Search

The Search (classic search) is Joomla’s traditional full-text search function. It scans content directly without prior indexing, and can therefore be slower than the Smart Search.

  • Function and Purpose

    The classic Search (com_search) scans texts and content directly in the database. It requires no indexing and returns results that match the search term exactly.

    Differences from Smart Search

    • Performance: The classic Search can be slower because it scans the database content on every query.
    • Functionality: It lacks autocomplete, stemming analysis, or “Did you mean?” suggestions.
    • Use case: Suitable for small websites or when an index-based search is not desired.

    Important Notes

    • Alternative: Use the Smart Search for better results.
    • Plugin activation: Only enable the search plugins that should index relevant content.
    • Menu item: Create a menu item of the “Search” type to provide a search form in the frontend.

    See also