Group Policy configuration: search highlights in Windows 10 and Windows 11


  • Staff
Search highlights will begin rolling out to Windows 10 users today. We are taking a measured approach starting with the March 2022 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10, and broad availability will occur in phases. Devices running Windows 10 who have installed the March 2022 monthly quality update (or later) will be included in this phased rollout.

Recently, on the Windows 11 Insider Preview blog and Windows 10 Release Preview blog, we announced that search highlights will be coming to Windows 11 and Windows 10. If you're interested in how features like this are deployed in optional previews, aka “C” releases, see the Windows quality updates primer.

Designed to help Windows users discover more information and related content, search highlights present noteworthy, informative, and interesting information of what's special about each day—like holidays, anniversaries, and other moments in time both globally and in your region.

thumbnail image 1 captioned Search on the taskbar showing an experience for Earth Day (Windows 10)

Search on the taskbar showing an experience for Earth Day (Windows 10)

When the experience rolls out to users' devices, they will see the taskbar search box and search home periodically update with content, including fun illustrations and text in the search box, which help you stay connected, and be productive. To see more details at a glance, hover or click on the illustration in the search box.

thumbnail image 2 captioned Search on the taskbar showing an experience for an organization, Contoso (Windows 10)

Search on the taskbar showing an experience for an organization, Contoso (Windows 10)

Signing in with a work or school account enables Search to be your one-stop-shop for your organization's files and contacts through Microsoft Search. Search highlights will feature the latest updates from your organization and suggested people, files, and more. Explore files or browse through your organization's people chart. As always, just start typing to find everything related to your organization, right at your fingertips using Search.

You have control over the search highlights experience if you prefer not to see this. To turn it off or back on, right click on your taskbar, select Search and then select or clear “Show search highlights.”

Search highlights will begin rolling out to Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) joined and workplace joined machines in select tenant groups first. General availability, including domain joined machines, will arrive in the coming months.

Manage search highlights with policy​

In addition to personalization for individual users, Windows and Microsoft 365 IT admins can easily manage the way search highlights on the taskbar are configured for the devices they manage in Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can learn more about those policies here: Policy CSP – Search.

To manage search highlights with Group Policy on either Windows 10 or Windows 11, locate: Edit group policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search > Allow search highlights.

thumbnail image 3 captioned Configuring search highlights for a Windows 10 device via Group Policy

Configuring search highlights for a Windows 10 device via Group Policy

Through this policy, you can disable or enable the search highlights experience. If you leave the setting as “Not configured” the experience will be enabled by default.


The following list shows the supported values in Windows 10:
  • Not Configured/ Enabled (default) – Enabling or not configuring this setting turns on search highlights in the taskbar search box and in search home.
  • Disabled – Disabling this setting turns off search highlights in the taskbar search box and in search home.
The following list shows the supported values in Windows 11:
  • Not Configured/ Enabled (default) – Enabling or not configuring this setting turns on search highlights in the start menu search box and in search home.
  • Disabled – Disabling this setting turns off search highlights in the start menu search box and in search home.
To access the policy for search highlights (on a device that has installed the March 2022 Cumulative Update Preview or April 2022 monthly quality update), navigate to C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions and locate Search.admx. For your convenience, we have also published an updated version of the Administrative Templates (.admx) and Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows 10, version 20H2 to the Microsoft Download Center.

Microsoft Endpoint Manager offers the same policy configuration options. For organization administrators, there are additional controls available in the Microsoft 365 admin center.

Learn more

For more information on configuring the search highlights experience for your users, please see Policy CSP – Search in Windows client mobile device management documentation.

We are excited to bring these productivity enhancements to life for your Windows users.


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On Windows 10 Home... I installed KB5011543 today, but don't see any Search Highlights.
Probably because I have Cortana disabled?

Windows 10 Home screen shot...
Image1.png


Windows 11 Home (not Dev channel), screen shot...
Image1.png
 
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System One System Two

  • OS
    Win 11 Home ♦♦♦22631.3374 ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® [May 2020]
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
    Motherboard
    Asus Pro WS X570-ACE (BIOS 4702)
    Memory
    G.Skill (F4-3200C14D-16GTZKW)
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    EVGA RTX 2070 (08G-P4-2171-KR)
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    Realtek ALC1220P / ALC S1220A
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    Dell U3011 30"
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1600
    Hard Drives
    2x Samsung 860 EVO 500GB,
    WD 4TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    WD 8TB Black FZBX - SATA III,
    DRW-24B1ST CD/DVD Burner
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    Cooler Master ATCS 840 Tower
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    CM Hyper 212 EVO (push/pull)
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    Ducky DK9008 Shine II Blue LED
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    Logitech Optical M-100
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    300/300
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    Firefox (latest)
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    Bitdefender Internet Security
    Other Info
    Speakers: Klipsch Pro Media 2.1
  • Operating System
    Windows XP Pro 32bit w/SP3
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Built by Ghot® (not in use)
    CPU
    AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ (OC'd @ 3.2Ghz)
    Motherboard
    ASUS M2N32-SLI Deluxe Wireless Edition
    Memory
    TWIN2X2048-6400C4DHX (2 x 1GB, DDR2 800)
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    EVGA 256-P2-N758-TR GeForce 8600GT SSC
    Sound Card
    Onboard
    Monitor(s) Displays
    ViewSonic G90FB Black 19" Professional (CRT)
    Screen Resolution
    up to 2048 x 1536
    Hard Drives
    WD 36GB 10,000rpm Raptor SATA
    Seagate 80GB 7200rpm SATA
    Lite-On LTR-52246S CD/RW
    Lite-On LH-18A1P CD/DVD Burner
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    PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad EPS12V
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    Generic Beige case, 80mm fans
    Cooling
    ZALMAN 9500A 92mm CPU Cooler
    Mouse
    Logitech Optical M-BT96a
    Keyboard
    Logitech Classic Keybooard 200
    Internet Speed
    300/300
    Browser
    Firefox 3.x ??
    Antivirus
    Symantec (Norton)
    Other Info
    Still assembled, still runs. Haven't turned it on for 13 years?
On Windows 10 Home... I installed KB5011543 today, but don't see any Search Highlights.
So have I... and neither do I.

Just because we have installed KB5011543 doesn't mean we get Search Highlights immediately. It just means we are eligible to take part in the phased rollout, when we get it is up to Microsoft. From the first paragraph of the announcement above (with my bold):

Microsoft said:
starting with the March 2022 Cumulative Update Preview for Windows 10, and broad availability will occur in phases. Devices running Windows 10 who have installed the March 2022 monthly quality update (or later) will be included in this phased rollout.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD
    Internet Speed
    50 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Lattitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround. In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround. Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.

    My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro (and all my Hyper-V VMs).

    My SYSTEM FOUR is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e 20DA, Celeron N2930, 4GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device: currently running Win10 Pro, plus Win11 Pro RTM and Insider Beta as native boot vhdx.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 4GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus the Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds as a native boot .vhdx.
Search Highlights was working for me until the 22H2 update yesterday (Beta Channel)

Search.png


20 minutes later...not sure why but it's decided to start working again
Search_2.png
 
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My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i9 12900KF
    Motherboard
    ROG MAXIMUS Z690 HERO
    Memory
    GSkill Trident Z 32GB DDR5-5600
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS Radeon RX 5500XT
    Sound Card
    On Board
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG HDR 4K (DisplayPort)
    Screen Resolution
    3840 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    SAMSUNG 980 Pro 500GB
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime TX Series 850W 80+ Titanium
    Case
    Lian-Li O11 Dynamic EVO
    Cooling
    Sapphire Nitro+ S360-A
    Keyboard
    MICROSOFT Comfort 5050
    Mouse
    MICROSOFT Wireless 5000
    Internet Speed
    100Mbs/40Mbs
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Bitdefender

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