FW Real Estate – Documentation

Search Not Working

Most search problems fall into one of three categories: results appearing on the wrong page, filters having no effect, or the Save Search button not appearing. Each has a straightforward cause.

Search Form Submits to the Wrong Page

When a visitor runs a search from the FWRE Search module and lands on the wrong page — or the site's default page rather than your property listing — the Default Search Results Menu Item setting is either unset or pointing to the wrong menu item.

To fix this:

1. Go to Content → Site Modules and open your FWRE Search module.
2. Find the Default Search Results Menu Item setting.
3. Select the menu item that displays your property listing page.
4. Save the module.

Without this set, Joomla falls back to the site's default page, which is rarely the listing page you want.

Filters Not Narrowing Results

If a filter field appears in the form but changing it has no effect, first confirm you are using the Default layout. The Minimal and Banner layouts render a fixed set of fields and deliberately ignore the Search Fields Display checkboxes, the slider/dropdown choice, and the location display option. If you need full control over which fields appear and how they behave, switch the module's Layout setting to Default.

If a filter field is missing entirely from the Default layout, check the Search Fields Display checkboxes in the module settings. All fields are enabled by default — if one has been unchecked, it will not appear in the form. Re-enable it and save.

Note that several fields only appear when their required add-on is active:

• Amenities — requires the Property Fields add-on
• Agent — requires the Agents add-on
• Currency — requires the Multi Currency add-on
• Lease terms and Availability — require the Rentals add-on
• Status — requires the Status Labels add-on

If a field is missing and its add-on is not installed, the field simply will not appear regardless of the checkbox state.

Save Search Button Not Appearing

The Save Search button requires two conditions to be met:

• The Saved Searches add-on must be installed and enabled via FW Real Estate → Add-ons.
• The Save Search button checkbox must be enabled in the module's Search Fields Display settings.

If the add-on is active but the button still does not appear, open the FWRE Search module settings and confirm the Save Search button option is checked under Search Fields Display. If the add-on is not yet installed, the button will be absent regardless of the module setting — install it first through the Add-ons panel, then verify the checkbox.

Also keep in mind that saving a search requires the visitor to have an account. Visitors who are not logged in will not be able to complete the save action.