Displaying the Joomla Search Results Page with the Correct Template on Home Page

Fix broken template features for search results on the home page.

If you use the search module on the home page, the home page template loaded for the search results page instead and you would normally have the search results appear below pre-existing content. However this isn’t the case for other menu items away from the home page.

So what is the solution?

Joomla before 1.7

1. Create a new menu group called Hidden Menu using the Menu Manger
2. Add the native “Search Form or Search Results” menu item to the new Hidden Menu
3. Then go to the Module Manager and create a new search module and publish where needed
4. Joomla will discover the Hidden Menu and use the link there

Joomla after 1.7 (including 2.5)

1. Create a new menu group called Hidden Menu using the Menu Manger
2. Add the native “Search Form or Search Results” menu item to the new Hidden Menu
3. Then go to the Module Manager and create a new search module and publish where needed
4. Joomla will NOT discover the Hidden Menu and use the link there, do the following in addition to the previous steps
   • Go to Extensions > Modules > Search and enter the itemID of the Hidden Menu item created earlier into the field called “Set ItemID”
   • This is important and the only way to make search results appear within the context of the search menu item
   • This actually gives you more power to send the results page to any url you like within the site