Advanced Search - Setup Guide
This setup guide will run through a typical setup of the Advanced Search extension from start to finish.
Overview
The Advanced Search extension improves the overall search experience on your website. It comes with features such as autocomplete for search keywords, radius search, geolocation, proximity search, etc.
For a full list of features see the Advanced Search product page.
Installation
The first step if you haven't already, is to install the Advanced Search extension. This can be done by following our guides on how to install an extension.
Step 1 - Settings
Once installed and activated, you can find the Advanced Search settings at GeoDirectory > Settings > Advanced Search.
The Advanced Search extension comes with sane defaults meaning the default settings will work for the majority of users, however, there are many customizations that can be done via the settings, for a full explanation of what all the settings do please see our settings overview.
If you wish to edit the settings for the search form for CPT listings, you can do so by following the instructions on the Settings Overview for CPT Settings Search page.
Step 2 - Advanced Search Form
Advanced Search extension offers an Advanced Search form feature that can be populated for each CPT listing with the help of several custom fields and options.
For example, your users might be searching for properties for rent using the default search form. With Advanced Search form, you can help them narrow down their search using several options. Furthermore, the Advanced Search form can also support fields such as "Property Type", "Number of Bathrooms (or Bedrooms)", "Property Status", and so on.
To configure the form for a given CPT, you need to go to CPT > Settings > Search section. For details, you may read the How to Add Fields to Advanced Search Bar section.
Step 3 - Main Search Bar
There are certain fields that can also be added to the main search bar itself, instead of being clubbed under Advanced Search. The process for adding such fields to the main search bar is the same as specified in Step Two above, except that you need to tick the requisite option. You can find details in the How to Add Fields to Main Search Bar section.
If a field is added to the main search bar, it will not show up in the advanced search form.