Search Query Timeout in SharePoint – Causes, Troubleshooting, and Solutions

The “Search Query Timeout” error in SharePoint Online, SharePoint 2019, 2016, 2013, or 2010 occurs when a search query takes too long to return results, leading to performance issues or failures. This issue may be caused by large query execution times, overloaded search components, improper query syntax, or resource limitations.

This guide provides detailed troubleshooting and solutions to resolve the Search Query Timeout issue.

---

1. Understand the Causes of Search Query Timeout

A search timeout occurs when a search query exceeds the maximum execution time before returning results.

Common Causes:

• Large or complex search queries that require excessive processing.
• Slow indexing or incomplete search crawls.
• High server load or insufficient search resources.
• Corrupt search index affecting query execution.
• Faulty search schema configuration.
• Improper use of Managed Properties in queries.
• Query Throttling in SharePoint Online due to performance limits.
• Network latency or SQL Server query execution delay in on-premises environments.

---

2. Verify if Search is Working Properly

Steps to Test Basic Search Functionality

1. Open SharePoint Search Center:
   • Navigate to https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/search (for SharePoint Online).
   • Try searching with a simple keyword to check if results appear.
2. Perform a Search Query from the Site Collection:
   • Go to any SharePoint site.
   • Use the search box in the top navigation.
   • Enter a basic keyword and check if results load.
3. Use the Query Tool for Advanced Debugging:
   • Open SharePoint Search Query Tool (https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/searchadmin/querylog.aspx).
   • Run the query manually and analyze execution time.

If the query takes too long to execute, proceed with the troubleshooting steps below.

---

3. Reduce the Query Complexity

Optimize Query Syntax to Avoid Timeouts

• Use specific keywords instead of broad search terms.
• Avoid unnecessary filters that increase query execution time.
• Limit the number of results using rowlimit: <QueryPacket> <Query> <RowLimit>50</RowLimit> </Query> </QueryPacket>
• Avoid wildcard searches (*), which increase processing time.
• Use Managed Properties correctly, e.g.: Title:"Project Plan" AND ContentType:"Document"
• Use refiners and filters: RefinementFilters='filetype:pdf'

---

4. Check the Search Crawl Status

Ensure the Search Index is Up-to-Date

1. Navigate to Central Administration → Manage Service Applications.
2. Select Search Service Application.
3. Under Crawling, check the Crawl Logs:
   • If “Crawl is incomplete”, the search index may be outdated.
   • If errors appear, manually restart the crawl.

Fix: Perform a Full Crawl

• SharePoint Online:
  • Run the following PowerShell command: Start-SPOSiteContentCrawl -SiteUrl https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com
• On-Premises (2019/2016/2013):
  • Open Search Service Application > Content Sources.
  • Click Start Full Crawl.
  • Wait for the crawl to complete and retry the search.

---

5. Check SharePoint Search Performance Limits

Understand Query Throttling in SharePoint Online

• SharePoint Online limits complex queries to protect performance.
• If too many concurrent searches occur, throttling is applied.

Fix: Avoid Query Throttling

• Reduce the result set size (rowlimit).
• Optimize the Managed Properties in queries.
• Perform searches during off-peak hours.

For SharePoint On-Premises, adjust search timeout settings:

Increase Search Timeout in Central Administration

1. Open Central Administration.
2. Navigate to Manage Service Applications → Search Service Application.
3. Click Search Query and Result Settings.
4. Increase the Query Execution Timeout from the default (30 seconds) to 60 seconds.

---

6. Check SharePoint ULS Logs for Errors

How to Identify Timeout Errors

1. Open ULS Logs (C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\LOGS).
2. Search for Query Execution Timeout or Correlation ID errors.
3. If timeout errors appear, it may indicate:
   • Slow query execution.
   • Issues with the search index.
   • Database performance problems.

---

7. Test Search Performance in SQL Server (On-Premises)

Check SQL Query Performance for Slow Searches

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS).
2. Run: SELECT TOP 10 * FROM dbo.MSSQLSearchQueryHistory ORDER BY ExecutionTime DESC;
3. If queries are taking too long, the search database needs optimization.

Fix: Optimize SQL Performance

• Rebuild Search Index: ALTER INDEX ALL ON dbo.SearchTable REBUILD;
• Ensure SQL Server has enough memory and CPU resources.

---

8. Restart Search Services (On-Premises Only)

If SharePoint search services are stuck or slow, restarting can help.

Restart Search Services via PowerShell

Restart-Service SPSearchHostController
Restart-Service OSearch16

• For SharePoint 2019/2016: Use OSearch16.
• For SharePoint 2013: Use OSearch15.

---

9. Increase Query Timeout for Large Queries (On-Premises)

If queries consistently timeout due to execution limits, increase the timeout value.

Increase Query Timeout in PowerShell

Set-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication -QueryExecutionTimeout 60

• Default is 30 seconds. Try 60 seconds and test.

---

10. Contact Microsoft Support (SharePoint Online)

If search still times out after optimizing queries and checking performance:

• Run a diagnostic test in SharePoint Admin Center.
• Check the Microsoft 365 Service Health Dashboard for search-related outages.
• Open a Microsoft Support Ticket.

---