Smart search box adding comma to smart search dialog box

That probably the result that "searchtext" (or whatever your search parameter name is) has been added twice for example

www.yoursite.com/Search.aspx?searchtext=test&searchmode=anyword&searchtext= or you pass it by post and by querystring at the same time and combine them.

When I search in the header's search box the url is something like this: Search.aspx?searchtext=%2ctravel&searchmode=anyword

Okay also if I search without putting a term it's pulling back results related to icons. I think this is because I'm using an image for the search button. Why is this a thing? If I'm using built-in web parts to kentico why do they have such buggy implementation? and how do I fix?

if you URL decode your searchtext parameter value, the first symbol %2c is actually , . So the problem is somehwere in your code where your form your searchtext parameter.

P.S. It could be the that the smart search box has been added twice to the template.

I get that the %2c is a comma but why is it even happening? I am using an out of the box web part from kentico. It shouldn't be an issue with my code as I have no code. The only thing I'm changing in the web part settings it to use an image button instead. And now even taking that off and just using a standard submit button, it is still doing that.

Can you give us the url of your site so we can take a look?

We can't do that. It's an intranet for a client. It's pretty locked down.

I suggest you examine the page source code (you do in the browser view page source) search for something like searchTextbox. Do it on the page where you perform the search first.

That doesn't exist in the source. This is the code for the search form in the header

<div id="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_pnlSearch" class="searchBox mobile-hidden" onkeypress="javascript:return WebForm_FireDefaultButton(event, 'p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_btnSearch')">

    <label for="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_txtWord" id="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_lblSearch" style="display:none;">Search for:</label>
<input name="p$lt$ctl01$SmartSearchBox1$txtWord" type="text" maxlength="1000" id="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_txtWord" class="form-control">
    <input type="submit" name="p$lt$ctl01$SmartSearchBox1$btnSearch" value="Search" id="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_btnSearch" class="search-icon btn btn-default">

    <div id="p_lt_ctl01_SmartSearchBox1_pnlPredictiveResultsHolder" class="predictiveSearchHolder">

</div>

The comma is going before the searched term, implying that whatever else is on the page interfering is before the input field in the DOM. But I've removed all the other web parts before it. And it still has this behavior. What is up with this? I'm literally using an out of the box web part. I have no access to change any of the code. I've been working in the base setup with the dummy Kentico Intranet data installed from the client. No customizations. Why would this get messed up? I'm running into a wall here.

It is really hard to do remote debugging :). Although you do have access to some code if you can physically access files on disk. The default web part code is located in CMS\CMSWebParts\SmartSearch\SearchBox.ascx.cs. There is a method that does submission around line 820::

private void Search()
{
    string url = SearchResultsPageUrl;

    if (url.StartsWithCSafe("~"))
    {
        url = ResolveUrl(url.Trim());
    }

    url = URLHelper.UpdateParameterInUrl(url, "searchtext", HttpUtility.UrlEncode(txtWord.Text));
    url = URLHelper.UpdateParameterInUrl(url, "searchmode", SearchMode.ToStringRepresentation());

    // Log "internal search" activity
    Activity internalSearch = new ActivityInternalSearch(txtWord.Text, DocumentContext.CurrentDocument, AnalyticsContext.ActivityEnvironmentVariables);
    internalSearch.Log();

    // Try remove paging parameter
    url = URLHelper.RemoveParameterFromUrl(url, "page");

    URLHelper.Redirect(url.Trim());
}

You can put a break point and debug (if have access of course). For starters if you don't have access to the code do this:

• create a new blank template or use existing one.
• put smart search box web part there with the same setting like you have on the home page
• see if it is working correctly,i.e. the result url doesntcontain any weird shit i.e the result url is correct /Search.aspx?searchtext=test&searchmode=anyword
• if it is working correctly on the blank template it means the problem is with your template.
• There something there that causes the issue you may try to disable all web parts and start submitting search again and enable them one by one till you pin point the one that causes a conflict.

P.S. Save code from view source and upload it somewhere so we can take a look.