Site-wide Documents

Set-up Guide

Adding robust full‑text search to a Ghost site takes only a few minutes with Visiting Objects Smart Search for Ghost. Follow the steps below to set up your new search experience.

Prerequisites

✓ Ghost v5 running at a public URL (self‑hosted or Ghost Pro).
✓ Access to the Ghost admin panel with permission to create Custom Integrations (required for API keys).
✓ A Visiting Objects account with an active Smart Search for Ghost plan.

Step 1: Create a new Search Instance

Log in to the Visiting Objects dashboard and navigate to the Search Instances page.
Click + Create Search Instance or + New Instance.

Step 2: Enter the Ghost site URL

In Ghost URL, enter the full site address, including https:// (for example https://resources.visitingobjects.com).
Click Continue.
Visiting Objects automatically scans your Ghost instance and pre-fills everything it can, from your site name and accent color to the API URL and indexing configuration.

Step 3: Provide API keys

The only manual input usually required is the two API keys:

Key	Where to find it in Ghost	Purpose
Content API Key	Settings › Integrations › Add custom integration	Read published posts and pages for indexing
Admin API Key	Same custom integration card ("Admin API Key")	Register webhooks so new or updated content is indexed automatically

Paste both keys in the New Search Instance form.
Optional adjustments:
- Primary Accent Color – UI accent (defaults to the color detected on the site).
- Modal Trigger Icon Color – color of the search icon added to the theme.
- Indexing Filters – enable tag‑based inclusion rules if only specific content should be searchable.
Click Create.

Step 4: Watch the set‑up progress

A progress panel tracks four automated jobs.

Task	Description
Create Search Instance	Allocates a managed search engine for the site
Seed Search Engine	Imports all existing posts and pages (may run for several minutes on large sites)
Auto Sync	Registers update webhooks via the Admin API
Search UI	Builds the customized front‑end bundle

ℹ️ You can leave the page; processing continues in the background.

Step 5: Embed the Search UI

When all tasks are marked complete, open Search UI in the left navigation.

Review the behavior options (default results, autofocus, pagination, etc.) and the live preview.
Click Copy in the Implementation Guide box to copy the snippet.

<div class="visitingobjects-search"
  data-public-token="REPLACE_WITH_YOUR_TOKEN"></div>
<script src="https://visitingobjects.com/static/search/vo-search.js"></script>
<link href="https://visitingobjects.com/static/search/vo-search.css" rel="stylesheet">

In Ghost Admin open Settings › Code Injection › Site Header and paste the snippet.
Click Save.

✓ The script injects a search icon into compatible Ghost themes. Additional triggers can be bound manually (see details on the search UI page).

Step 6: Verify the new search experience

Visit the live site and click the search icon (usually in the header).
Type a few queries and confirm results load instantly.
Edit or publish a post in Ghost, then search for its title to confirm automatic syncing.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Resolution
Search icon not visible	Modal Trigger Icon Color matches header background	Choose a contrasting icon color and click Save
No results returned	Content API key invalid	Regenerate the key in Ghost and update the instance
New posts not searchable	Admin API key missing or webhook disabled	Add a valid Admin API key, or choose "Set Up Manually" and follow the instructions to maintain this aspect of the integration manually

Support

Email support@visitingobjects.com with your site URL and a short description of the issue. Attach screenshots or logs where possible to speed up resolution.

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