Minutes:JourFixe/</code>
* <code> Minutes:Jou</code> <br>
The page is not necessarily found with:
* <code>JourFixe/20</code>
* <code>Jour</code>
[[File:bluespice-extendedsearch-namespace-pill.png|alt=Search field with a namespace search pill|center|thumb|450x450px|Namespace search pill]]
=== Dates as search terms ===
The search recognizes certain date formats. In the '''Search center''', recognized date formats are treated as search terms with surrounding quotation marks.
<gallery widths="400" heights="200">
File:Manual:extendedsearch-datum1.png
File:Manual:extendedsearch-datum2.png
</gallery>
== Full-text search ==
The '''Search center''' provides full-text search. It searches the rendered content of wiki pages as well as indexed file content and metadata. <br>
To start a full-text search:
* Press Enter after entering a search term in the search field.
* Select one of the full-text search options.
[[File:bluespice-extendedsearch-search-center.png|alt=Search Center showing full-text search results|center|thumb|402x402px|Search Center]]
The '''Search center''' provides filters and search options for refining the results.
=== Search filters ===
The available filters depend on the current search context and configuration. Use the filter options to narrow the search results. Active filters can be removed individually.
[[File:bluespice-extendedsearch-filters.png|alt=Search Center with search filters|center|thumb|650x650px|Search filters]]
=== Search operators ===
Search operators are supported in full-text search. They are not supported in title search. <br>
Search operators must be written in uppercase. <br>
If a search contains consecutive words that must be searched together, enclose the words in quotation marks.
{| class="wikitable" style="width: 100%;"
|+Search operators
!Operator
!Description
|-
|-
! style="" |[[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Namespace and subpage .22pills.22|Namespaces]]
|AND
| style="width:40%;" | search can be limited to a namespace
|Use <code>AND</code> to find results that contain both search terms.
| style="" |search results can be limited to namespaces (in combination with other filters)
* <code>admin AND docu</code> returns pages containing the exact terms <code>admin</code> and <code>docu</code>.
* <code>admin* AND docu</code> returns pages containing words that start with <code>admin</code> and the exact term <code>docu</code>. <br>
A search without an operator automatically uses a wildcard search for each term. For example, <code>admin docu` searches for words that start with <code>admin</code> and <code>docu</code>.
|-
|-
! style="" |[[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Namespace and subpage .22pills.22|Categories]]
|Quotation marks
| style="width:40%;" |category pages can be found using the search prefix “Category"
|Quotation marks can be used to search for all terms in a query. For example:
| style="" |search results can be limited to categories (in combination with other filters)
* <code>"admin" docu</code> produces the same result as <code>admin AND docu</code>.
|Use <code>OR</code> to find results containing either search term. For example:
| style="" |search results can be limted to pages in a book (in combination with other filters)
* <code>admin OR docu</code> returns pages containing either <code>admin</code> or <code>docu</code>.
|-
|Wildcard
|Use <code>*</code> after part of a word to search for words that begin with that character sequence. For example:
* <code>admin*</code> returns pages containing words that begin with <code>admin</code>.
|}
|}
=== Search results ===
== Quick search==
The '''Search center''' displays information and actions for the current search.
* '''Hit count''' shows the number of matching results. The count can be exact or approximate because permissions are checked dynamically. Some matching results may not be displayed if the current user does not have permission to view them.
===Recently viewed ===
* '''Add a filter''' opens the available filters for the search.
When you place the cursor in the search field, it returns a list of pages that you have found and accessed through a recent search. Any suggested pages that you are not interested in, you can remove from this view by clicking on the <code>x</code> to the right of the page name. Once you start typing, the default suggestions disappear.
* '''Search options''' opens settings for the current search, such as the number of results per page and the sort order.
[[File:BlueSpiceExtendedSearch 1708512053147.png|alt=Search box with a list of 4 suggested pages|center|thumb|450x450px|Page suggestions for youbased on your recent searches]]
* '''Save as page collection''' opens a dialog with the current search results. Authorized users can deselect individual results and choose the list format. The page collection is saved as a subpage of <code>MediaWiki:Page collection/</code>.
** '''Plain text''': saves page names only.
===Title search===
** '''Link''': saves page names as links to the corresponding pages.
[[File:bluespice-extendedsearch-search-actions.png|alt=Search actions menu with filter and search options|center|thumb|200x200px|Search actions]]
The most prominent search feature is the search box in the header of the wiki. If a user has not switched to the search center yet, this field simply looks for a page name or display title that contains the exact search term.
If a result exactly matches the search term, it can be displayed as a featured result. A featured result includes a preview image and a content snippet. <br>
Search results show the wiki name in a colored pill. The color is assigned by the administrator. The namespace is shown in bold, followed by the parent page in regular text.
The title search does not do a full-text search. You have to switch to the full-text search (=[[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Search Center (extended search)|Search center]]) for that. This can be done by simply pressing the <code>Enter</code> key after entering a search term in the search field.
=== Favorite results ===
Logged-in users can mark search results as favorites by selecting the pin icon on a result. <br>
'''How the title search works:'''
Favorite results receive a higher ranking in future searches for the same user. The ranking change is applied after the background process updates the search preferences. <br>
#It is '''not case-sensitive''': "qual" or "Qual" return the same results.
Favorites are user-specific. Marking a result as a favorite does not affect other users' search results. <br>
#Search results are '''limited to 10 page titles'''. This is important to understand to have the right expectations. In most cases, the search field is simply used as a springboard to pages that are known to the user (e.g., to jump to a team page or to the page "Processes" or any other known page the user wants to reach quickly).
To remove a result from favorites, select the pin icon again.
#'''Spelling mistakes''' will usually not return any results: "Qality" does not return "Quality". Based on the version of your wiki, the search might return suggestions ("You might be looking for....").
=== AI summary ===
#Multiple search terms can be in '''any order''' to produce results ("toc download" finds pages just like "download toc").
In wikis configured for AI usage, an AI summary can be displayed before the search results. The display is controlled by the [[Extension/BlueSpiceConfigManager#ChatBot|ChatBot configuration]].
# '''Search operators''' such as <code>""</code>, <code>OR</code>, <code>AND</code>re not supported. However, they are supported in the [[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceExtendedSearch#Search operators|full-text search]].
== Search in all wikis ==
#The '''sort order''' for the results are based on a combination of best title match and last edit date of the page. (You can find the technical details on the [[Reference:BlueSpiceExtendedSearch|reference page for the extension ExtendedSearch.]] Some configuration changes are possible if the wiki is hosted on premise. There are no configuration options in Cloud wikis. )
The search interface provides an option to search in all available wikis. <br>
#The search offers a filter (screenshot annotation 1) to search:
Search in all wikis includes both page titles and full-text content. Search results can therefore include matching pages and indexed files from multiple wikis. <br>
#*in subpages of the page you are on (if it has subpages)
Search results identify the wiki in which each result is located by displaying the wiki name in a colored pill. The wiki color is assigned by an administrator.
#*in the namespace of the page you are currently on
== Configuration ==
#*in the book of the page you are currently on (if you are in a book)
In the [[Extension/BlueSpiceConfigManager#BlueSpiceExtendedSearch|BlueSpiceConfigManager]], settings for '''BlueSpiceExtendedSearch''' are available for on-premise installations.
#*in the whole wiki
== Search administration ==
#A search match shows the following information (screenshot annotation 2)
The page <code>Special:SearchAdmin</code> provides information about the indexed documents, including their number and type.
##Page title
##Below the page title, the namespace prefix of the page. If the result is a subpage, the subpage path is shown next to the namespace prefix.
##If the title match is based on the display title of a page, the original title is shown in parentheses.
##If the page is redirected to a different page, the redirect link is shown with a redirect-arrow in front of the target page title. If the target page has a display title, only the display title of the target page is shown. Otherwise the full path of the target page is shown.
[[File:Autocomplete.png|alt=10 results for the search term "Visual" |center|thumb|830x830px|Title search ]]
===Namespace and subpage "pills"===
The search bar supports pills for namespaces and subpages. [[File:extendedsearch-pilleEN.png|thumb|Namespace "pill"|center|link=Special:FilePath/extendedsearch-pilleEN.png]]
If a user types <code>Manual:</code>and clicks "Enter", a pill for the namespace "Manual" appears and the search for the following term is limited to this namespace. .
==== Subpages ====
Subpage pills work in the same way. If you type in <code>PageName/</code>, any term after that is matched in the context of that page. If you search for "TestPage/Te", for example, the search will match only subpages of "TestPage" that contain "Te" in the title, like "TestPage/Test" and "TestPage/TestSubpage".
Subpages in namespaces are only found if the namespace prefix is included (assuming you are typing in the direct path to the subpage).
For example, the "Images" subpage with the path <code>Manual:Extension/VisualEditor/Images</code> is found when you type:
* "Manual:Extension/Imag"
* "Manual:VisualEditor/Imag"
* "Manual:Imag"
The page is not found via:
* "VisualEditor/Imag"
* "Extension/Imag"
===Dates as search terms===
The search recognizes certain date formats. In the search center, these date formats are treated with surrounding quotation marks. <gallery widths="400" heights="200">
File:Manual:extendedsearch-datum1.png
File:Manual:extendedsearch-datum2.png
</gallery><br />
==Search Center (extended search)==
As soon as you trigger the full-search with the magnifying glass symbol or the ''Enter'' key, the wiki switches to the Search Center. This is a special page that offers the full functionality of the search. The search in the Search Center is carried out using the same search bar that is also used for autocomplete.
Here, the search engine carries out a full text search, which also includes the metadata of documents. It does not index the wikitext of a wiki page, but rather the rendered content, that is the output by the browser.<br />
By default, the search filters for namespaces and categories are already displayed. You can open them to filter the search results:[[File:extendedsearch4.png|link=link=Special:FilePath/ExtendedSearch5.png|alt=|center|thumb|'''Options dialog''']]
=== AI-Summary ===
In wikis that are configured for AI-usage, an AI summary can be displayed before the results list. This display is controlled via the [[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceConfigManager#ChatBot|configuration manager for extension ChatBot]] {{Bsvs|bsvFrom=5.2.2}}.
===Search operators===
{{Messagebox|boxtype=important|icon=|Note text=Search operators only work in the search center (fulltext search). You cannot use search operators in the title search.
If you are '''searching for contiguous words''', they should be enclosed in quotation marks (") for performance reasons and to support a unique search.
|bgcolor=}}
Search operators have to be written in '''all-caps'''.
====AND====
*<code>admin AND docu</code>: Returns pages that contain the '''exact term''' <code>admin</code> '''as well as the exact term''' <code>docu</code>
*<code>admin* AND docu</code>: If the term <code>administration</code> should be found, you need to provide a wildcard asterisk (<code>*</code>).
'''Compare''': The search <code>admin docu</code> automatically is a wildcard search. It returns pages that contain '''both''' <code>admin*</code> '''and''' <code>docu*</code> . This search normally finds more results than the serach <code>admin* AND docu</code> (because in the second case, the exact term <code>docu</code> is returned).
====<code>"</code> (apostrophes)====
Apostrophes around a search term triggers an <code>AND</code> search for '''all terms''' in the query:
* <code>"admin" docu</code>: same result as <code>admin AND docu</code> (i.e., also the precise term <code>docu</code> will be searched).
====NOT====
*<code>admin* NOT docu*</code>: Returns pages that contain words that start with <code>admin</code> , but that don't contain words that start with <code>docu</code> .
====OR====
*<code>admin OR docu</code>: Returns pages that contain '''either the exact term''' <code>admin</code> '''or the exact term''' <code>docu</code>.
====<code>*</code> (wildcard) ====
*<code>'''admin*'''</code>: Returns pages that contain words that begin with <code>admin</code> .
=== Elements===
*'''Hit count''' - shows how many matches a search has returned. It may be exact or approximate. Approximation is due to dynamic check for permissions to view each page in the results, some results may not be shown to the user with no adequate permissions event if it matches the search term.
*'''Search actions'''[[File:search actions.png|alt=Filter and search options menu|center|thumb|200x200px|Search actions]]
**'''Add a filter''' - represented by a "funnel" icon - opens a dialog where users can select the filter type(s) that are applied to the search results.<br />
**'''Search options''' - represented by a "hamburger menu" icon - opens a dialog where users can change settings for the current search. It provides options like the number of results per page, sorting field and order.[[File:extendedsearch3.png|link=link=https://en.wiki.bluespice.com/wiki/File:ExtendedSearch3.png|alt=|center|thumb|341x341px|Adding filters]]<br />
**'''Export search''' - opens a dialog to export current search results to a dedicated page (only visible to authorized users, by default admin users).
*'''Filter:''' Additional filters can be set from the filter button. Available filters vary based on BlueSpice version. Active filters can be removed by clicking on the "x" button in each filter pill.
In case there is an exact match for a given search term, the result that matches exactly is displayed as a "featured" result. Such a result displays a preview image of the page and always displays the content snippet, regardless of whether there are matches in the content or not.
====Results relevance====
All logged-in users can mark certain results as "favorites" by clicking on the pin symbol in the right corner of each result.
Files marked as "favorite" will score higher in future searches. This is not visible immediately, however, since a background process has to finish to update these preferences.
One user's pins won't affect other user's searches. Results can be unmarked as "favorite" by clicking on the "pin" symbol again.
====Exporting search results====
After executing the search, administrators can export (save) the results to a specific page using the "Export" command from the "Tools" menu. The list is exported to ''MediaWiki:PageCollection/LISTENNAME.''
Only valid wikipages are exported. The exported pages can be added to a book via ''Mass add> Source: Page collection'' in the book's edit menu''.''
==Configuration==
In the [[Manual:Extension/BlueSpiceConfigManager|BlueSpiceConfigManager]], under settings for the extension ''BlueSpiceExtendedSearch'', the following configuration options are available ('''on-premise installations only'''):<br />
The search interface provides the following search options:
Search options
Search option
Description
Title search
Searches page titles and provides autocomplete suggestions.
Full-text search
Searches the content of wiki pages and indexed files.
Search in all wikis
Searches page titles and full-text content across all available wikis.
By default, the search index includes:
wiki pages, except pages in the MediaWiki namespace
special pages in the **Special** namespace
files uploaded to the wiki. For text-based files such as Word documents and PDFs, the file content and metadata are indexed.
external files, if configured, from accessible storage locations such as mounted drives
Title search
The title search is available in the search field in the wiki header. It searches page names and display titles.
Enter a search term in the search field to display matching page titles. To start a full-text search, press Enter or select the full-text search option.
Recently viewed
When the search field is opened without a search term, it displays pages accessed through recent searches.
The title search has the following characteristics:
It is not case-sensitive. For example, qual and Qual return the same results.
Search results are limited to 10 page titles.
Spelling errors usually do not return matching results. For example, Qality does not return Quality. Depending on the wiki configuration, spelling suggestions may be displayed.
Multiple search terms can appear in any order. For example, toc download and download toc return the same matching pages.
Search operators such as ", OR</code<, and AND</code< are not supported.
Results are sorted based on a combination of title relevance and the page's last edit date. The exact ranking can be affected by configuration in on-premise installations.
The search can be limited to a specific context using search filters.
A title-search result can show the following information:
the page title
the wiki name in a colored pill
the namespace in bold
the parent page in regular text
the original page title in parentheses if the result matches the page's display title
a redirect indicator and target page if the result is a redirect
The search field supports namespace and subpage search using wiki syntax.
To limit a search to a namespace:
Enter the namespace followed by a colon, for example Controlled Document:.
Select Enter.
The namespace is added as a search pill.
Enter the search term after the pill.
The search is then limited to the selected namespace.
To limit a search to a subpage:
Enter the parent page followed by a slash, for example TestPage/.
Enter the search term.
The search results are limited to matching subpages of the specified page.
For example, TestPage/Te matches subpages such as TestPage/Test and TestPage/TestSubpage.
When searching for a subpage in a namespace, include the namespace prefix in the search path. For example, a page with the path Minutes:JourFixe/2026-09-30 can be found with:
The search recognizes certain date formats. In the Search center, recognized date formats are treated as search terms with surrounding quotation marks.
The Search center provides full-text search. It searches the rendered content of wiki pages as well as indexed file content and metadata.
To start a full-text search:
Press Enter after entering a search term in the search field.
The Search center provides filters and search options for refining the results.
Search filters
The available filters depend on the current search context and configuration. Use the filter options to narrow the search results. Active filters can be removed individually.
Search operators are supported in full-text search. They are not supported in title search.
Search operators must be written in uppercase.
If a search contains consecutive words that must be searched together, enclose the words in quotation marks.
Search operators
Operator
Description
AND
Use AND to find results that contain both search terms.
admin AND docu returns pages containing the exact terms admin and docu.
admin* AND docu returns pages containing words that start with admin and the exact term docu.
A search without an operator automatically uses a wildcard search for each term. For example, admin docu` searches for words that start with admin and docu.
Quotation marks
Quotation marks can be used to search for all terms in a query. For example:
"admin" docu produces the same result as admin AND docu.
NOT
Use NOT to exclude a search term. For example:
admin* NOT docu* returns pages containing words that start with admin but not words that start with docu.
OR
Use OR to find results containing either search term. For example:
admin OR docu returns pages containing either admin or docu.
Wildcard
Use * after part of a word to search for words that begin with that character sequence. For example:
admin* returns pages containing words that begin with admin.
Search results
The Search center displays information and actions for the current search.
Hit count shows the number of matching results. The count can be exact or approximate because permissions are checked dynamically. Some matching results may not be displayed if the current user does not have permission to view them.
Add a filter opens the available filters for the search.
Search options opens settings for the current search, such as the number of results per page and the sort order.
Save as page collection opens a dialog with the current search results. Authorized users can deselect individual results and choose the list format. The page collection is saved as a subpage of MediaWiki:Page collection/.
Plain text: saves page names only.
Link: saves page names as links to the corresponding pages.
If a result exactly matches the search term, it can be displayed as a featured result. A featured result includes a preview image and a content snippet.
Search results show the wiki name in a colored pill. The color is assigned by the administrator. The namespace is shown in bold, followed by the parent page in regular text.
Favorite results
Logged-in users can mark search results as favorites by selecting the pin icon on a result.
Favorite results receive a higher ranking in future searches for the same user. The ranking change is applied after the background process updates the search preferences.
Favorites are user-specific. Marking a result as a favorite does not affect other users' search results.
To remove a result from favorites, select the pin icon again.
AI summary
In wikis configured for AI usage, an AI summary can be displayed before the search results. The display is controlled by the ChatBot configuration.
Search in all wikis
The search interface provides an option to search in all available wikis.
Search in all wikis includes both page titles and full-text content. Search results can therefore include matching pages and indexed files from multiple wikis.
Search results identify the wiki in which each result is located by displaying the wiki name in a colored pill. The wiki color is assigned by an administrator.
Configuration
In the BlueSpiceConfigManager, settings for BlueSpiceExtendedSearch are available for on-premise installations.
Search administration
The page Special:SearchAdmin provides information about the indexed documents, including their number and type.
