Use the Microsoft Search API to search custom types imported using Microsoft Graph connectors

Use the Microsoft Search API in Microsoft Graph to search across external content ingested and indexed by Microsoft Graph connectors. The content is imported either via built-in connectors provided by Microsoft, or via custom connectors implemented by using the Microsoft Graph connectors ingestion API.

After the content has been imported and indexed, you can use the search API to query the content.

To search for custom types, specify the following properties in the request body of the query method:

• The contentSources property to include the connection ID that is assigned during the connector setup. You can pass multiple connection IDs to search across multiple connections. Results are returned in a single list, ranked across the multiple connections.

• The entityTypes property as externalItem.

• The fields property to include the fields in the external item to retrieve. Note that if you do not include any fields in the request, the response will contain all the fields marked as retrievable in the data schema specified for the specified connections in the contentSources property.

In addition, you can aggregate search results based on properties in an externalItem that are numeric or string type, and that are set to be refinable in the schema. For more information, see Refine search results using aggregations.

Example 1: Retrieve items using Azure SQL built-in connector

In this example, the content of the AdventureWorks database has been ingested using the Azure SQL built-in connector.

Request

POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/search/query
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "requests": [
    {
      "entityTypes": [
        "externalItem"
      ],
      "contentSources": [
          "/external/connections/azuresqlconnector",
          "/external/connections/azuresqlconnector2"
      ],
      "query": {
        "queryString": "yang"
      },
      "from": 0,
      "size": 25,
      "fields": [
        "BusinessEntityID",
        "firstName",
        "lastName"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context": "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#Collection(microsoft.graph.searchResponse)",
  "value": [
    {
      "searchTerms": ["yang"],
      "hitsContainers": [
        {
          "total": 2,
          "moreResultsAvailable": false,
          "hits": [
            {
              "hitId": "AAMkADc0NDNlNTE0",
              "rank": 1,
              "summary": "<ddd/>",
              "contentSource": "/external/connections/azuresqlconnector",
              "resource": {
                "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.externalConnectors.externalItem",
                "properties": {
                  "businessEntityID": 20704,
                  "firstName": "Amy",
                  "lastName": "Yang"
                }
              }
            },
           {
              "hitId": "AQMkADg3M2I3YWMyLTEwZ",
              "rank": 2,
              "summary": "<ddd/>",
              "contentSource": "/external/connections/azuresqlconnector2",
              "resource": {
                "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.externalConnectors.externalItem",
                "properties": {
                  "businessEntityID": 20704,
                  "shortDescription": "Contoso maintenance guidelines",
                  "firstName": "Amy",
                  "lastName": "Yang"
                }
              }
            },
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Example 2: Retrieve items using semantic labels

Request

POST https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/search/query
Content-Type: application/json

{
    "requests": [
      {
        "entityTypes": [
          "microsoft.graph.externalItem"
        ],
        "contentSources": [
          "/external/connections/FileAsUdt"
        ],
        "query": {
          "query_string": {
            "query": "test"
          }
        },
        "stored_fields": [
          "label_Title",
          "label_URL",
          "label_LastModifiedBy",
          "label_LastModifiedDateTime"
        ],
        "from": 0,
        "size": 25
      }
    ]
}

Response

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-type: application/json

{
  "@odata.context": "https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/$metadata#Collection(microsoft.graph.searchResponse)",
"value": [
      {
        "searchTerms": [
          "test"
        ],
        "hitsContainers": [
          {
            "hits": [
              {
                "_id": "AQMkAGRjZWJjZTFkLTkzYWItNDhlOC1iODA2LTgwMTNjNjEzYzI2YwBGAAADOx0/YV2JckefuDmJtUO7mwcAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAgEWAAAAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAgleAAAA",
                "_contentSource": "FileAsUdt",
                "_score": 1,
                "_summary": "<c0>Test</c0> component to move data files and messages between the gateway and internal <ddd/>",
                "_source": {
                  "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.externalConnectors.externalItem",
                  "properties": {
                    "label_Title": "SONIC Operations support and test Guide for the month of March",
                    "label_URL": "D:\\\\ConnectorsEcho\\\\New\\\\MSW06SecondSet\\\\teams\\\\Enterprise_Platforms\\\\CCO\\\\Projects\\\\BTSi Modernization\\\\SONIC Retirement\\\\SONIC_Operations_Support_Guide.docx",
                    "label_LastModifiedBy": [
                      "Bob",
                      "Scott"
                    ],
                    "label_LastModifiedDateTime": "2020-01-30T12:44:19Z"
                  }
                }
              },
              {
                "_id": "AQMkAGRjZWJjZTFkLTkzYWItNDhlOC1iODA2LTgwMTNjNjEzYzI2YwBGAAADOx0/YV2JckefuDmJtUO7mwcAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAgEWAAAAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAgldAAAA",
                "_contentSource": "FileAsUdt",
                "_score": 2,
                "_summary": "File Transfer Workbench A <c0>test</c0> File transfer Management Solution File Transfer the number <ddd/>",
                "_source": {
                  "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.externalConnectors.externalItem",
                  "properties": {
                    "label_Title": "Test File Transfer Workbench for the month of January",
                    "label_URL": "D:\\\\ConnectorsEcho\\\\New\\\\MSW06SecondSet\\\\teams\\\\IssueLog\\\\FCAGA Organisation\\\\NSN CO CCA Infra YBCFTPAR entry\\\\File Transfer Workbench.ppt",
                    "label_LastModifiedBy": [
                      "Alice",
                      "Scott"
                    ],
                    "label_LastModifiedDateTime": "2020-01-31T11:44:19Z"
                  }
                }
              },
              {
                "_id": "AQMkAGRjZWJjZTFkLTkzYWItNDhlOC1iODA2LTgwMTNjNjEzYzI2YwBGAAADOx0/YV2JckefuDmJtUO7mwcAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAgEWAAAAHNjGq33S50uXSFeU/U9mogAAAglgAAAA",
                "_contentSource": "FileAsUdt",
                "_score": 3,
                "_summary": "document and the associated <c0>test</c0> software are the sole property of Express Logic.<ddd/>",
                "_source": {
                  "@odata.type": "#microsoft.graph.externalConnectors.externalItem",
                  "properties": {
                    "label_Title": "System User Guide Express Logic 858.613.6640",
                    "label_URL": "D:\\\\ConnectorsEcho\\\\New\\\\MSW06FirstSet\\\\teams\\\\AzureIoTMarketing\\\\Shared Documents\\\\Whitepapers\\\\RTOS Whitepapers\\\\User Guides\\\\Azure_RTOS_FileX_User_Guide.pdf",
                    "label_LastModifiedBy": [
                      "Alice",
                      "Bob"
                    ],
                    "label_LastModifiedDateTime": "2020-05-25T10:20:19Z"
                  }
                }
              }
            ],
            "total": 3,
            "moreResultsAvailable": false
          }
        ]
      }
    ]
}

For more details, see Assign property labels.

Next steps

• Use the Microsoft Search API to query data