How to Add a Search Bar Widget in WordPress: Steps and More

Adding a search bar to your WordPress site is one of the best ways to enhance user experience and help visitors find the content they’re looking for. 

Whether you’re running a blog, an e-commerce site, or a portfolio, a search bar can significantly improve navigation and keep users engaged. 

In WordPress, one of the easiest ways to add a search bar to your site is through a widget.

If you’re new to WordPress, you may be wondering: How do I add a search bar widget to my site? 

Or perhaps you’re asking, What exactly is a search bar widget? Don’t worry—this guide will walk you through the process step by step and also cover some tips on customizing and optimizing the search functionality for your users.

Let’s get started. 

What is a Widget in WordPress?

In WordPress, a widget is a small block of content or functionality that you can easily add to your website’s sidebars, footers, or other widgetized areas. 

Widgets are incredibly useful because they allow you to add dynamic content and features to your site without needing to write any code. 

Some common widgets include recent posts, social media feeds, image galleries, and, of course, the search bar.

Widgets are typically managed from the Widgets section in your WordPress dashboard. 

From here, you can drag and drop widgets into the available areas of your theme, such as the sidebar or footer. 

This flexibility makes widgets an essential tool for WordPress users looking to enhance their site’s functionality with minimal effort.

Why Should You Add a Search Bar to Your WordPress Site?

Before we dive into the technical steps, let’s take a moment to understand why having a search bar on your site is so important:

1. Better Navigation: A search bar helps visitors quickly find content without having to scroll through your pages or posts. This is especially useful if you have a lot of content on your site.
   
2. Improved User Experience: A search bar is a feature that most visitors expect on websites, especially blogs, online stores, or any content-heavy site. It’s a must-have for improving the overall user experience.
   
3. Increased Engagement: When users can easily find what they’re looking for, they’re more likely to stay on your site longer, engage with more content, and return in the future.
   

Now, let’s move on to the steps you need to follow to add a search bar widget to your WordPress site.

How to Add a Search Bar Widget in WordPress: Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re ready to add a search bar to your WordPress site, here’s a straightforward guide to help you get started. 

We’ll cover everything from accessing your widgets area to customizing the widget for your specific needs. However, note that the following information in this guide applies to classic themes like Kadence, Divi, Neve, etc.

If you are using a block theme on your website, you won’t find widgets as there won’t be any Appearance → Widgets in your dashboard. In that case, you can edit your website in one place at Appearance → Editor, including the footer and sidebar.

However, let’s go ahead (if you are using any classic theme). 

Step 1: Log Into Your WordPress Dashboard

The first step is to log into your WordPress admin dashboard. You can do this by going to yourdomain.com/wp-admin and entering your username and password.

2. Navigate to the Widgets Section

Once you’re logged in, go to the Appearance section in the left sidebar and click on Widgets. This will bring you to the Widgets page, where you can manage and add new widgets to your site.

3. Get the Search Widget and Add it to the Widget Area

Once you reach the Widgets page, you will options/places you want to add your search bar. It varies a lot from theme to theme. Here we are using OceanWP and it has a “default sidebar” option under which we would like to add the search widget. So, clicking on the  “+” button will let you search the “Search” widget in the list of blocks. Once you find it, select it.

Once done, click on “Update” on the top-right to save the search bar or widget. 

4. Customize the Search Widget (Optional)

After adding the search widget to a widgetized area, you will have the option to customize it. For example, you can add a title to the widget, change the text that appears inside the search box, or adjust other settings depending on your theme.

with the OceanWP theme, we found the option to change the alignment, toggle search label, change button position, use button with an icon, and a quick button to move the search bar to any widget area of preference without dragging and dropping.

If your theme provides customization options for the widget, you can make adjustments here. However, for the most part, the default search bar widget doesn’t require much customization.

5. Save Your Changes

Once you’ve added and customized the widget, make sure to click the Save or Update button. This will apply your changes to your site, and your new search bar will now be visible to visitors.

Alternative Ways to Add a Search Bar to Your WordPress Site

While using a widget is the most common and easiest way to add a search bar, there are other methods depending on your theme or the page builder you’re using. 

For example, if you’re using a page builder like Elementor, you can add a search bar directly to any page or section using the builder’s pre-built widgets or elements.

Additionally, some themes may come with a search bar integrated into the header or navigation, so you won’t necessarily need to add it as a widget. 

However, if you still want more control over the search bar’s appearance or location, using the widget system is your best bet.

Is a Search Bar a Widget in WordPress?

For most WordPress users, the answer is yes, a search bar is considered a widget. In fact, WordPress comes with a built-in “Search” widget that you can easily add to your site. This widget is typically placed in areas like your sidebar or footer, but depending on your theme, you can also place it in other widgetized areas of your site.

Once you’ve added the search widget, it’ll display a text box where visitors can type in their query and submit it. The widget will then display a list of pages or posts that match their search terms. This is a simple but highly effective feature that improves navigation on your website.

What if the Search Bar is Not a Widget?

Although most WordPress themes use widgets to implement search bars, this isn’t always the case. Some themes may integrate the search bar into the header or navigation area directly, rather than using the standard widget system. In this case, the search bar might not appear as a “widget” in the WordPress dashboard, but it still serves the same purpose.

Additionally, some page builders, like Elementor, allow you to add search bars as custom elements. This means you can place them exactly where you want on the page, whether in the header, a specific section, or elsewhere.

Final Thoughts on How to Add a Search Bar Widget in WordPress

Adding a search bar widget to your WordPress site is a simple but powerful way to improve navigation and enhance the user experience. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly add a search bar to your sidebar, footer, or any other widgetized area on your site.

And remember, if you want to take things a step further, you can customize the search bar with plugins, custom code, or the WordPress Customizer to make it truly unique to your site’s design and functionality. So, go ahead and add a search bar widget to your WordPress website following our guide. Good luck!