Custom QueryRule removal via PowerShell caused an exception “Invalid URI”

Question

I've recently created a bunch of custom query rules (in fact, promoted results) for my site collection, with custom keywords, titles, names, descriptions and URLs.

The format is:

CreateQueryRules -SiteUrl 'https://server' -Name 'UPS' -Synonyms 'UPS' -LinkTitle 'UPS' -LinkDescription 'UPS' -LinkUrl 'https://server2'

Here I suppress the whole code, meaning that the following parameters are passed to the function: site collection URL, query rule name, promoted result name, keywords and the URL (link) for promoted result.

During execution, I've made a mistake with -LinkUrl parameter and pass the URL as "server2", not "https://server2".

After the error occurs:

Exception calling "Update" with "0" argument(s): "Invalid URI: The format of the URI could not be determined."
At F:\_install\create_query_rule(best_bet).ps1:32 char:1SERVER2date()
+             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UriFormatException

I've checked the site collection under

https://server/_layouts/15/listqueryrules.aspx?level=sitecol

From "For what context do you want to configure rules?" -> Select a result source -> All sources (from dropdown) and something went wrong :)

The error details are:

05/24/2017 17:41:39.61 w3wp.exe (SERVER:0x2848) 0x23F8 SharePoint Foundation Unified Logging Service 2m1i Verbose Adding event 8313 (category: Topology, product: SharePoint Foundation) to spam monitoring list 4cd1f49d-bf31-d015-53e9-8a3482f114fd
05/24/2017 17:41:39.61 w3wp.exe (SERVER:0x2848) 0x23F8 SharePoint Foundation General 8nca Medium Application error when access /_layouts/15/listqueryrules.aspx, Error=Invalid URI: The format of the URI could not be determined.  Server stack trace:      at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.ThrowIfFaultUnderstood(Message reply, MessageFault fault, String action, MessageVersion version, FaultConverter faultConverter)     at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.HandleReply(ProxyOperationRuntime operation, ProxyRpc& rpc)     at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannel.Call(String action, Boolean oneway, ProxyOperationRuntime operation, Object[] ins, Object[] outs, TimeSpan timeout)     at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.InvokeService(IMethodCallMessage methodCall, ProxyOperationRuntime operation)     at System.ServiceModel.Channels.ServiceChannelProxy.Invoke(IMessage message)    Exception rethrown at [0]:      at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Internal.UI.SearchObjectAdminPageBase.ErrorHandler(Object sender, EventArgs e)     at System.Web.UI.TemplateControl.OnError(EventArgs e)     at System.Web.UI.Page.HandleError(Exception e)     at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)     at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)     at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest()     at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)     at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()     at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously) 4cd1f49d-bf31-d015-53e9-8a3482f114fd

When I tried to delete this custom query rule(s), the following error occurred:

Exception calling "RemoveQueryRule" with "1" argument(s): "Invalid URI: The format of the URI could not be determined."
At line:3 char:1
+ $searchServiceApplication.RemoveQueryRule($qryRule)
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [], MethodInvocationException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UriFormatException

Answer 1

I had the exact same issue after importing a batch of Promoted Results.

Here's the script I used that worked to remove the offending entries. The trick was to force remove the query action before removing the query rule using $qryRule.RemoveQueryAction($qryRule.AssignBestBetsAction)

$snapin = Get-PSSnapin | Where-Object {$_.Name -eq 'Microsoft.SharePoint.Powershell'}
if ($snapin -eq $null)
{
  Write-Host "Loading SharePoint Powershell Snapin`r`n"
  Add-PSSnapin "Microsoft.SharePoint.Powershell"
}

$siteUrl = "http://home.contoso.com/"
$resultSourceName = "Local SharePoint Results"
$web = Get-SPWeb $siteUrl

$ssa = Get-SPServiceApplication -Name "Search Service"
$queryRuleManager = New-Object Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.Rules.QueryRuleManager($ssa)

$site = Get-SPSite $siteUrl
$level = "SPWeb"

$searchObjectOwner = New-Object Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchObjectOwner($level, $web)
$searchObjectFilter = New-Object Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchObjectFilter($searchObjectOwner)
$federationManager = New-Object Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.Query.FederationManager($ssa)
$resultSource = $federationManager.GetSourceByName($resultSourceName,$searchObjectOwner)
$queryRules = $queryRuleManager.GetQueryRules($searchObjectFilter)


function DeleteAllPromotedResult([string]$ssaName)
{
    $customQueryRules = $queryRuleManager.GetQueryRules($searchObjectFilter) | ?{$_.Owner.Level -ne $ssaName}
    Write-Host "There are" $customQueryRules.Count "Customised Query Rules"
    foreach($qryRule in $customQueryRules) {
        Write-Host "Deleting Query Rule" $qryRule.DisplayName
        $qryRule.RemoveQueryAction($qryRule.AssignBestBetsAction)
        $ssa.RemoveQueryRule($qryRule)
    }

    $ssa.Update()
}


#Delete all the Promoted Result
DeleteAllPromotedResult($ssa)