Instantly configure SharePoint search box in Microsoft 365 suite bar step by step

In this “SharePoint search box” tutorial, we will learn how to configure the SharePoint search box in the Office 365 suite bar step by step and how we can change the organisation profile settings in Office 365. The reason behind this article is that recently I was working on a custom search result page in my tenant, but I could not find the SharePoint search box in the Office 365 suite bar. However, I was perplexed when I noticed the same search box in my other tenant.

Then I realised there was something seriously wrong with my tenant because it wasn’t working.Throughout this article, I will focus on the two points below:

• How to configure the SharePoint search box in the Office 365 suite bar, step by step
• How to configure organization profile settings in Office 365

Configure SharePoint search box – Configure the search box in SharePoint online

Let’s have a look at the below screenshot.

Generally, in the below ribbon (at the top – highlighted) there should be a search box but was missing in my tenant.

So, how to enable the search box at the top of the page in the ribbon?

Let’s follow the below steps:

1. In the admin center, go to Settings > Setting, and under the Organization profile tab, choose Release preferences.
2. To disable the targeted release, select Standard release, then select Save changes.
3. To enable targeted release for all users in your organization, select Targeted release for everyone, then select Save changes.
4. To enable targeted release for some people in your organization, select Targeted release for selected users, then select Save changes.
5. Choose Select users to add users one at a time, or Upload users to add them in bulk.
6. When you’re done adding users, select Save changes.

or

Directly you can browse the below URL to go to the organization profile page.

https://admin.microsoft.com/Adminportal/Home#/companyprofile

Go to the “Release Preferences” section, next to that click on the “Action” menu, then click on the “Edit” menu.

“Release Track” configuration

In the next pane, we will see the “Release Track” configuration option, we have the below configuration options:

• Standard release – Get updates when we release them broadly. By default, this will be selected.
• Targeted release for everyone – Get updates early for your entire organization.
• Targeted release for selected users – Pick people to preview updates so that you can prepare your organization

Release Track – Release Preferences in Office 365 – Organization Profile

Now, we need to change the selection from “Standard release” to any of the below selections:

• Targeted release for everyone – Get updates early for your entire organization.
• Targeted release for selected users – Pick people to preview updates so that you can prepare your organization

In the production, the recommendation is “Targeted release for selected users”, as this is my trial tenant I have selected as “Targeted release for everyone”.

Then click on the Next button.

Now, I am getting the confirmation message “Are you sure you want to leave Targeted release for select people?” because I had selected earlier “Targeted release for selected users”.

Click on the “Yes” button.

It will update the release preferences, then finally click on the “Close” button.

FYI – For the “Targeted release for selected users” configuration, you will get the below screen where you need to add the list of targeted release users.

It might take 24 hours to get it reflected in your tenant.

Office 365 suite bar customization using PnP PowerShell

So, in order to make this change immediately, we need to run the below PnP PowerShell script:

$userName = "Global-sharepoint2020@globalsharepoint2020.onmicrosoft.com"
$passWord = "YourSPOPassword"
$encPassWord = convertto-securestring -String $passWord -AsPlainText -Force
$cred = new-object -typename System.Management.Automation.PSCredential -argumentlist $userName, $encPassWord

Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com/" -Credentials $cred

#Example as below:
Connect-PnPOnline -Url "https://globalsharepoint2020-admin.sharepoint.com/" -Credentials $cred

try
{
$web = Get-PnPWeb
#0 - Inherit, #1 - AllPages, #2 - ModernOnly, #3 - Hidden enums for Global (Modern Search)
$web.SearchBoxInNavBar=2
$web.Update()
Invoke-PnPQuery
Write-Host "The changes have been updated successfully." -BackgroundColor Green
}
catch
{

$ErrorMessage = $_.Exception.Message +"in applying search setting changes!: "
Write-Host $ErrorMessage -BackgroundColor Red
Write-Log $ErrorMessage
}
Write-Host "The script execution has been completed successfully."

After executing the above script, immediately we can see the search box (at the top ribbon) as expected which was not there at the beginning of this article.

Summary: Configure search box in SharePoint online (SharePoint search box)

Thus, in this article, we have learned the following with respect to organizational profile settings changes in Microsoft 365:

• How to change the organization profile settings in Office 365.
• How to configure the “Release Track” in Office 365.
• What are the Standard release, Targeted releases for everyone, and Targeted releases for selected users
• How to configure the “Standard release (Get updates when we release them broadly)”.
• How to configure the “Targeted release for everyone (Get updates early for your entire organization​)”.
• How to configure the “Targeted release for selected users (Pick people to preview updates so that you can prepare your organization)”.
• How to change the “Release Track – Release Preferences in Office 365 – Organization Profile” using the PnP PowerShell script.
• How to configure the SharePoint online modern search.
• How to configure the SharePoint search box in the office 365 suite bar.

References: Configure search box in SharePoint online (Modern SharePoint search box)

• Set up the Standard or Targeted release options in Office 365

See Also: SharePoint Online tutorial

You may also like the below SharePoint Online tutorials:

• How to auto populate field in InfoPath based on another field
• Add more than 5 conditions in InfoPath form’s rule
• How to validate the date column in Infopath form
• How to a copy list item to another list using SharePoint designer workflow
• Edit user Permission is greyed Out SharePoint Online
• Can not upload SharePoint App to SharePoint App Catalog
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• Enable and configure information rights management (IRM) in SharePoint Online
• 25 quick checklists for SharePoint migration
• Create app catalog site in SharePoint online step by step
• Manage recycle bin in SharePoint Online – Office 365

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SP Doctor

I am your SharePoint and Power Platform doctor and guide. Sharing knowledge with my fellow colleagues, friends, and the tech community makes me utmost happy in my job.

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