SharePoint Document Issues

Fix SharePoint 2019 Search Returning Mostly Excel Files

John Wilson Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

After upgrading to SharePoint Server 2019 on-premises, search results predominantly display Excel files instead of a normal mix of documents, list items, and other content.

How to Fix SharePoint 2019 Search Returning Mostly Excel Files

Product: SharePoint Server 2019
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Searching for specific documents and list items within an upgraded on-premises SharePoint environment.
Observed behavior: The search engine disproportionately returns Excel spreadsheets, ignoring or failing to display other content types like Word documents and list items.

Before you start

Ensure you have administrative access to the SharePoint Central Administration site, as troubleshooting on-premises search index issues requires modifying service application settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Review Search Configuration and Perform a Full Crawl

Verify your search service application settings, including crawl rules and result types, to ensure all content is being indexed correctly after the upgrade.

Since this is an on-premises SharePoint Server 2019 issue, the problem typically stems from how the search service application handles different file types after migrating from SharePoint 2013. The search index may need to be reconfigured and rebuilt.

Open Central Administration

Log in to your SharePoint Central Administration server and navigate to 'Manage Service Applications' under Application Management.

Access Search Service

Click on your 'Search Service Application' to open the search administration page.

Check Content Sources

Click on 'Content Sources' to ensure all your web applications and file shares are included and properly configured for crawling.

Review Result Types and File Extensions

Check 'Result Types' and 'File Types' to ensure that Word documents (.docx), PDFs, and list items are correctly mapped and not excluded from the search index.

Start a Full Crawl

Return to the Content Sources page, hover over your primary content source, click the dropdown menu, and select 'Start Full Crawl' to completely rebuild the search index.

Review Search Configuration and Perform a Full Crawl

Seek Administrator Support: Because this involves server-level configuration outside the scope of Microsoft 365, administrators should consult the Microsoft Q&A SharePoint Server discussion area for complex migration debugging.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Excel and Office Files Seamlessly with WPS Office

While your IT administrators rebuild the SharePoint search index, you still need a reliable tool to open and edit downloaded Excel spreadsheets and documents. WPS Office provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and completely free alternative to Microsoft Office.

1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installer for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded file and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the lightweight installation process in seconds.
3. Open SharePoint Files: Set WPS Office as your default application to seamlessly open and edit any Excel or Word files downloaded from your SharePoint server.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), Word (.docx), and PowerPoint (.pptx) formats.Lightweight installation ensures fast document loading, even for massive spreadsheets retrieved from SharePoint.Familiar tabbed user interface makes switching from Microsoft Office effortless.Completely free to download and use for all your daily office editing tasks.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does SharePoint search prioritize Excel files after an upgrade?

This often occurs if the search index wasn't fully rebuilt, or if file type associations and crawl rules for Word and PDF documents were corrupted or skipped during the migration from SharePoint 2013 to 2019.

How do I force SharePoint to re-index all my documents?

As a SharePoint administrator, go to Central Administration > Search Service Application > Content Sources. Select your content source, click the dropdown, and choose 'Start Full Crawl' to rebuild the index from scratch.

Can I search for SharePoint documents directly from my desktop Office suite?

Yes. If your SharePoint document libraries are synced to your computer via OneDrive, you can use Windows File Explorer or your desktop Office software (like WPS Office) to search for files locally without relying on the web search interface.

Document & File Issues