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Problem:

  • User searches for documents in a Document Library and gets a list of search results back.

  • User opens a document, which opens in the browser, not in the client app.

  • After viewing the document, the user wants to return to the list of search results.

The only navigation option is the Back button of the browser. Clicking the Back button returns the user to the Document Library, no the search results. Disgruntled user has to perform the search again.

Any way around this?

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1
  • perhaps you can figure out a way to make documents (links) clicked in search results to open in a new window (_blank)
    – Tiago Duarte
    Commented Oct 2, 2017 at 11:43

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
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I just tested this in SharePoint 2013 on premise, and clicking the back arrow of InternetExplorer returns from a web displayed Excel file back to the search results.So maybe in 2 years this was fixed.

Also, I train users that if they don't like the navigation, to use right-click 'Open in new window' on any links. Then they can close that new page and still be where they started.

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  • Great. Should have tried across different browsers before spending a bounty. Thank you. However, in a document library, even in IE11, unable to reproduce the right-click behaviour, as right-clicking brings the SP menu 'Download / Share / Get a link / Rename / Delete / ...'
    – G-E
    Commented Oct 9, 2017 at 14:31
  • Colleagues have tried in IE, and it did not work for them. Back button brought them back to the whole library contents, rather than to search results.
    – G-E
    Commented Oct 10, 2017 at 10:26
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+25

Maybe you can use the Enterprise Search Center template to create a sub-site which allows users to search for content. However, this will search through all document libraries that can be searched. The results page of the search center will stay when a users opens a document and returns.

This is a different approach, but in my experience, users will prefer using the "Search Center" instead of the individual library search, because it searches all document libraries.

I know this doesn't answer your question 100% though.

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  • 1
    The bounty was worth 50 reputation. This answer has been awarded 25. Where are the remaining 25 gone?
    – G-E
    Commented Oct 11, 2017 at 12:27

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