“Help me, RestrictContentOrgWideSearch. You’re my only hope.”
What is RDC – Restricted Content Discovery and why you need it ?
Imagine having a secret lair (or perhaps just a confidential project site) that you don’t want appearing in the global search results every time someone types “budget plans” or “top-secret project.” Restricted Content Discovery allows organizations to limit the visibility of specific SharePoint sites in organization-wide searches and Microsoft 365 Copilot Business Chat. This means that unless a user has recently interacted with the content, it remains hidden, like your embarrassing high school photos, safely tucked
How to Enable this Cloak of Invisibility ?
Think of it as SharePoint’s version of a “Do Not Disturb” sign. When you enable RestrictContentOrgWideSearch, you’re telling SharePoint:
“Hey, keep this site out of the search spotlight unless someone actually belongs here.”
For the tech wizards out there, enabling this feature is as simple as casting a PowerShell spell: use the comandlet Set-SPOSite -RestrictContentOrgWideSearch to true an your top-secret site, and voilà—it’s hidden from general search results.
# Cmdlet Syntax |
Before you start cloaking everything like a paranoid wizard, remember:
- Overuse of this feature can hinder discoverability where it’s genuinely needed.
- It doesn’t replace good governance practices; permissions still matter.
- Copilot might struggle to provide helpful answers if all your best data is hiding in plain sight.
While it’s tempting to hide all your sites like a squirrel hoarding acorns, overuse of Restricted Content Discovery can lead to performance hiccups. Plus, if Copilot doesn’t have enough content to work with, its responses might be as empty as a politician’s promise. So, use this feature wisely, like seasoning in a soup, a little goes a long way …
Stay Tuned for part 4 … and yes there is a part 4 !
