The IDX Search widget provides a simple search form visitors to your site can fill out to begin a search. This widget is a good one to include in your side bar so it is always present.
Sorting
- If enabled, this option adds a sort field to the widget, allowing your users to select the order of the search results.
Filters
These choices will be shown to your website visitors in the widget to help them narrow down their search.
- Location Search: Adds a find-as-you-type text search for city, zip and other locations, including from your My Map Overlays specified in flexmls Web.
- More Search Options: This will add the option for More Search Options beneath the search button and will open a SmartFrame link where website visitors can use more criteria for a search.
- Allow Sold Searching: This will allow users to choose the status of Sold if allowed in your MLS.
- Allow Pending Searching: This will allow users to choose the status of Pending if allowed in your MLS.
- Property Type: Allows users to select a Property Type when performing a search:
- Depending on your MLS this list will vary:
- Depending on your MLS this list will vary:
- Other Fields to Show: You can add Price, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Square Footage and Year Built to the search. We’ll be making other fields available in future releases.
Behavior
- IDX Link: This is the IDX Link generated from within the Flexmls IDX Manager that you wish to use when this search is executed. We recommend choosing a link with broad criteria unless you would like to limit the search results for your website visitors.
- Send Users To: When a user submits their search, you can choose how they view the results…
- Default Search Results Page – Displays the listing details on your page, this option is best for SEO/indexing purposes.
- A FlexMLS IDX Frame – Displays the results in an IDX Smart Frame on your page (iframe).
Layout & Style
- Listings Per Page: Set the default number of listings per results page. The default setting is 5.
- Title: This will appear at the top of the search widget. If you would prefer not to have a title, you can leave this blank.
- Submit Button Text: (ex. "Search for Homes")
- Default View: What view of the listing results would you like search results to default to for your visitors?
- Orientation:
- Widget Width: The width setting allows you to adjust the width of the widget to fit in your sidebar, post or page. The height will adjust automatically.
- Title Font: Select a font for your IDX Search widget’s title. Default (follows theme’s font)
- Title Text Color:
- Field Font: Select a font for your IDX Search widget’s fields. Default (follows theme’s font)
- Field Text Color:
Submit Button Background: - Submit Button Text Color:
Field Text Color:
Version 1
Title: You can specify a title for your search widget with this setting, (e.g., Find Foreclosures).
IDX Link: This setting controls what flexmls IDX link (from your IDX Manager in flexmls Web) will be displayed when visitors click on one of the listings or links in the slideshow to see more details. As discussed in the installation instructions, we recommend using the default link you set up when you installed the plugin. Using the default allows you to easily change all your widgets just by changing the default link specified under the Settings for the flexmls IDX plugin.
The IDX search is a good case where you might want to specify a link different than the default to further customize your search. For example, even though the search widget only displays a few fields for the user to change, you can specify any other fields you want from the MLS in your IDX link and those fields will apply to the search even though the user hasn’t set them. For example, if your MLS has a field or fields for foreclosure listings, you can create an IDX saved search with those fields already entered and saved and then use that IDX saved search link for your search widget and all the searches from that widget will automatically be limited to foreclosures without the user having to specify those fields. See above regarding the Title setting for how to title your search widget appropriately.
Button Text: You can type in any text you’d like here. We recommend options such as Search and Find Homes.
Detailed Search: If enabled, this option will add a link (below your submit button) users can click on to search for properties using the IDX link you have selected.
Detailed Search Title: This option allows you to add a custom title for the Detailed Search link. (i.e. “Advanced Search”)
Send Users To: When a user submits their search, you can choose how they view the results…
- “a flexmls IDX frame” – Displays the results in an IDX Smart Frame on your page (iframe).
- “my search results” – Displays the listing details on your page, this option is best for SEO/indexing purposes.
Sorting: If enabled, this option adds a sort field to the widget, allowing your users to select the order of the search results.
Location Search: Adds a find-as-you-type text search for city, zip and other locations.
Property Type: Select one or more property types for this search widget.
Fields: You also can add Price, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Square Footage and Age to the search. We’ll be making other fields available in future releases. In the meantime, please note the strategy for using a saved search link to make pre-set additional fields for your users.
Select A Theme: Eight pre-set style options to choose from. See Examples
Default View: In Version 3.8 we added the option for you to choose the default view of either Listings or Map.
Orientation: If you have already chosen a theme you can skip this option. Otherwise, choose the appropriate orientation. For example, if you are displaying the widget in a sidebar, vertical will be the best option.
Widget Width (in pixels): The width setting allows you to adjust the width of the widget to fit in your sidebar, post or page. The height will adjust automatically.
Title Font & Field Font: Select a font for your IDX Search widget’s title and fields…
- Arial
- Lucinda Sans Unicode
- Tahoma
- Verdana
Border Style: Set the border of the widget to be squared or rounded
Widget Drop Shadow: Add or remove the drop shadow effect