Troubleshooting “Search Service Application is Not Configured” in SharePoint

When the Search Service Application is not properly configured in SharePoint, search functionality will not work. This issue usually occurs due to:

• Missing or improperly configured Search Service Application (SSA)
• Unconfigured Search Service Topology
• Search Components not being assigned
• Insufficient permissions for the Search Service account
• Corrupted search database
• Service not running

This guide provides a detailed step-by-step approach to configuring the Search Service Application properly.

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Step 1: Verify the Issue

Before making changes, confirm that the Search Service Application is missing or not configured properly.

1.1: Check If the Search Service Application Exists

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Go to Manage Service Applications.
3. Look for Search Service Application.
   • If missing, it needs to be created.
   • If present but not working, it needs to be reconfigured.

1.2: Check Search Service Application Status

1. Click on Search Service Application (if it exists).
2. Check for errors under Search Administration.
3. Look for warnings such as:
   • Search Component Failures
   • Search Index not responding
   • No Search Topology configured

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Step 2: Ensure Search Services are Running

If the Search Service Application exists but does not function, ensure the necessary services are running.

2.1: Check Services on Server

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to System Settings > Manage Services on Server.
3. Ensure the following services are running:
   • Search Service
   • Search Host Controller Service
   • Distributed Cache Service
   • SharePoint Timer Service

2.2: Start Services Using PowerShell

If any of the services are stopped, start them manually:

Start-Service -Name OSearch15
Start-Service -Name SPSearchHostController
Start-Service -Name SPTimerV4

After restarting services, check if the issue is resolved.

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Step 3: Create or Recreate the Search Service Application

If the Search Service Application is missing or corrupt, recreate it.

3.1: Delete the Existing Search Service Application (If Needed)

⚠ Warning: Deleting an existing SSA will remove search index data.

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Manage Service Applications.
3. Select Search Service Application and click Delete.
4. Check Delete data associated with the service application.
5. Click OK.

3.2: Create a New Search Service Application

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Manage Service Applications > New > Search Service Application.
3. Provide a Name (e.g., Search Service Application).
4. Choose Search Service Account (or create a new one).
5. Create a new Application Pool for the search service.
6. Click OK and wait for the application to be created.

3.3: Verify That SSA Was Created Successfully

1. Open Manage Service Applications.
2. Confirm that Search Service Application appears in the list.
3. Click on it and check Search Administration for any errors.

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Step 4: Configure Search Topology

If the Search Topology is not configured, search will not work.

4.1: View Current Search Topology

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Search Administration.
3. Click Manage Search Topology.
4. Ensure the following components are listed:
   • Admin Component
   • Crawl Component
   • Query Processing Component
   • Index Component
   • Analytics Processing Component
   • Content Processing Component

If components are missing, manually configure them.

4.2: Configure Search Topology Using PowerShell

If topology components are missing, use the following PowerShell commands:

$ssa = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -SearchApplication $ssa  

$server = Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceInstance  

New-SPEnterpriseSearchAdminComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchCrawlComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchQueryProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchIndexComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchContentProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  
New-SPEnterpriseSearchAnalyticsProcessingComponent -SearchTopology $ssa -SearchServiceInstance $server  

Set-SPEnterpriseSearchTopology -SearchApplication $ssa -Active

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Step 5: Configure Content Sources and Start a Full Crawl

5.1: Add Content Sources

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Search Administration > Content Sources.
3. Click New Content Source.
4. Choose SharePoint Sites and enter the URL of the site collection.
5. Click OK.

5.2: Start a Full Crawl

1. Go to Search Administration > Content Sources.
2. Click Start Full Crawl on the SharePoint Sites content source.
3. Wait for the crawl to complete.

Check search results to see if content appears.

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Step 6: Verify Search Service Account Permissions

6.1: Assign Correct Permissions to the Search Service Account

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Security > Configure Service Accounts.
3. Ensure the Search Service Account is assigned to the Search Service Application.
4. Check that the account has Full Read access on the User Profile Service.

6.2: Grant Database Permissions

The Search Service Account needs db_owner permissions on the Search Database.

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. Connect to the SharePoint SQL Database.
3. Find the Search Database (Search_Service_Application_DB).
4. Assign db_owner role to the Search Service Account.

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Step 7: Restart Services and IIS

7.1: Restart Search Services

Restart-Service -Name OSearch15
Restart-Service -Name SPSearchHostController

7.2: Restart IIS

iisreset /noforce

7.3: Restart SharePoint Timer Service

Restart-Service -Name SPTimerV4

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Step 8: Test Search Functionality

1. Go to a SharePoint site.
2. Search for a known document or item.
3. If results appear, Search Service Application is now configured properly.

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