SharePoint REST API ViewsLifeTime null values when sorting

[xavisegura]

What type of issue is this?

Question

What SharePoint development model, framework, SDK or API is this about?

SharePoint REST API

Target SharePoint environment

SharePoint Online

What browser(s) / client(s) have you tested

• [ ] 💥 Internet Explorer
• [X] 💥 Microsoft Edge
• [X] 💥 Google Chrome
• [ ] 💥 FireFox
• [ ] 💥 Safari
• [ ] mobile (iOS/iPadOS)
• [ ] mobile (Android)
• [ ] not applicable
• [ ] other (enter in the "Additional environment details" area below)

Additional environment details

• browser version
• SPFx version
• Node.js version
• etc

Issue description

We are using REST Search API against SharePoint Online, having the requirement of sorting by ViewsLifeTime MP.

When we execute queries with a path filter, both sorting ascending and descending get proper results

/_api/search/query?querytext=%27* AND Path:"https://XXX.sharepoint.com/sites/*"%27&sortlist=%27ViewsLifeTime:descending%27

When we filter by DepartmentId or use Multi Geo Search, both sorting ascending and descending result sets contains null values on first and last results.

/_api/search/query?querytext=%27* AND DepartmentId:"{4ddd7f1b-6b2b-4d6a-bf40-6f675b9ad453}"%27&sortlist=%27ViewsLifeTime:ascending%27

Question is, is there a known limitation on sorting by ViewsXX Managed Properties (tried with ViewsLifeTime, ViewsRecent and others) when applying multi geo search or department id filter? Thanks in advanced for your support!

[ghost]

Thank you for reporting this issue. We will be triaging your incoming issue as soon as possible.

[bcameron1231]

What kind of SharePoint Content are the first and last results?

[xavisegura]

What kind of SharePoint Content are the first and last results?

The first and last results are of content class STS_ListItem_Events

[xavisegura]

We're still facing the described behavior, no changes since June. Happy to help if more information is needed,

[xavisegura]

We're still facing the described behavior, no changes since June 2022. Happy to help if more information is needed.

[jwiersem]

Also wondering what it means when ViewsLifetime is empty or null. Was the item never visited? Or just created? Want to know if we can use the query ViewsLifetime<1 in Purview to apply clean up policy.