Embeddable vs Native Search
The plugin offers two completely different ways to display search results on your WordPress site. You choose which mode to use in the Search Display tab under Settings → Opensolr Search.
Two modes
Native Mode (default)
Full WordPress template at /opensolr-search. Complete HTML/CSS control. Themeable, customizable, all plugin features available.
Embeddable Mode
An iframe-based search widget hosted by Opensolr. Zero configuration, managed by Opensolr, polished out-of-the-box UI.
Native Mode — full control
In Native mode, the search page is rendered by WordPress using the plugin's opensolr-search-page.php template. This gives you:
- Full template override — copy
opensolr-search-page.phpfrom the plugin'stemplates/folder to your active theme to customize the HTML - All plugin features — facets, AI features, elevation controls, click tracking, autocomplete, infinite scroll
- Theme integration — inherits your theme's header, footer, and layout
- Admin tabs available — Search Tuning, Elevation, Facet Mapping, Analytics, and Filters tabs all work in native mode
Native mode works with block themes (Twenty Twenty-Five), classic themes, and custom themes. The search page uses standard WordPress template hierarchy.
Embeddable Mode — zero effort
In Embeddable mode, the /opensolr-search URL loads an iframe from search.opensolr.com — a fully managed search interface with no configuration needed. The iframe auto-resizes its height via postMessage to avoid scrollbars.
Embeddable settings
When Embeddable mode is selected, additional options appear in the Search Display tab:
- Search Toolbar — show or hide the search bar and filter toolbar at the top
- Initial Search Query — pre-fill the search box with a default query on page load
- Result Thumbnails — show or hide OG image thumbnails on results
- Language — restrict results to a specific language (e.g.
en) - Locale — restrict results to a specific locale (e.g.
en_us) - Pagination Style — infinite scroll or numbered pages
- Color Theme — light or dark appearance
- Layout — default width or full width
- Sidebar — show or hide the facet sidebar
When to use which
Use Native when:
- You want full control over the search UI
- You need to match your theme exactly
- You want admin elevation controls on the search page
- You need per-query analytics and click tracking
- You want custom template overrides
Use Embeddable when:
- You want instant search with zero setup
- You don't need template customization
- You want the same polished UI from the Opensolr platform
- You're evaluating the plugin before committing to customization
Switching between modes
Select either "WordPress Native" or "Opensolr Embeddable Search UI" in the Search Display tab and save. The change takes effect immediately on your /opensolr-search page.
Both modes use the same /opensolr-search URL. Visitors see no difference in the URL — only the search interface changes.
Admin tabs in Embeddable mode
When Embeddable mode is active, native-only admin tabs (Search Tuning, Elevation, Filters) show notices explaining that those features are managed from your Opensolr dashboard instead. Data Crawler, Data Ingestion, Facet Mapping, Analytics, and SEO continue to work normally in both modes.
When using the Embeddable UI, query elevation is managed directly in your Opensolr dashboard, not from the WordPress admin. The Elevation tab will redirect you to the appropriate panel.
For more on configuring the search experience, see Search Display and Search Page.