When using nbs search in SP, can't let 'Search query keywords' blank

Charlie Martharper 585 Reputation points
2026-06-23T08:23:59.8366667+00:00

Hi guys!

So I am using NBS Search in a SharePoint Offline, and the thing is if I let the Search query keywords blank, it appears this in the site like its not configured and cannot search or be able to read the Placeholder text in search box. Let me show some screenshots:

This is when i let it blank:

User's image

If i add an space it looks like this:

User's image

So if I want to read the placeholder text, I have to go to the searchbar and delete the space i added in the search query kerwords to be able to see the search bar. Because if I dont add the space there the searchbar doesnt appear.

Is there a way to be able to see the search bar without adding the space there so the people could see the placeholder text?

So it would look like this:

User's image

Any suggestion?

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint Server | Development
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Answer accepted by question author
Jayden-P 26,280 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-06-23T09:41:51.9333333+00:00

Hi @Charlie Martharper

I have tested on my side and noticed the same behavior you are seeing. This behavior is expected with NBS Search because it does not provide a standalone Search Box web part. In your case, you are using a Search Refiner Web Part, not a Search Box, which means it does not function as an independent input field.

In NBS, the search input is part of the overall Results/Refiner component and only renders when a valid query is present. If the “Search query keywords” field is left empty, the web part treats it as an uninitialized or not configured state, so the entire component, including the search bar and its placeholder does not appear.

Adding a space or any value works because it creates a non-empty query, which allows the search pipeline to initialize and the UI to render. As a result, there is no option in NBS to display the search box with placeholder text without providing at least a minimal query value.

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