Joomla 3.0 · Joomla Tutorials

How to Activate Joomla 3.0 Smart Search

Joomla 3.0 Smart Search is that funky search feature like in Google.  As you type a search criteria into the Google search box, a list of keywords beginning with the letters you typed in automatically get populated in a drop down box.   Joomla 3.0 keeps an index of keywords from all your articles so when users type in a term in the search box it will also automatically populate a list of keywords in a drop down.   See screenshot below:

Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Example
Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Example

Although the problem is my Joomla 3.0 Smart Search is not working.  I’ve tried the same steps in Joomla 2.5.8 and it works there.

Steps to try to Activate your Joomla 3.0 Smart Search:

  1. Go to your Plug-in Manager
  2. Search for Content Smart Search Plugin
  3. Activate Content Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager
  4. Go to Smart Search Component in Component Manager
  5. Index Content in Smart Search Component Manager
  6. Index Content Running, Finished
  7. Smart Search – Manage Indexed Content in Component Manager
  8. Use Beez3 Template Module Map to Locate Search position
  9. Go to Module Manager
  10. Unpublish Site Search in position-0 in Module Manager
  11. Create a new Module in Module Manager
  12. Create new Smart Search Module in Module Manager
  13. New Module Smart Search Module in position-0

Steps:

1.  Go to your Plug-in Manager

Login to your Joomla 3.0 website and go to your Plugin Manager.

Joomla 3.0 Extensions Plugin Manager
Joomla 3.0 Extensions Plugin Manager
  • Login Joomla 3.0 Administrator backend
  • Click on ‘Extensions’, ‘Plug-in Manager

2.  Activate Content Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager

In Joomla 3.0 Smart Search is not activated by default.  You will need to activate it manually.

Joomla 3.0 - Activate Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager
Joomla 3.0 – Activate Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager
  • In the Filters, set the following value:
    • Select Type = content
  • In the search,
    • Type ‘search

3.  Activate Content-Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager

Once you found the content smart search component, you will activate it.

Joomla 3.0 - Activate Content - Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager
Joomla 3.0 – Activate Content – Smart Search Plugin in Plugin Manager
  •  Under the ‘Status’ column, click on the red x
  • It will turn to a green checkmark
  • You will get a message that says:
Plugin Successfully enabled

4.  Go to Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Component in Component Manager

You will need to index your content before you can use Joomla 3.0 Smart Search.

Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Component in Component Manager
Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Component in Component Manager

5.  Index Content in Smart Search Component Manager

In the Smart Search Component you can index your content to populate that drop down that will appear when people start typing in the search box.

Joomla 3.0 Index Smart Search Component
Joomla 3.0 Index Smart Search Component
  •  Click  on ‘Index

6.  Index Content Running, Finished

After you click on ‘Index’ a window will pop up telling you that it in indexing your content.  It will look like the screenshot below:

Indexer Running – Your content is being indexed.  Do not close this window.

Joomla 3.0 Start running index content smart search
Joomla 3.0 Start running index content smart search

When it has completed running and finished indexing your content, you will see the screenshot below:

Indexing Complete – The indexing process is complete.  It is now safe to close this window.

Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Indexing Complete
Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Indexing Complete
  • Click on the little grey x beside the Smart Search Indexer title

7.  Smart Search – Manage Indexed Content in Component Manager

Your Joomla 3.0 Smart Search Index page was once empty, but now it should be filled with keywords from your content.  See what my Smart Search index looks like below.

Joomla 3.0 - Smart Search - Manage Indexed Content
Joomla 3.0 – Smart Search – Manage Indexed Content

 

8.  Use Beez3 Template Module Map to Locate Search position

So now we are going to disable the existing search because it’s not smart search enabled.  But first we need to find what module position it’s in.

  • Go to Beez3 Module map here
  • You can see from the Module map the current search is in position-0
  • So we will disable the current search from position-0 and replace it with the new Smart Search

9.  Go to Module Manager

We will need to disable or unpublish the search in position-0 in the Module Manager

Joomla 3.0 Module Manager
Joomla 3.0 Module Manager

10.  Unpublish Site Search in position-0 in Module Manager

Unpublish the existing Search from position-0 in the module manager.

Joomla 3.0 - Unpublish Search from position-0 in Module Manager
Joomla 3.0 – Unpublish Search from position-0 in Module Manager
  •  In the Filters, set the following value:
    • Site = Site
    • Select Position = position-0
  • Search box, type in:
    • search
  • Click on the ‘green checkmark
  • It should turn to a red x
  • You will see a success message that says:
Message – 1 module successfully unpublished.

11.  Create a new Module in Module Manager

Now that we unpublished the old search box, we want to create a new smart search module to put on the website.  If you refresh your Joomla 3.0 website, you will see that your search box is gone.  So now we will create a new one.

Joomla 3.0 Module Manager - New Module
Joomla 3.0 Module Manager – New Module
  •  Click on ‘New

12.  Create new Smart Search Module in Module Manager

Since Joomla 3.0 smart search has a component and module version, you can add the smart search to your website.

Joomla 3.0 New Smart Search Module in Module Manager
Joomla 3.0 New Smart Search Module in Module Manager
  • Click  on ‘Smart Search Module

13.  New Module Smart Search Module in position-0

Here is the final step where you create a new Joomla 3.0 Smart Search module replacing the old search module in position-0.

Joomla 3.0 - Create new Smart Search Module in Module Manager in position-0
Joomla 3.0 – Create new Smart Search Module in Module Manager in position-0
  • In the New Smart Search Module you created
  • In the Details tab: set the following values:
    • Status = Published
    • Title = Whatever you want the title to be – Smart Search CmsMind Elaine
    • Position = Search [position-0]
    • Access = Public
  • In the Basic Options tab: set the following values:
    • Search Suggestions = Show
    • Advanced Search = Hide
  • Click  on ‘Save & Close’

Now when you go to your Joomla 3.0 frontend, it should show search suggestions when you type in the search box.  Except, mine doesn’t.  If you see something wrong with my steps let me know.  This is driving me crazy.  My smart search isn’t working and I’m not happy.  Do you know what’s wrong with it?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

Thanks,

Elaine

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