Most search questions come down to four things: which content is switched on, whether the index is current, the minimum number of characters, and caching. Work through the matching section below.
If no results appear for anything:
- Open Dashboard and look at Items Indexed. If it is 0, the index is empty.
- Open Sources & Listings and make sure at least one type is switched on.
- Click Save & Re-Index, or Rebuild Index on the Dashboard.
- Try the Live Preview on the Dashboard.
If a page does not show up:
- Check the page is published. Drafts and private pages are not indexed
- Check its content type is switched on in Content Sources
- Check it is not in Exclude Specific Items
- If the type has a category filter, check the page is in a ticked category
- Search for a word from its title. The index reads the title, description, categories, tags and the opening of the content, so a word deep inside a long page may not match
- Click Rebuild Index
If nothing happens when you type:
- Type at least the number of characters set in Start Searching After, 2 by default
- Clear your caching or optimisation plugin, so the page loads the current search files
- If an optimisation plugin delays or combines scripts, exclude the search script from that
If results show odd text:
Page builders sometimes leave code at the start of a page. The plugin strips most of it, and the cleanest fix is a written search description for that item. See Search Listings: Images And Descriptions.
If the search bar does not match your theme:
- Set an Accent Color in Settings
- Try style="minimal" or style="square" on the shortcode
- Use the Custom CSS box for anything more specific. See Styling, Colours And Custom CSS
If See all results opens a plain page:
That is your theme's own search page. Open Settings and click Create The Page For Me. See The Full Search Results Page.
If a change is not showing on the site:
Clear your caching plugin and any CDN, then reload the page.
If a synonym seems to do nothing:
Check each line is a group of single words separated by commas, then click Save Rules. Try the word in the Live Preview on the Dashboard.
If the Insights tab stays at zero:
Check Record searches for the Insights tab is ticked in Settings. A search is recorded once the visitor stops typing for a moment, so type a word, wait a second, then reload Insights.
If you need a hand:
Open Diagnostics, click Copy Report for Support and paste the report into a support ticket. See Diagnostics And Getting Help.