Documentation

Setup

Installation

Requirements: WordPress 6.0 or newer, PHP 7.4 or newer. Instant Search PRO works with any properly coded theme, including Divi, Astra, GeneratePress, and block themes.

Download the plugin After purchase, download instant-search-pro.zip from your confirmation email.
Upload to WordPress Go to Plugins → Add New Plugin → Upload Plugin, choose the ZIP file, and click Install Now.
Activate Click Activate Plugin. A new Instant Search PRO item appears in your admin menu.

Already using the free version? Instant Search PRO can be installed alongside it — your settings are carried over automatically. Once PRO is active, you can safely deactivate the free plugin.

Setup

License activation

Your license key unlocks PRO features and enables automatic updates.

Copy your license key You’ll find it in your purchase confirmation email.
Open the license page Go to Instant Search PRO → License.
Paste and activate Enter the key and click Activate License. A green confirmation means you’re all set.

Moving to a new site? Deactivate the license on the old site first, then activate it on the new one. If you ever get stuck, contact support and I’ll reset it for you.

Setup

Quick setup

Out of the box, Instant Search PRO enhances your existing search forms — visitors start seeing live results as they type, with no extra configuration needed.

To review the defaults, go to Instant Search PRO → Settings. The most useful options to check first:

Post types — choose what gets searched: posts, pages, products, or custom post types.
Results layout — list or grid, with or without thumbnails.
Number of results — how many suggestions appear as the visitor types.

You can also place a search form anywhere — in a page, sidebar, or footer — using the shortcode:

×

Configuration

Settings overview

Search behavior

Control how the live search responds: the minimum number of characters before results appear, the typing delay before a search fires, and whether to search in titles only or in full content and excerpts.

Results appearance

Choose whether results show featured images, excerpts, categories, and prices (for WooCommerce products). The results panel automatically adapts to your theme’s fonts and colors, and every part can be overridden — see Styling & custom CSS.

Exclusions

Exclude specific posts, pages, categories, or entire post types from search results — useful for hiding thank-you pages, internal content, or out-of-stock products.

Configuration

Voice search

Instant Search PRO includes voice input powered by the browser’s built-in Web Speech API — no third-party service, no extra cost, and nothing is sent to external servers.

When enabled, a microphone icon appears inside the search field. Visitors tap it, speak, and their words are transcribed straight into the search box with live results appearing instantly.

Browser support: voice input works in Chrome, Edge, and Safari. In browsers without Web Speech support (such as Firefox), the microphone icon is hidden automatically and the search field works normally.

Customization

Styling & custom CSS

The results panel inherits your theme’s typography by default. For deeper customization, every element uses a stable, prefixed CSS class you can safely target. For example, to adjust the results panel and highlight color:

/* Round the results panel and soften its shadow */
.instant-search-results {
    border-radius: 12px;
    box-shadow: 0 8px 30px rgba(0, 0, 0, .12);
}

/* Change the matched-text highlight color */
.instant-search-results mark {
    background: #fff3bf;
}

Add snippets like these under Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS, or in your theme’s custom CSS panel.

Maintenance

Updates

With an active license, updates arrive directly in your WordPress dashboard, exactly like plugins from the official repository. When a new version is available, you’ll see it under Dashboard → Updates — one click and you’re on the latest release.

Each release is listed in the changelog with what changed and why, so you always know what an update brings before installing it.

Help

FAQ & troubleshooting

Live results don’t appear when I type

First, check for a JavaScript error from another plugin: open your browser console (F12 → Console) and look for red errors. Also make sure a caching or optimization plugin isn’t deferring the search script — excluding Instant Search PRO’s scripts from optimization usually solves it. If not, contact support with your site URL and I’ll take a look.

Does it work with WooCommerce?

Yes. Enable the Products post type in the settings and search results can include product thumbnails and prices, linking straight to the product page.

Will it slow down my site?

No. The plugin loads a single small script and stylesheet, and searches run through lightweight Ajax requests only while the visitor is actually typing. Nothing heavy loads on regular page views.

Is it compatible with my theme?

Instant Search PRO enhances the standard WordPress search form, so it works with any theme that follows WordPress conventions — including page builders like Divi and Elementor. If something looks off with your specific theme, send me the URL and I’ll provide the exact CSS fix.

Can I use one license on multiple sites?

Each license covers one production site. You can move it between sites at any time by deactivating it on the old site first. Staging and development sites don’t count against your activation.

Didn’t find what you need?
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Contact support