Configure Search Results Query to Exclude generic accounts

Question

Working in SharePoint 2013, I am trying to configure the Search Results query, to exclude all generic accounts (i.e. System accounts, test users, etc.). Our AD has these users segregated into a separate OU, and I think I can use that exclude these users from the results of a People Search. But, I'm having trouble configuring the query in the Search Results web part, to do this.

There is an existing property in the User Profile called Distinguished Name which includes the value OU=Users.Departmental for these generic accounts:

I have configured a Managed Property called DistinguishedName, that is mapped to this field:

When I go to the Search Results web part, I have created a query that uses:

{searchboxquery} -DistinguishedName:Users.Departmental

No matter what I do, I can't seem to get the query to exclude users that have Users.Departmental in their Distinguished Name field value. Any advice or suggestions on how to resolve this would be appreciated.

Answer 1

Even though I'd previously run a Full Crawl, the DistinguishedName value was blank. I decided to execute a Full Crawl again, and lo and behold, the Distinguished Name Managed Property was populated (verified by executing a REST search query). At that point, the original query worked in the Search Results web part.

Here are my notes for implementing this, if anyone else finds this useful:

1. Mark Distinguished Name Property as Indexed -Central Admin -Manage Service Applications -User Profile service -Manage User Profile Properties -Edit Distinguished Name -Mark it as 'Indexed' = Yes

2. Map a Managed Property to the Distinguished Name property -Central Admin -Manage Service Applications -Search Service Application -Search Schema -New Managed Property -Property Name: DistinguishedName -Text, Searchable, Queryable, Retrievable, Allow Multiple Values, -Add a mapping to Crawled Property: People:SPS-DistinguishedName, select second option (Include content from first crawled property) -OK

3. Execute a 'Full Crawl' on the People Search Results Source

4. Navigate to the People Search Results page. -Edit the page -Edit the Search Results web part -Click Change Query -In the Query Text field, add the following: {searchboxquery} -DistinguishedName:Users.Departmental -Click OK -Click OK or Apply -Save/Publish the page

Answer 2

Rather than doing this from Query alone, have you tried adding this as an exclusion filter in the User Profile Service? This would eliminated the profile and thus remove them from the People Index. (Most of them anyway.)

The other thing that may be happening is the dot (".") in your Users.Departmental may be the issue. Just for testing I would try -DistinguishedName:Departmental just to see if it works. Once you figure out the issue you can alter the query as needed. At that point I would modify the OOB People Result Source so this becomes the Farm standard.

Oh, and when you created the Managed Property did you put it in the PeopleIdx if not your query won't work.