Choose content for a Search Center
A Search Center can only answer from its connected dataset. Choose that content by the questions the page should answer, not by the number of pages you can capture.
Write the answer boundary first
Complete this sentence: “This Search Center answers public questions about ___ using ___.”
For a product documentation page, the boundary might include setup, configuration, limits, and troubleshooting. It might exclude account status, internal runbooks, draft releases, and contract-specific terms.
Make a source decision table
| Source type | Include when | Exclude when |
|---|---|---|
| Product pages | They contain current public facts | An old campaign page repeats or contradicts them |
| Documentation | It is the maintained implementation source | The version is obsolete |
| FAQs | The answer adds a real policy or exception | It only restates another page |
| Files | Visitors need facts from approved PDFs or documents | The file contains private or draft material |
| Support articles | The procedure is valid for the public audience | It exposes staff-only steps or account data |
Capture a controlled scope
For website content, configure the hostname, included paths, excluded paths, and crawl depth. Begin with one section rather than the entire domain when the boundaries are uncertain.
After the job runs, inspect Dataset contents. Search for expected titles and facts, then look for common noise: tag archives, login pages, duplicate print views, old locale variants, and empty records.
Resolve conflicts before launch
If two sources state different prices, limits, or steps, do not expect retrieval settings to decide which policy is correct. Remove the obsolete record or fix the source pages, refresh the dataset, and test again.
Public search needs public-safe sources
A hosted Search Center with authentication set to None can be opened by anyone with its link. Keep private material in a separate dataset and use authenticated access where required.
Verify the dataset with questions
Create a small coverage map before connecting the dataset:
| Question | Expected source | Present? | Current? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main product capability | Product overview | Yes or no | Yes or no |
| Setup requirement | Installation guide | Yes or no | Yes or no |
| Policy exception | Policy page | Yes or no | Yes or no |
| Unsupported account request | None | Must remain unsupported | Not applicable |
Select the dataset only after its contents match the intended answer boundary. A Search Center's dataset is chosen at creation, although the capture jobs feeding that dataset can still be updated later.