Listdom Advanced Portal Search Addon Documentation

The Listdom Advanced Portal Search (APS) Addon enhances the search and browsing experience on your directory. It provides more control over how filters match listings, how search query parameters appear in page URLs, and ensures your directory looks professional by displaying a fallback image for listings that don’t have their own featured image. Essentially, APS gives you fine-grained search logic (AND/OR) for taxonomy filters, URL parameter visibility control, and a way to add AJAX search to the search forms.

URL Parameters

APS includes a URL Parameters option in Listdom Settings → Addons → Advanced Portal Search.

• Status (Enabled): Search query parameters are kept in the browser address bar.
• Status (Disabled): Search query parameters added by map search and search forms are not kept in the page URL.

Use this when you want cleaner URLs without dynamic search query strings, or when you prefer not to expose filter parameters in the address bar.

Note

Disabling URL parameters only affects whether search parameters appear in the address bar. It does not remove filter functionality itself.

Matching Logic for Taxonomies

Matching logic in APS works at the term level inside each taxonomy (for example, when multiple Locations are selected).

• Between different taxonomies (for example, Category + Location), Listdom logic is still AND by default (listing must satisfy both taxonomy conditions). APS does not change this taxonomy-to-taxonomy combination behavior.
• Within one taxonomy (for example, multiple selected Locations), APS lets you choose OR or AND for selected terms.

In the APS settings (Listdom Settings → Addons → Advanced Portal Search), you will find Matching Logic controls for each taxonomy.

This matching logic affects two areas in Listdom:

1. Search form fields behavior
2. Skin shortcode filters available in Listdom → Shortcodes → Selected Shortcode → Filter Options tab

• Categories Logic: Choose OR (default) to show listings that belong to any of the selected categories, or AND to require listings to be in all selected categories simultaneously.
• Locations Logic: Toggle between OR or AND if you allow selecting multiple locations in search.
• Tags Logic: OR shows listings having any of the selected tags; AND would only show listings that have every selected tag.
• Features Logic: Often multiple features can be selected (e.g., “Free WiFi” AND “Parking”). Using AND here means a listing must have all chosen features to appear in results. OR would list any with at least one of the features.
• Labels Logic: If you use labels (like “Featured” or other flags), you can decide if multiple label filters narrow down (AND) or broaden (OR) the results.

Note

APS controls matching between selected terms of each taxonomy (e.g., selected Location terms). Taxonomy-to-taxonomy combination remains AND by default (e.g., Category + Location are both required).

• OR (within one taxonomy): listing can match any selected term.
• AND (within one taxonomy): listing must match all selected terms.

Full-Text Search for Skin Shortcodes

By default, the Text Input field in Listdom Search & Filter forms searches listing titles and descriptions.

With the APS addon, when a text search field is assigned in a search form, it can behave as a full-text search for skin shortcodes and search across additional listing data, including:

• Categories
• Locations
• Features
• Labels
• Address fields
• Custom Fields
• ACF fields
• Authors
• Tags
• Titles
• Descriptions

This helps users find listings with broader keyword matching, not only title/description matches.

AJAX Search for Skin Shortcodes

APS adds AJAX Search Functionality in two places:

1. Listdom → Search & Filter Builder → Selected Search Form → Search Results section
2. Listdom → Shortcodes → Selected Shortcode → Search tab

1) Search Form Settings (Search Results section)

In each search form, the Search Results section includes:

• Results Page: Select the page where search/filter results appear. This page must include a Listdom skin shortcode.
• If Results Page = Current Page, APS shows Connected Shortcodes.
• In Connected Shortcodes, you can select up to 4 searchable skin shortcodes (for example: List, Grid, Masonry, Half Map) on the same page as the search form.
• After selecting connected shortcodes, the Ajax Search field appears with these modes:
  • On Submit: users click the search button; results update without full page reload.
  • On The Fly: results update immediately while users change filters; no search-button click needed.

If no connected shortcode is selected, all skin shortcodes on that page are filtered with no AJAX mode selection applied at form level.

2) Shortcode Settings (Search tab)

In Listdom → Shortcodes → Search tab for each shortcode, AJAX search is also available with three options:

• Disabled
• On Submit
• On The Fly

Astuce

Use On Submit when users should finalize multiple filters first. Use On The Fly for the fastest interactive experience.

Fallback Image for Listings

APS also introduces a Fallback Image setting - a single image that you designate to show whenever a listing has no featured image of its own.

• Setting the Image: In the APS settings, you’ll find an “Fallback Image” picker. Upload or choose an image from your media library that will serve as the default image. Common choices are a logo, a generic “no photo” graphic, or a placeholder relevant to your niche.
• Where It Appears: Once set, if a listing has no featured image, Listdom will automatically use this fallback image in its place on the front-end. This applies to listing cards, grids, map infowindows, or anywhere a featured image would display. The addon hooks into the featured image retrieval and injects the fallback where needed.
• Consistent Dimensions: The fallback image will be output in the same dimensions/cropping as normal listing thumbnails. It’s recommended to use an image with appropriate aspect ratio (e.g., a 16:9 landscape if your listings normally use that) to avoid any design inconsistencies. The addon ensures the proper CSS classes are applied so the image fits the layout.

By using a fallback, you avoid empty image frames or broken image icons on listings that contributors might have forgotten to add images to. It gives your directory a more polished look since every listing appears to have an image.

Astuce

You can change the fallback image at any time. If you run a seasonal promotion, for example, you might set a seasonal graphic as the fallback temporarily. Keep in mind that the fallback will display for all image-less listings site-wide.

Examples

Precise Multi-Filter Search

A job directory allows filtering by multiple skills (tags). With APS, the admin sets Tags logic to AND. Now if a user filters jobs by JavaScript AND React, they only see jobs that require both skills, not jobs that require either. This delivers more precise results to the user.

Cleaner Listing Grid with Fallbacks

An event directory has some older events added without images. The admin uploads a branded “Event Coming Soon” graphic as the Fallback Image. Now, on the homepage event grid, every event tile shows either its unique featured photo or the fallback image. The grid looks consistent and professional, with no empty image slots.

Combining Filters with AND Logic

On a real estate site, the admin enables AND logic for Features. A visitor can filter for homes that have Pool and Garage and Fireplace simultaneously. Thanks to APS, only properties with all those features show up, saving the visitor time by not showing homes missing one of the amenities.

Hide Search Parameters from URLs

A directory owner prefers cleaner page addresses and does not want map/search query strings in shared links. They disable URL Parameters in APS. Visitors can still use search forms and map filters, but the browser address bar no longer keeps those dynamic search parameters.