Bootstrap 3 search box not bringing up any results

Question

I added a search box to my Bootstrap 3 site but if try searching for something it doesn't pull up any results, it just refreshes the page you are on:

see this

<form class="navbar-form" role="search">
  <div class="form-group">
    <input type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Search">
  </div>
  <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></i></button>
</form>

I thought it was because I didn't have a search.php file but I am still experiencing the same problem once I added it.

search.php

<?php
/**
 * The template for displaying Search Results pages
 *
 * @package WordPress
 * @subpackage Wp_Bootstrap
 * @since Wp Bootstrap 1.0
 */

get_header(); ?>

    <div id="primary" class="content-area">
        <div id="content" class="site-content" role="main">

        <?php if ( have_posts() ) : ?>

            <header class="page-header">
                <h1 class="page-title"><?php printf( __( 'Search Results for: %s', 'wpbootstrap' ), get_search_query() ); ?></h1>
            </header>

            <?php /* The loop */ ?>
            <?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
                <?php get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); ?>
            <?php endwhile; ?>

            <?php wpbootstrap_paging_nav(); ?>

        <?php else : ?>
            <?php get_template_part( 'content', 'none' ); ?>
        <?php endif; ?>

        </div><!-- #content -->
    </div><!-- #primary -->

<?php get_sidebar(); ?>
<?php get_footer(); ?>

Answer 1

your form <form class="navbar-form" role="search"> tag didn't contain an action and you need to give the input text a name

<form class="navbar-form" role="search" action="<?php esc_url( site_url() ) ?>" method="get">
    <div class="form-group">
       <input name="s" type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="Search">
    </div>
       <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></i></button>
</form>

Answer 2

This code may work for you

<form class="navbar-form navbar-right" role="search" action="search.php" method="get">
<div class="form-group">
<input type="text" name="s" value="<?php $_GET['s']; ?>" class="form-control" placeholder="search...">
</div>
<button type="submit" class="btn btn-success"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></span></button>
</form>

Understanding

in the parameter action you need to put the path of your file search.php

On input type you need to add the parameter name this is the parameter that you are using to search which is s

Next you need to add the value parameter and add this <?php $_GET['s']; ?>

You are done, test this code and tell if this work for you.

Try whit this Updated Code

<form class="navbar-form navbar-right" role="search" action="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/" method="get">
    <div class="form-group">
    <input type="text" name="s" value="<?php $_GET['s']; ?>" class="form-control" placeholder="<?php _e('Search', 'wpbootstrap'); ?>">
    </div>
    <button type="submit" class="btn btn-success"><span class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></span></button>
    </form>

Answer 3

I share here personal experience.

Please aknowledge that the code I share here is not ready for your Theme, as you should [at least] change the textdomain from

minimax3

to

your_text_domain

The search form works if you set the search form up like this:

<form class="navbar-form navbar-right" role="search" action="<?php bloginfo('url'); ?>/" method="get">
        <div class="form-group">
            <input name="s" type="text" class="form-control" placeholder="<?php _e('Search', 'minimax3'); ?>">
        </div>
        <button type="submit" class="btn btn-default"><i class="glyphicon glyphicon-search"></i></button>
</form>

Note that there is no need to add the value parameter as this

<?php $_GET['s']; ?>

Note that I have a search.php in my Theme's Root Folder as this:

<?php get_header(); ?>
<div class="container">
<div class="row">
    <div id="primary" class="col-lg-9 col-md-9">
        <div id="content" class="site-content" role="main">

            <?php if ( have_posts() ) : ?>

                <header class="page-header">
                    <h1 class="page-title"><?php printf( __( 'Search Results for: %s', 'minimax3' ), '<span>' . get_search_query() . '</span>' ); ?></h1>
                </header><!-- .page-header -->

                <?php minimax3_content_nav( 'nav-above' ); ?>

                <!--Start the Loop-->
                <?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>

                    <?php get_template_part( 'content', 'search' ); ?>

                <?php endwhile; ?>

                <?php minimax3_content_nav( 'nav-below' ); ?>

                <br>

                <!--Inlcude the search form at the bottom-->
                <div class="container">
                    <div class="row">
                        <div id="primary" class="col-lg-9 col-md-9">
                            <h3><?php _e( 'Not what you were looking for?', 'minimax3' ); ?></h3>
                            <p><?php _e( 'Refine your search below!', 'minimax3' ); ?></p>
                            <?php get_search_form(); ?>
                        </div>
                    </div>
                </div>

                <!--If no results-->
                <?php else : ?>

                <?php get_template_part( 'no-results', 'search' ); ?>

            <?php endif; ?>

        </div><!-- #content .site-content -->
</section><!-- #primary .content-area -->

<?php get_footer(); ?>

If you still get "white pages" (WPOD) you might need ot turn on the WP Debug Constante liek this below in your wp-config.php:

define( 'WP_DEBUG', true );

Tell us then the errors you will see on your screen That can help ;)