Change Log
Smart Search Control

Version: 1.0.85th August 2026

Bug Fixes

• Fix: Fixed a fatal error on the search results page.
• Fix: Search form and search result caches now use the same stored value, so both read the saved settings correctly.
• Fix: Cached search settings are now cleared when a search form is edited or deleted, so changes take effect immediately instead of after the cache expires.

Version: 1.0.74th August 2026

Added

• New: Enhanced search result descriptions to display the portion containing search keywords with context.
• New: Fixed LifterLMS favorites count display in search result descriptions.

Bug Fixes

• Security: Fixed SQL prepared statement in pagination query for proper parameter binding.
• Security: Changed loose comparisons to strict comparisons in template files.
• Security: Fixed output escaping for display text in result templates.
• Security: Added plugin prefix to template variables for WordPress naming conventions compliance.
• Improve: Refactored repetitive keyword highlighting code into reusable helper function.
• Improve: Removed unnecessary md5 hashing in cache keys for improved performance.
• Improve: Standardized cache TTL values across the plugin.
• Improve: Removed unused variables and cleaned up code formatting.
• Performance: Eliminated code duplication in keyword highlighting logic.
• Quality: Resolved PHPCS warnings and improved code maintainability.

Version: 1.0.626th July 2026

Added

• New: Added a global setting to enable or disable AJAX live search suggestions across all searches.
• New: Added a per-search “Disable AJAX search suggestions” option, available on both the search settings form and the Gutenberg block, which overrides the global setting for that search only.

Bug Fixes

• Security: Restricted Gutenberg block searches to public, publicly queryable post types, preventing non-public content from being exposed through search and suggestion requests.
• Security: Hardened AJAX search-suggestion rendering so post titles are always output as plain text, not parsed as HTML.
• Security: Added a missing capability check to the database table creation AJAX handler.

Version: 1.0.513th July 2026

Added

• New: Added category and tag filtering support for search forms and the Gutenberg block, so results can be scoped to specific taxonomies per post type.
• New: Search results now display instantly on the same page, directly below the search bar, when no dedicated Search Results Page is configured.

Bug Fixes

• Improve: Hardened admin AJAX and settings handling with capability checks and nonce validation.
• Improve: Aligned plugin naming and coding style with the project prefix conventions.
• Improve: Added safer fallback handling for result-page and block rendering paths.
• Improve: Polished templates and output escaping for better WordPress compatibility.

Version: 1.0.427th January 2026

Added

• New: Added Gutenberg block to add search anywhere.

Version: 1.0.311th December 2025

Added

• New: Added admin notification if the search result page is not selected.

Bug Fixes

• Fix: Fixed content override issue with the search shortcode.
• Fix: Minor CSS tweaks and improvements.

Version: 1.0.25th November 2025

Added

• New: Added option to display search results in list or grid view.
• New: Implemented semantic UI for search results.

Bug Fixes

• Fix: Fixed pagination issues when no records are found.
• Fix: Made the plugin compatible with WordPress 6.9.
• Fix: Made the plugin compatible with PHP 8.0.

Version: 1.0.120th October 2025

Added

• New: Removed PHP 5.4 support for improved stability.
• New: Added filter to update per-page result count.
• New: Added filter to update search suggestion count.
• New: Added action hook to add custom columns to the shortcode admin table.
• New: Added action hook to extend the search form and settings page.

Version: 1.0.01st October 2025

Release

• Initial release.