Live Search

• Introduction
• Search configuration
  • Search delay
  • Min characters
• Example configuration

Introduction

Live search (or instant search) is a handy feature on websites and apps that shows results as you type into the search bar. No need to hit "enter" or reload the page—it’s all happening in real time!

Search configuration

If you followed the instructions to get manually set up, you should have config/statamic/search.php and add the indexes set up. If you don't, set it up by following those instructions.

This configuration controls the behavior of the search feature, including the delay before triggering the search and the minimum number of characters required.

Search delay

Configures the delay (in milliseconds) before the search is triggered after the user stops typing. This helps reduce the number of search requests sent while the user is still typing.

• Default Value:
  300 milliseconds (0.3 seconds)

• Usage:
  Set this value based on the desired responsiveness of the search in config/gaia.php. A lower value triggers the search sooner, while a higher value may give users more time to complete their query.

  Example:

  'search_delay' => 500, // Trigger search after 500 milliseconds
  

Min characters

Specifies the minimum number of characters a user must type before the search is triggered. This prevents unnecessary search queries from being made for short or incomplete input.

• Default Value:
  3 characters

• Usage:
  Adjust this value based on your needs in config/gaia.php. For instance, if you want users to type at least 4 characters before searching, set this to 4.

  Example:

  'min_characters' => 4, // Trigger search after 4 characters
  

Example configuration

'search' => [
    'search_delay' => 300,   // Delay of 300ms before search triggers
    'min_characters' => 3,   // Minimum 3 characters to start the search
],

This configuration provides an optimized search experience by preventing too many requests and ensuring users are searching with sufficient input.