FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is WPFTS Pro and why do I need it?

WordPress’s standard search is a useful tool, but it has limitations. It only searches titles and post content, ignoring many other data points that might be important to your visitors. If your site contains PDF files, documents, custom fields, metadata, or outputs content via shortcodes, the standard WordPress search won’t find information in these areas. This is where WPFTS Pro comes in.

WPFTS Pro (WordPress FullText Search Pro) is a WordPress plugin that significantly expands the capabilities of the built-in search, making it more powerful, accurate, and user-friendly. It indexes virtually any content on your site, allowing visitors to find exactly what they need, regardless of where that information is located.

Here are the main advantages of WPFTS Pro:

Site-wide Search: WPFTS Pro indexes not only titles and post text but also metadata, custom fields, file content (PDF, DOCX, TXT, and others), shortcode output, and much more. This means visitors will be able to find information even if it’s hidden deep within a file or custom field.
Smart Excerpts: Instead of simply displaying the first few words of the found post, WPFTS Pro generates smart excerpts that contain the context of the search query. Highlighting keywords helps users quickly understand how relevant the result is to their query. This is similar to how Google displays search results.
Fast and Efficient Indexing: WPFTS Pro uses an optimized indexing algorithm that quickly processes even large amounts of data, ensuring fast and accurate search.
Flexible Configuration: You can configure which post types, meta fields, and files to index, as well as set the relevance weight for different content types. This allows you to fine-tune the search to your needs.
Support for Various File Types: WPFTS Pro can index the content of various file types, including PDF, DOCX, TXT, and others. This is especially useful if your site contains a lot of documentation or other files that are important to your visitors.
Plugin and Theme Support: WPFTS Pro is compatible with most popular WordPress plugins and themes, and we are constantly working on improving compatibility. In case of problems, our support team is always ready to help.
Multi-criteria Search: WPFTS Pro allows users to filter search results by various criteria such as date, category, tags, and others.
Multilingual Site Support: WPFTS Pro works with multilingual sites, providing search in different languages.

Who needs WPFTS Pro?

WPFTS Pro is the ideal solution for websites that:

Contain a large amount of content, including posts, pages, files, and metadata.
Use custom post types and fields.
Store important information in PDF files or other documents.
Allow users to upload files.
Use shortcodes to output content.

WPFTS Pro will help your visitors easily find the information they need, improving the user experience and increasing the efficiency of your site. If you want to provide your users with a powerful and convenient search, WPFTS Pro is what you need.

When should I buy a WPFTS Pro license?

WPFTS exists in two versions: free (WPFTS) and paid (WPFTS Pro). The free version provides powerful full-text search functionality sufficient for many websites. The Pro version expands these capabilities, adding tools for deeper indexing and integration with other plugins. Let’s figure out when it’s worth considering upgrading to the paid version.

WPFTS (free version):

The free version of WPFTS is suitable for many websites and includes the following features:

Indexing titles and content of posts: Allows you to search for information in the titles and text of your posts and pages.
Smart Excerpts: Provides users with more relevant excerpts with keyword highlighting, improving user experience and understanding of search results.
Advanced indexing settings: You can adjust the relevance weight for different parts of the content, manage stop words, and other indexing parameters.
Unlimited data volume for indexing: You can index any number of posts and pages on your site.

WPFTS Pro (paid version):

WPFTS Pro is recommended in the following cases:

Indexing file content: The Pro version allows indexing the content of PDF, DOCX, and other file types. This is essential for websites with a large amount of documentation, resources, or user-uploaded files. Additionally, the Pro version allows indexing files whose links are stored in meta fields, providing even greater flexibility.
Integration with third-party plugins: The Pro version often includes add-ons for integration with popular plugins such as WooCommerce, Advanced Custom Fields (ACF), and others. This allows you to index data from these plugins and expand search capabilities.
Priority technical support: Pro version users receive priority technical support, guaranteeing a quick solution to any problems.
Regular version updates: With a Pro license, you can be sure that your version is updated and secure, and also that it is compatible with the current version of WordPress, PHP, and MySQL. We carefully monitor this.

Trial period and license renewal:

You can familiarize yourself with the full functionality of WPFTS Pro by using the free trial period. The WPFTS Pro license is valid for one year and includes plugin updates and access to technical support. After one year, you can renew your license with a significant discount.

In summary: The free version of WPFTS provides excellent functionality for many websites. WPFTS Pro becomes necessary when indexing file content, integrating with third-party plugins, and priority support are required. We recommend assessing your needs and using the Pro version trial period to make an informed decision.

What happens after my WPFTS Pro license expires?

The WPFTS Pro license is purchased for one year and includes:

Access to updates: You will be able to update the plugin to new versions, getting access to new features, performance improvements, and bug fixes.
Technical support: Our team will help you resolve any issues related to the plugin’s operation.
Access to the Textmill.io API (for the Pro version): This service allows you to extract text from files for indexing, providing search by the content of PDF, DOCX and other documents.

After the license expires:

The plugin will continue to work: WPFTS Pro will not stop working after the license expires. You will be able to continue using all the functions that were available at the time of expiry.
Updates will become unavailable: You will no longer be able to update the plugin to new versions. This means you will not have access to new features, improvements, and bug fixes.
Technical support will become unavailable: You will no longer be able to contact our support team for assistance.
Access to the Textmill.io API will be limited (for the Pro version): You will not be able to use Textmill.io to extract text from new files. Already indexed files will remain available for search.

What to do after the license expires?

You have two options:

Renew your license: You can renew your WPFTS Pro license on our website [link to renewal page]. Renewal is usually offered at a discount. This will allow you to continue receiving updates, technical support, and full access to the plugin’s functionality, including Textmill.io.
Continue using the current version: You can continue using the installed version of the plugin. Functionality will be preserved, but you will not be able to receive updates and support.

Important: We strongly recommend renewing your WPFTS Pro license to ensure the security and stability of your website, as well as to gain access to new features and improvements.

We hope this information has helped you understand what will happen after your WPFTS Pro license expires. If you have any further questions, please contact us.

Can I get a refund if WPFTS Pro doesn’t suit me?

We are confident in the quality and functionality of WPFTS Pro, but we understand that the plugin may not be suitable for every website or specific situation. Therefore, we offer a money-back guarantee.

Refund conditions:

14-day period: You can request a full refund within 14 days of purchasing the WPFTS Pro license.
Reason justification: When requesting a refund, you need to briefly explain why the plugin did not suit your needs. This will help us improve our product.

How to request a refund:

To request a refund, contact us through the support service on our website [link to contact page or feedback form] or email us at [your email address]. Specify in your request:

Your order or transaction number.
The purchase date.
The reason for the return.

Request processing:

We will review your request within 2-3 business days and inform you of the result. In case of approval of the return, the funds will be returned to the same account from which the payment was made.

Important information:

Refunds are only possible for the first license purchase. License renewals are non-refundable.
We cannot guarantee a refund if the problem is related to the plugin’s incompatibility with other plugins or the theme you are using. Before purchasing, we recommend using the trial period to check compatibility and ensure that the plugin works correctly on your site.
We are always ready to help you configure the plugin and resolve any problems. Contact our support team, and we will do everything possible to make WPFTS Pro work as efficiently as possible on your website.

We appreciate your trust and strive to provide you with a quality product and excellent service. Therefore, we offer a money-back guarantee so that you can be confident in your choice.

Can I set up multiple searches on one site?

Yes, WPFTS Pro allows you to configure multiple independent search engines on one WordPress site. This is very convenient if you need to implement different search options for different content types or sections of the site. For example, you can create a separate search for:

Articles and news: search only for blog posts.
Documents and PDF files: search only for uploaded files.
Products in the online store: search only for WooCommerce products.
Pages with specific tags: search only for pages marked with specific tags.
Different sections of the site: for example, a separate search for the blog and for the forum.

How to configure multiple search engines:

WPFTS Pro uses a presets system to create different search configurations. Each preset is a set of settings that determine which content is indexed and how search results are displayed.

Here are the steps to create multiple search engines:

Installing and activating the WPFTS Pro plugin: Make sure you have the latest version of the plugin installed and activated.
Creating presets: In the WPFTS Pro settings, you can create new presets and configure their parameters. For each preset, you can:
- Select post types for indexing: articles, pages, products, custom post types, etc.
- Select taxonomies for filtering: categories, tags, etc.
- Configure file search: enable or disable file indexing and select file types for search.
- Configure smart excerpts: configure excerpt length, keyword highlighting, and other parameters.
- Specify the URL of the search results page: this allows you to use different templates for displaying the results of different search engines.
Adding search widgets to the site: For each preset, you can add a separate “WPFTS :: Live Search” search widget to the site. In the widget settings, select the desired preset. Now this widget will use the settings of the selected preset for the search.
Using shortcodes: You can also use shortcodes to insert search forms with different presets anywhere on your site. For example:
```
[wpfts_widget preset="preset_articles"]  // Search for articles
[wpfts_widget preset="preset_pdfs"] // Search for PDFs
```

Example Configuration:

Let’s say you want to create two different searches: one for articles, the other for PDF files.

Create a “Articles” preset and configure it to index only posts of type “post”.
Create a “PDF” preset and configure it to index only attachments of the PDF type.
Add two “WPFTS :: Live Search” widgets to your site. In the settings of the first widget, select the “Articles” preset, and in the settings of the second, select the “PDF” preset.

Now you will have two independent searches on your site: one for articles, the other for PDFs.

Configuring multiple search engines using WPFTS Pro is a powerful tool that allows you to flexibly manage search on your site and provide users with the most relevant results.

Does the plugin support Korean language search?

Yes, WPFTS Pro fully supports Korean language search, as well as other languages using UTF-8 encoding. The plugin correctly processes Korean characters, providing accurate indexing and search.

UTF-8 and multilingual support:

WPFTS Pro is designed with multilingualism in mind and uses UTF-8 encoding. UTF-8 is a universal character encoding that supports virtually all languages of the world, including Korean. Thanks to this, the plugin can correctly process and index text in any language using UTF-8.

Features of Korean language search:

When searching in Korean, WPFTS Pro takes into account the specifics of the language, such as:

Morphology: The plugin can find words in different forms and with different endings.
Compound words: The Korean language uses many compound words, and WPFTS Pro can break them down into components for a more accurate search.

Configuring Korean language search:

For the correct operation of the Korean language search, make sure that:

Your site uses UTF-8 encoding: This is the most important aspect. UTF-8 encoding must be specified in the settings of your WordPress site, as well as in the headers of your HTML pages.
Your database is configured to use UTF-8: This ensures that Korean characters are correctly stored in the database.
You are using compatible themes and plugins: Some themes and plugins may be incompatible with UTF-8 or have errors in processing Korean characters. If you encounter problems, try temporarily disabling other plugins or switching to a standard WordPress theme.

If you experience problems with Korean language search:

Check the error logs of your server and WordPress site.
Contact our support team, and we will help you solve the problem.

In general, WPFTS Pro works perfectly with the Korean language. Just make sure that your site and database are configured to use UTF-8, and you will be able to provide your users with a full-fledged Korean language search.

What is the maximum search query size in WPFTs?

In WPFTS, there is a limit on the length of the search query - 32 words. This is due to the technical implementation of the search algorithm and performance optimization.

What happens to queries longer than 32 words?

If your query contains more than 32 words, the plugin will ignore all words after the 32nd. This means that the search will only be performed on the first 32 words of your query.

Practical recommendations:

In practice, queries of this length (more than 32 words) are rarely used. Users usually enter queries of 3-5 words, and WPFTS is optimized for this length to achieve maximum performance. The more words in the query, the less likely it is to find relevant results.

Therefore, even despite the existing limitation, we recommend formulating queries clearly and concisely:

Use keywords: Instead of long phrases, use the most important words that accurately describe what you are looking for.
Use search operators: WPFTS supports the operators AND, OR, and NOT, which will help you refine your query and filter out unnecessary results. This is a more efficient way to refine your search than simply adding a large number of words.
Use quotes to search for an exact phrase: If you need to find documents containing a specific phrase, enclose it in quotes.

In case of problems:

If you believe that the 32-word limit negatively affects your search results, please contact our support team. We will consider your situation and try to find a solution. You may need a more complex plugin configuration or the use of additional search tools.

In most cases, the 32-word limit will be sufficient for effective searching on your site. Focus on formulating accurate and concise queries, and WPFTS will help you find the information you need.

How to add information from other plugins to the search?

Many WordPress plugins extend the functionality of your site, adding new data types such as custom fields, metadata, products, events, and much more. However, the standard WordPress search, as a rule, does not index this data, and it remains unavailable for search. WPFTS solves this problem, offering several options for integrating with other plugins.

Here’s how you can add information from another plugin to the search:

Check for warnings after installing WPFTS: After installing and activating WPFTS, the plugin automatically checks for installed plugins for which there are special add-ons for integration with WPFTS. If such plugins are found, WPFTS will display a corresponding warning and suggest installing the necessary add-on. This is the easiest and fastest way to start indexing data from another plugin.
Visit the “Add-ons Library” page on the official website: If you don’t see any warnings after installing WPFTS, you can independently check for the availability of an add-on for your plugin on the “Add-ons Library” page on our website [link to add-ons library]. There you will find a list of available add-ons and instructions on their installation and configuration.
Develop your own add-on: If there is no add-on for your plugin, you can develop it yourself. WPFTS provides a flexible system of hooks and APIs that allow you to integrate the plugin with other plugins and themes. Detailed documentation and code examples are available on our website [link to documentation] and in the “Examples” section [link to examples].
Use priority support (for Pro license holders): If you have a WPFTS Pro license, we are ready to develop an add-on for your plugin completely free of charge (or in some cases for a small fee). Just contact our support team, describe your plugin, and what data you need to index. We will contact you and discuss the details.

Thanks to these options, you will be able to add virtually any information provided by other plugins to the search and make your site even more user-friendly.

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions Indexing