Search functionality has changed after upgrading Hextra

[mrjones-plip]

Something changed on search where it mostly doesn't work. For example it returns 0 results for test which it should return dozens. As well, medic returns only 3 results when it too should return dozens.

here's a video of production site vs local branch running a branch that was behind main:

docs.search.mp4

[andrablaj]

I can confirm the change was introduced with the Hextra version 0.10.

I downgraded Hextra to 0.9.7 and the search behaves as it used to (you will notice the rest of the site is broken due to the changes performed during the uplift):

1.mp4

I would not say the search is broken, but it gives answers to more detailed prompts: for example, if you search for Testing Forms, Testing the CHT, or Testing Contact Summary, or other similar prompts, you would get results. I personally prefer this more focused result experience over the one before, which returned every page that mentioned the word Testing.

There are search configurations that we could explore to customize the experience further.

[mrjones-plip]

I've reached out on the forum to see what the larger community thinks.

If we get no feedback (or ambiguous feedback) all things being, I think we should just keep it as is and close this ticket.

[1yuv]

I believe this is definitely broken. I was searching for API and I can't find any API pages suggested on the search. I even searched from being on the API page.

Screen.Recording.2025-10-08.at.10.19.45.AM.mov

[1yuv]

Searching on the doc site has still been a problem for me. I can't find what I am searching for since this new feature is in the production.

[mrjones-plip]

Sorry to hear that @1yuv - could you list out some of the searches that you expected to work, but didn't? As well, you can check on the old site to see how search used to work to do a side by side comparison.

[1yuv]

Hi @mrjones-plip , I've already posted a video of me searching and not finding what I was searching above. There are multiple times and multiple search where I am not able to find what I am searching on new site. Is it clear somehwere what format or heading does hugo pick up to suggest search results?

check on the old site to see

The link you provided is not helpful since when I put a search query and hit enter, it redirects to new doc site.

[mrjones-plip]

Gotcha - thanks @1yuv . I see in the video you were on the REST API page and you searched for these three phrases:

• API - 3 results for "RapidPro" (not that API in in the title)
• API to inter - no results
• CHT API - 1 result for "RapidPro"

None of them gave a search result for the page you were on. My question is if you had more searches you've seen fail. I see in your other comment you searched for "upgrade", for example.

I do see that search on the old docs site is broken - sorry! You can manually get it to work by changing the search term in the URL, everything after gsc.q=:

• Here's a search for "API"
• Here's a search for "CHT API"

This may be helpful when comparing how search used to work to how it does now.