---
author: ''
category: ''
date: 2013/03/12 20:09:06
description: Setting up standalone search in Nikola using Tipue.
link: ''
priority: ''
slug: standalone-search-in-nikola
tags: nikola, python
title: Standalone Search in Nikola
type: text
updated: 2013/03/12 20:09:06
url_type: ''
---
This has been in the master branch of `Nikola <http://nikola.ralsina.me>`_ for a while
but only now have I tried to fully integrate it, and polish all (most) of the rough edges.

By default, Nikola comes with support for search forms using Google and Duckduckgo. Some
people disapprove of them for different reasons [#]_ so there was a request about supporting
a standalone search engine.

The best of breed of those things seems to be `Tipue <http://tipue.com>`_ so that's what I
supported.

To use this, you need to enable a plugin, and do some configuration changes.

The plugin is called ``task_localsearch`` and you can find it in
`the Nikola source tree <https://github.com/getnikola/nikola/tree/master/extra_plugins>`_

Suppose your site is in a folder called ``mysite`` then to enable this plugin you need
to create ``mysite/plugins`` and then copy ``task_localsearch.plugin`` and ``task_localsearch``
in there.

Then, in your site's ``conf.py`` find these options and change them accordingly::

    SEARCH_FORM = """
    <span class="navbar-form pull-left">
    <input type="text" id="tipue_search_input">
    </span>"""

    ANALYTICS = """
    <script type="text/javascript" src="/assets/js/tipuesearch_set.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript" src="/assets/js/tipuesearch.js"></script>
    <script type="text/javascript">
    $(document).ready(function() {
        $('#tipue_search_input').tipuesearch({
            'mode': 'json',
            'contentLocation': '/assets/js/tipuesearch_content.json',
            'showUrl': false
        });
    });
    </script>
    """

    EXTRA_HEAD_DATA = """
    <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/assets/css/tipuesearch.css">
    <div id="tipue_search_content" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 20px;"></div>
    """

How does it work? Here's a `demo site <http://localsearch.ralsina.me>`_ for you to try!

I would not recommend doing this for a big site, since it may load a multi-megabyte javascript file when you
search, but for small to medium sites, it may be ok.

.. [#] My own reason for disapproving of duckduckgo site search? It finds nothing.