Adding a search bar to your website can greatly enhance its functionality and improve user experience. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the process of adding a search bar in Webflow, a powerful web design tool that allows you to create stunning websites without writing code.
To add a search bar in Webflow, follow these simple steps:
Step 1: Open your project in Webflow and navigate to the page where you want to add the search bar.
Step 2: In the Webflow Designer, drag and drop an input element onto your page. You can find the input element in the Elements Panel on the left side of the screen.
Step 3: Customize the appearance of your search bar by applying classes or styles to it. You can change its width, height, font size, colors, and more using the Style Panel on the right side of the screen.
Note: If you are not familiar with how to style elements in Webflow, check out our tutorial on “How to Style Elements in Webflow”.
Step 4: To make your search bar functional, you need to connect it with a search engine or database. Webflow has integrations with external services like Google Custom Search Engine or Algolia that can handle search functionality for you. Alternatively, if you have coding skills, you can build a custom search feature using Webflow’s CMS or by integrating third-party APIs.
H2: Connecting Your Search Bar with Google Custom Search Engine
If you choose to use Google Custom Search Engine (CSE) for your website’s search functionality, follow these steps:
Step 1: Go to https://programmablesearchengine.google.com/about/ and sign in with your Google account.
Step 2: Click on “Create a custom search engine” and provide the necessary details like the language and the sites you want to search.
Step 3: Customize the look and feel of your search engine by selecting a theme or modifying the colors.
Step 4: Once you’re done with the customization, click on the “Get code” button to obtain your search engine’s code snippet.
Step 5: In Webflow, select your search bar element and navigate to the Settings Panel on the right side of the screen. Under “Settings”, choose “Custom attributes” from the dropdown menu.
Step 6: Add a new custom attribute called “data-search” and paste your Google CSE code snippet as its value.
Note: Make sure to remove any script tags from your code snippet before pasting it in Webflow. Only include the content within the script tags.
H3: Customizing Search Results Page
By default, Webflow will create a separate search results page for you. To customize this page:
Step 1: In Webflow, go to Pages in the top navigation bar and click on “Add new page”.
Step 2: Choose “Search results” as your page type.
Step 3: Design your search results page exactly how you want it using Webflow’s Designer.
H2: Adding a Search Bar with Algolia
If you prefer using Algolia for powering your website’s search functionality, follow these steps:
Step 1: Sign up for an Algolia account at https://www.algolia.com/.
Step 2: Create an index in Algolia that will store your website’s data for searching.
Step 3: Copy your Algolia application ID and search-only API key.
Step 4: In Webflow, select your search bar element and navigate to the Settings Panel on the right side of the screen.
Step 5: Add a new custom attribute called “data-algolia” and paste your Algolia API information as its value.
Similar to using Google CSE, Webflow will create a separate search results page for you when using Algolia. Customize this page by following these steps:
- Tip:
- If you want to display search results in real-time as users type in the search bar, you can use JavaScript or jQuery to handle the dynamic updates.
With just a few simple steps, you can easily add a search bar to your website in Webflow. Whether you choose to use Google Custom Search Engine or Algolia, both options offer powerful search functionality that will greatly enhance your website’s user experience. So go ahead and give it a try!