Winnow
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WordPress setup

Add Winnow to WordPress

Goal of this tutorial

This guide shows how to install the Winnow Search WordPress plugin, connect it to a Winnow site, and add a search entry point to your WordPress theme.

If you are not using WordPress, use the general setup guide instead.

Before you start

You will need:

  • administrator access to your WordPress site
  • a Winnow account
  • the Winnow Site ID for the site you want to connect

If you have not added the site in Winnow yet, sign in, create the site, and copy the site_... value from the setup instructions. That value is what the WordPress plugin calls the Winnow Site ID.

Install the plugin

  1. Download the plugin ZIP: winnow-search.zip.
  2. In WordPress admin, open Plugins -> Add New -> Upload Plugin.
  3. Choose the winnow-search.zip file.
  4. Click Install Now.
  5. Click Activate Plugin.

Configure the plugin

  1. Enter your email address and click "Try Winnow for free".
  2. Click the link you just received via email and click "Connect WordPress site".
  3. Finally, click "Finish setup".

The plugin adds the Winnow embed script to public WordPress pages. It does not change your published content or theme files.

Add a search entry point

Winnow opens when a visitor follows a link to /search. The simplest setup is to add a menu item with that URL:

  1. In WordPress admin, open Appearance -> Editor or Appearance -> Menus, depending on your theme.
  2. Add a custom link.
  3. Set the URL to /search.
  4. Use a label such as Search.
  5. Save the menu or template.

The plugin also detects search input fields on the page and attaches the Winnow search experience to them. If your theme already has a search input, test it after saving the plugin settings.

Test the setup

Open the public site in a fresh browser tab and click the /search link or focus a search field. The Winnow interface should open.

If it does not open:

  • confirm the plugin is active
  • confirm the Enabled checkbox is checked
  • confirm the Winnow Site ID starts with site_
  • clear any page cache or CDN cache on the WordPress site
  • check that the public page includes wp_head()

Next steps

After the plugin is connected, open the Winnow app to trigger a crawl, check indexed pages, and adjust the design.

You can update colors, typography, spacing, and result layout from the Design section without changing the WordPress plugin.