To put an instant search box on any page, add a Shortcode block containing [elevated_site_search] and publish. The box searches as visitors type: results appear instantly with thumbnails, highlighted matches, and post type badges, and the whole site is searchable from one field. A valid, activated license is required for the box to render.

Table of Contents

• Step 1: Add the Shortcode to a Page
• Step 2: Try a Search
• Step 3: Decide What It Should Search
• How the Box Behaves
• Troubleshooting

Step 1: Add the Shortcode to a Page

Edit the page where the search box should live.

Add a Shortcode block and paste:

[elevated_site_search]

Publish the page. The search box renders where the block sits, up to 600px wide by default.

Building with Breakdance? Use the Elevated Site Search Box element instead; it renders the same search box.

Step 2: Try a Search

Click the box and start typing. Results appear as you type, with thumbnails, highlighted matching terms, a post type badge on each result, and keyboard hints along the bottom.

Use the arrow keys to move through results, Enter to open one, and Escape to close the search.

Step 3: Decide What It Should Search

Out of the box, the search covers posts and pages. Everything else about the scope (more post types, custom fields, taxonomies, comments) is a settings change under Elevated › Site Search › Settings › Advanced Options › Content to Index. The index rebuilds automatically when the scope changes.

How the Box Behaves

• Instant, typo-tolerant results. Matching starts after 3 typed characters by default and forgives misspellings.
• Results under the box on desktop. The default desktop style is a popover attached to the field; the box also ships a modal style you can switch to in the settings.
• Keyboard shortcut. Visitors can open the search from anywhere on the page with Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows, enabled by default on pages where the search box loads.
• New content appears on its own. Publishing a post updates the index live; no manual rebuild needed.

Troubleshooting

The box does not appear on the page. The license is missing or inactive. Administrators see a “License is not active” notice in its place; activate the license under Elevated › Site Search › License.

Results show nothing for content you know exists. The content’s post type is not indexed. Add it under Settings › Advanced Options › Content to Index.

The box looks different from these screenshots. The screenshots show the default Classic theme. Your theme choice and styling live under Settings › Theme & Style.