Exceeded Filter Limit Search Error in SharePoint Online (SPO)-Connected Content Sources

Review a search failure error from exceeding a filter limit in SharePoint Online (SPO)-connected Content Sources and how to resolve the issue. 

Problem

When searching for a file in a large set of Content Sources or with a lot of filters, you may get an error message saying "Filter limit exceeded:"

This makes it more difficult to find what you're after in a short amount of time.

Why does this happen?

When QorusDocs searches in SharePoint, we send a request via the SharePoint API with all of the parameters that you enter to the SharePoint site. Let's say you have 20 Content Sources each with their own site URL, and you are looking for 'Document A' of type 'document' or 'email' in Content Sources 1-15, then we will assemble that into a string and ask the SharePoint API something like this:

Find 'Document A' of type 'document' or 'email' in sharepoint.mycompanyname.tld/contentsource1 OR

'Document A' of type 'document' or 'email' in sharepoint.mycompanyname.tld/contentsource2 OR ...

The SharePoint API has a limit of 4096 characters, so whenever a query exceeds that limit, the search will fail.

What should I do about it?

If you hit a search string error, you will need to submit a revised search that will include fewer characters. This can be achieved in a number of ways:

1. Reducing the number of Content Sources selected
2. Reducing the filter count
3. Reducing the length of the queried search terms

If you want to do a global search for 'Document A' without the tedious process of starting in Content Sources 1-5, then 6-10, etc. you can create a Content Source that points higher up your folder tree in SharePoint, as this will reduce the string length and allow you to find 'Document A' with only only one entry of:

Find 'Document A' of type 'document' or 'email' in sharepoint.mycompanyname.tld/baseoftree.