[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Would you like to include a search bar in your WordPress navigation menu?
WordPress by default allows you to include a search section in your website’s sidebar, footer, and other widget-ready areas. Many users, however, prefer to have the WordPress search box in the navigation menu because it is visible at the top.
We’ll show you how to easily add a search bar to your WordPress menu without any coding knowledge in this article.
Contents
Why Should You Include a Search Bar in Your Menu?
A site search allows your users to easily find what they’re looking for without leaving your website. It improves user experience and increases engagement on your website.
As a result, most usability experts recommend including a search option in the navigation menu so that users can easily find it.
The default WordPress search widget, on the other hand, is limited to widget-ready areas.
Ivory Search
Ivory Search enables you to create new custom search forms as well as improve the default WordPress search.
After activation, go to Ivory Search » Search Forms to create a new search form.
The plugin adds the default search form automatically, allowing you to quickly review its settings and add it to your WordPress menu.
The search settings allow you to specify which of your website’s content should be included in the site search.
The ‘Includes’ section allows you to specify which post types, posts, pages, categories, custom fields, and other elements should be included in the search query. You must go over the options and then click the Save Form button.
Then there’s the ‘Excludes’ section, which allows you to specify which content you don’t want to appear in search results. When you’re finished, click the Save Form button once more to save your changes.
You can enable AJAX functionality for your search form in the ‘AJAX’ section.
The ‘Options’ section allows you to specify how many results to display per search page, as well as other advanced settings.
Your custom WordPress search form is now complete. Remember to save your settings once more.
The next step is to include the search form in your navigation menu. Simply navigate to the Ivory Search » Settings page to add the search bar to your WordPress menu.
The ‘Select Menu’ tab can be found on this page. Simply toggle the menu where you want to add the search bar from here.
This menu list (Primary Menu and Footer Menu) is part of your WordPress template. If you change your site’s template, the list will be automatically updated with the available menus from your new template.
Then, from the Form Style accordion below, select the search style.
The plugin lets you display the search form in five different styles: standard, dropdown, sliding, full width, and popup.
You can further customize the options by going to the ‘Settings’ section below ‘Menu Search.’
You can then add your search form to the header, footer, manage mobile search display, and more. These options will also aid in the control of search results for your users.
When you’re finished, remember to save your settings. After that, go to your website and look for the search bar in the WordPress navigation menu.
Summary
Ivory Search plugin is one of the most user-friendly plugins to use and it’s free. It is also one of the most advanced currently available. And if you’re looking for a more featured version, there’s also a premium version available.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
