Carbon Based Studio Menu Search adds a toggle search icon to the classic WordPress menus you choose, with a full-width dropdown panel that matches your branding.
Block themes that cannot inject into the Navigation block can use the Menu Search Toggle block or the [cbsms_search_toggle] shortcode, including a full-width bar under the site header when you need mobile-style search in the header.
Settings live under Carbon Based > Menu Search, alongside other Carbon Based Studio plugins in the shared admin hub.
Key features
- Classic menu injection - tick registered menus; optional insert at start, end, or after the Nth item.
- Shortcode & block - place a toggle outside
wp_nav_menu; optional full-width header-bar panel. - Search scope - entire site, posts and pages, WooCommerce products, or selected public post types.
- Appearance - inline SVG icon by default, optional Dashicons / Font Awesome / custom HTML, colours, form layout, and Custom CSS.
- Behaviour - close (×) on the panel, outside click, Escape, focus-on-open, optional Ctrl/Cmd+K shortcut, and viewport hide rules.
- In-plugin Information - reference for menus, shortcode, filters, and troubleshooting.
How it works
- Install from WordPress.org (or upload the plugin zip) and activate.
- Open Carbon Based > Menu Search and leave Enable Menu Search on.
- On the Menus tab, tick at least one Registered menu, set insert position if needed, and save.
- Adjust Appearance (icon and colours) and Behaviour (close controls, shortcut, shortcode panel layout).
- For block themes, add the Menu Search Toggle block or
[cbsms_search_toggle]instead of relying on menu injection alone. - Hard-refresh the storefront and confirm the toggle opens the search panel.
Use cases
- Classic header menus - add search beside cart or account without rebuilding the header.
- WooCommerce stores - scope results to products, or mix pages and products with selected post types.
- Block / hybrid themes - shortcode or Gutenberg block when the Navigation block cannot inject menu items.
- Header-bar search - full-width panel under the site header for a mobile-style search experience.
FAQ
Does this work with block themes?
Classic wp_nav_menu() locations are fully supported. The core Navigation block does not use wp_nav_menu_items; use the Menu Search Toggle block, the shortcode, or a classic menu in a child theme.
Is Font Awesome required?
No. The default icon is inline SVG. Choose Font Awesome only if your theme or another plugin already loads it.
Is a licence required?
No. This plugin is free on WordPress.org. Install and update from the Plugins directory.