Search and Search Filter differences between SharePoint Online Library and List Content Sources

As you connect your SharePoint content to QorusDocs and create both document library and list content sources, there are a few noteworthy differences in their behavior around: 

1. The Search Filtering experience for end-users
2. The levels of taxonomy supported
3. What QorusDocs actually searches

1. The Search Filtering experience for end-users

With SharePoint Document Library content sources, QorusDocs will display the full range of Managed Metadata filters available in the library - regardless of whether there are any documents are actually tagged with that Managed Metadata.

For example, these are the terms available for 'Practice Area' in our training environment, irrespective of whether there are no documents tagged with these terms: 

With SharePoint List content sources, QorusDocs will only display and make available as search filters the Managed Metadata values that have actually been used to tag and label content. If a term exists in SharePoint but has not been applied to any content, it will not show up as an available search filter in QorusDocs. 

For example, these are the terms in the 'Practice Area' filter that have been used to tag list items in our training environment (all the others have been excluded): 

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2. The levels of taxonomy supported

SharePoint Document Library content sources support tree-like or hierarchical term structures that can go up to 7 levels deep. With SharePoint List Content Sources, the maximum is 2 levels of taxonomy.

In the example screenshots above, you can see how this is represented as a 'flattened' version of the Practice Area document library search filter, where 'Antitrust Transactions' is on the same level as 'Corporate'.

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3. What QorusDocs actually searches

QorusDocs will search the contents of the file and all the metadata associated with the file for Document Library content sources. 

For List content sources, since Admins can choose which columns to make searchable, QorusDocs will only search those columns that have been configured as searchable.

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