Overview

Autocomplete results in the search bar are now grouped by their source or connector, for example Simpplr, Google Drive, SharePoint, or Confluence. This makes suggestions easier to scan, helps you quickly understand where each result comes from, and improves clarity in environments with multiple integrations.

What's new

Suggestions in the autocomplete dropdown are visually grouped by source or connector. There is no change to the underlying ranking, retrieval, or the full Search Results page ordering. The grouped autocomplete is permission-aware and only shows items you have access to. The experience is consistent across web and mobile (iOS and Android).

Where you'll see it

Grouped autocomplete appears in two places:

• Web. The global search bar autocomplete dropdown.

• Mobile. Autocomplete suggestions in the search experience on iOS and Android.

How it works

Grouping rules

How autocomplete behaves depends on whether Enterprise Search is on and how many sources return results:

• Enterprise Search off. Autocomplete shows the legacy flat list with no grouping.

• Enterprise Search on, multiple sources returned. Suggestions are grouped into labeled sections by connector or source, for example Simpplr, Google Drive, SharePoint.

• Enterprise Search on, single source returned. A single labeled section is shown, and behavior remains consistent.

• Native-only suggestions. If only Simpplr-native items are returned, the experience remains compact and consistent, grouped under Simpplr.

Note: Mixed entity types such as people, sites, pages, and files may appear together within the same source group. Grouping is by source, not by entity type.

What hasn't changed

This is a UI-only update. Relevancy and ranking behave exactly as before, retrieved and ordered by the backend service. Submitting a search still shows the same Search Results page with the same ordering and filters. Keyboard navigation and selection work the same as they did before.

User experience details

Section headers

Each group shows a connector or source label so you can identify where suggestions come from at a glance.

Result items

Result items continue to show the same title and destination pattern as before. Clicking an item navigates directly to the underlying content.

Latency and resilience

The autocomplete UI renders as results stream in. If a connector times out, other groups still display and the layout remains intact.

Accessibility

Screen readers announce the group label before reading the items within a group. This has been validated on iOS and Android.

Scenarios

Multiple sources

You type "policy" and see grouped sections like Simpplr, SharePoint, and Google Drive.

Single connector

You type "roadmap" and suggestions appear under a single group, for example Confluence.

Native-only

You type "people team" and only Simpplr-native suggestions appear in a compact list, grouped under Simpplr.

Note: When similarly titled documents exist across multiple repositories, glance at the source label before clicking to make sure you open the right one.

Why this matters

Clear source labels make it faster to scan suggestions and find the right item. You always understand where a suggestion is coming from, which builds trust in the results. In environments with multiple connectors, grouping reduces noise and confusion that comes from mixing items across repositories.

Admin configuration and behavior

No new toggle is required. Grouping is applied automatically when Enterprise Search is enabled and connectors are present in your environment.

If Enterprise Search is disabled or only intranet content is available, the autocomplete falls back to the legacy flat list. Mobile follows the same approach as web on both iOS and Android, and accessibility labels expose group headers to screen readers.

Limitations and notes

No source-based re-ranking. This is a UI-only change. It does not force certain sources to the top of the suggestions.

Connector coverage. Only connectors configured and authorized for your organization can return suggestions.

No feed items in autocomplete. The autocomplete UI does not include feed items.

Troubleshooting

If autocomplete suggestions are not grouped or do not behave as expected, the situations below cover what may have happened and what to do about it.

Suggestions are showing as a flat list with no source labels

• What happened: Grouping only applies when Enterprise Search is enabled and connectors are present. If Enterprise Search is disabled in your environment, or if only Simpplr-native intranet content is being returned, the autocomplete falls back to the legacy flat list.

• What to do: Check with your administrator that Enterprise Search is enabled and that connectors such as Google Drive, SharePoint, or Confluence are configured. If Enterprise Search is enabled but only Simpplr items are returning, this is expected and the experience will remain a compact native-only list.

A connector I expected to see is missing from autocomplete

• What happened: Only connectors that are configured and authorized for your organization can return suggestions. A connector that has not been set up will not appear, and a connector that timed out for the current request will be skipped while other groups continue to display.

• What to do: If the connector should be available, ask your administrator to confirm it is configured and authorized. If you saw the connector earlier and it is missing now, it may have timed out for this request. Try the search again.

I can't find a feed item in autocomplete suggestions

• What happened: Feed items are not included in the autocomplete UI.

• What to do: Submit your search to open the full Search Results page, where feed content is included alongside other results.

A document I know exists is not showing in any source group

• What happened: Autocomplete respects the same access controls as the rest of search. If you do not have permission to view a document, it will not appear in your suggestions, regardless of source.

• What to do: Confirm you have access to the document by opening it directly. If access is the issue, request it from the document owner or your administrator.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Does grouping change which suggestions are shown or how they are ranked?

Ans: No. Grouping is a visual change only. It does not change backend relevancy or the order in which suggestions are returned within each group.

Q: What happens if Enterprise Search is turned off?

Ans: The autocomplete reverts to the legacy flat list with Simpplr-native content only.

Q: Can I see suggestions from sources I do not have access to?

Ans: No. Autocomplete respects the same permissions as Search. You only see items you can access, regardless of source.

Q: Is grouped autocomplete supported on mobile?

Ans: Yes. iOS and Android support source-grouped autocomplete, including accessibility announcements for group labels.

Q: Can administrators control the order of source groups, for example pinning one above others?

Ans: No. Group ordering follows the incoming results and established UI rules. There is no admin control to pin a connector group above others.