reset search index in sharepoint 2019 for all crawled content source is a critical task. You know there are 6 search components like crawl component,content processing component,analytics processing component, index component, query processing component, search administration component in search topology. When user query something, results retrieving from index files. Administrator adds content source, crawling happens, indexing happening. In case of corrupt index , status of index component is degraded, search result not coming, sharepoint index partition yellow triangle appears, we have to perform this activity. We can follow UI method from search administration page for index reset but timeout error might come. We can use powershell command to clear indexed results for all crawled content source.

Pre-Index Reset Task

Before doing index reset, make sure below check points satisfying

• Crawl status for content source is idle.
• Crawler background activity status is none.
• Disable crawl schedule otherwise. recent crawl rate should be 0 items per second.
• Recent query rate should be 0 queries per minute
• Administrative status should not be running. Suspend search service application if its running mode by running beow command.

Suspend-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication "Search Service Application"

Navigate to manage service application from central administrator in sharepoint 2019. Click on search service application, you will be redirected to search service application administrator page. validate the pre-index reset task checks.

After that, its good to proceed for reset indexing in sharepoint search.

Index Reset Task

We can do this by UI method or by using powershell command. let’s underatand both methos.

UI method from Search Administration Page

click on “Index reset” from left navigation.

Deactivate search alerts by selecting the checkbox to stop alerts. Its very important to diable alerts without any miss and click on “Reset Now” from searchreset page.

index files will be cleared, once process completed. Click on “Crawl log” and you will find last crawl field reset to “No data”. Crawl properties like successes, warnings, errors, top level errors, deletes reset to “0”.

search index reset timeout might come in UI method, so better to use powershell command method.

Powershell command to reset search index

We can use powershell command to delete search index files for all crawled content source. Find below the powershell command.

(Get-SPEnterpriseSearchServiceApplication).reset($true, $true)
# $True: Disable Alerts and Ignore Timeout error

Post-Index Reset Task

After clearing or resetting search index, always have to start full crawl for the content source. Click on “Content sources” from left navigation. Click on the drop down option for the content source and select “Start Full Crawl”

follow the vide below, to know step by step procedure in video format for better understanding.