How to Update Directory Search Results Without Reloading

When a directory has more than a handful of listings, visitors need a quick way to narrow the choices. A search form can let them choose a category, location, or other useful detail and see matching listings update on the same page, without waiting for a full-page reload. In Listdom, the Advanced Portal Search add-on lets you choose whether results update after a visitor submits the form or as they change its filters.

Choose how visitors should apply their filters

Some visitors know what they want and prefer to choose several filters before they see the results. Others explore: they select a category, check what appears, and then adjust their choices. The update behavior should match that task.

With On Submit, visitors fill in the search form and click Search before the connected listings update. This is a good fit when a form has several fields and people are likely to set more than one before applying them.

With On The Fly, the listings update when visitors change a filter. They do not need to click Search after each choice. This can make a browse-and-adjust journey feel more direct when people are exploring a directory and want to see how each selection changes the available options.

Think about how a visitor will use the form, not which option sounds more advanced. Imagine someone comparing apartments by area, price, and number of bedrooms. They may want to set all three first, then review one set of results; On Submit makes that pause clear. A visitor browsing a city guide may choose a neighborhood, look at the map and listings, then try another neighborhood; On The Fly supports that back-and-forth without a separate Search click after every change.

On-the-fly updates also mean the results can change while a visitor is still making choices. If the form has many fields, the visitor may prefer control over when the complete combination is applied. On the other hand, a short form with one or two familiar filters can feel natural when each selection immediately narrows the directory. Try both with a few representative searches on your own page before deciding. The best choice is the one that makes the result change understandable and keeps the search manageable.

Neither mode makes the listings themselves more accurate or improves the relevance of the search. The result still depends on the information stored in each listing and the filters you choose to offer. If visitors need to find businesses by neighborhood, for example, those listings need consistent location data.

For general help creating a form and choosing fields, start with the Listdom search form guide. This article focuses on connecting that form to listings on the same page and choosing how those results respond.

Set up in-place results in Listdom

The search form and the listings it controls need to appear on the same page. The Advanced Portal Search add-on must be installed and activated to use connected listing sections and the in-place update options.

1. In WordPress, go to Listdom → Search and Filter Builder and open the search form you want to use.
2. In the form’s Search Results settings, set Results Page to Current Page.
3. Select the listing sections on that page that the form should control under Connected Shortcodes. Listdom supports connecting up to four eligible listing sections to one form.
4. Choose On Submit or On The Fly under Ajax Search, depending on when you want the listings to update.
5. Save the form, then test it on the published page.

Connected sections might show a list, grid, or map. Choose the outputs that help visitors compare your directory. For example, one form can help them narrow results while viewing a list alongside a map. Only compatible Listdom listing sections on the same page can be connected.

This same-page arrangement is useful when visitors benefit from seeing more than one view of the same search. A list can provide names and descriptions while a map gives geographic context. Keep the relationship obvious: put the form near the results, use clear headings for each section, and avoid connecting unrelated listing blocks that would make the effect of a filter hard to understand. The form can connect up to four eligible listing shortcodes, but you do not need to use all four. Start with only the outputs that help someone make the decision.

If the results should appear on a different page, select that page under Results Page instead. That is a redirect workflow, so the Connected Shortcodes controls for the current page do not apply in the same way. The destination page needs a Listdom listing section to display the filtered results. Pick the page structure first, then configure the search form to match it; otherwise it is easy to test a form on one page while its actual results are set to appear somewhere else.

Listdom also offers update behavior from a listing shortcode’s Search tab. If you are already managing search behavior from the shortcode, open Listdom → Shortcodes, edit the relevant shortcode, and check its Search tab. The available options there are Disabled, On Submit, and On The Fly. Keep the form and shortcode behavior aligned so it is clear which listing output responds to the search.

For a deeper walkthrough of the add-on’s options, see the Listdom Advanced Portal Search guide. If you still need to create the form itself, follow the search and filter form setup instructions.

Make filters useful before making them fast

Dynamic updates make the interaction more immediate, but they cannot make a vague or incomplete form helpful. Choose fields based on the questions visitors need to answer, then confirm the corresponding information is present on the listings.

A city directory might use Category and Location so visitors can narrow restaurants to a specific area. A service directory could use Service Type and Service Area. If the records do not use those categories or fields consistently, a visitor may get confusing or empty results even though the form updates correctly.

For each proposed field, ask what choice it helps a visitor make. A restaurant directory could start with cuisine and neighborhood if those are the two questions visitors ask most often. A property directory might put location and price range first, then place less common preferences such as parking or outdoor space behind an optional expansion. If a choice rarely changes the visitor’s decision, it may not belong in the first view of the form.

Start with a small set of high-value choices. Add more filters only when they help visitors make a real distinction. A long form can make a directory harder to scan, especially when several fields are rarely used.

Then audit the listing data behind every filter. Are neighborhood names selected consistently, or have contributors typed different spellings into a free-text field? Are prices present for most records? Does every service listing use the same service-area terms? These questions matter because the search form can only match the information the directory actually stores. Consistent fields and values are part of the search experience, not a separate cleanup task. If a filter returns no listings, first check the matching records before changing the update mode.

Finally, consider what happens after someone changes a filter. Keep the results area easy to find on both desktop and mobile, make active criteria visible where your layout supports it, and give visitors a clear way to remove their selections. Listdom search forms can include a Clear All control; it is useful when people need to broaden a search after narrowing it too far. A fast update is less helpful if visitors cannot tell why the result changed or how to get back to a wider set.

Test the experience from the visitor’s point of view

Before relying on in-place results, test the page with realistic searches:

• Change one filter and confirm the intended listing section updates.
• If the page has both a list and map, check that the connected outputs respond together as expected.
• Try a combination that should return listings, then one that should return none.
• Check that the labels make sense to visitors and match how your listing data is organized.
• Test the page on a phone as well as a desktop screen.

If the results do not change, confirm that the APS add-on is active, the form uses Current Page, and the intended listing sections are selected and searchable. If the results disappear after filtering, first check whether the listings actually match the selected values. The Listdom shortcode troubleshooting guide explains how the search form and listing output settings work together.

Use this quick check before changing several settings at once:

What you see	What to check
The form sends visitors elsewhere	Confirm whether Results Page is set to a separate page or Current Page.
The page stays put but the wrong listings change	Review Connected Shortcodes and connect only the sections the form should control.
Nothing changes after choosing a filter	Confirm APS is active and that the selected shortcode supports search and is on the same page.
A valid filter combination shows no listings	Check that published listings have matching values for every selected field.
Results update after each selection, but visitors expect a Search button	Switch from On The Fly to On Submit and test the same search again.

Change one setting at a time and test again. That makes it easier to see whether the cause was the destination page, the selected outputs, the filter values, or the update mode. If the shortcode itself is not appearing as expected, check its page placement and search settings as well as the form.

FAQ

Can visitors see updated results without reloading the page?

Yes. With the Listdom Advanced Portal Search add-on active, you can connect eligible listing sections on the same page and choose whether they update after a Search click or as visitors change filters.

Do I need a separate results page?

No, not for this in-place setup. Set Results Page to Current Page, and connect the listing sections that should respond to the form. A separate results page is still an option for a search flow that should take visitors elsewhere.

What is the difference between On Submit and On The Fly?

On Submit waits until a visitor finishes choosing filters and clicks Search. On The Fly updates the connected listings as the visitor changes filters, without requiring a Search click for each change.

Can one form update both a list and a map?

Yes, when both are eligible Listdom listing sections on the same page and are selected as connected shortcodes. A form can connect up to four eligible sections.

Does On The Fly make search faster?

It changes when the connected results are updated: they respond as visitors change fields, without a full-page reload or an extra Search click. It does not make incomplete listing data more complete, guarantee a particular response time, or improve which listings match. Those still depend on the fields, records, and page setup.

Should every directory use On The Fly?

No. Use it when visitors benefit from seeing the effect of each filter as they explore. Choose On Submit when they are likely to fill several fields before reviewing the results or should explicitly apply the whole combination.

Give visitors a more direct way to explore

When people can adjust a search and see the matching directory sections respond in place, they can compare possibilities without repeatedly leaving and reloading the page. Choose the update style that fits the way visitors search, connect only the relevant listing outputs, and make sure the listing data supports the filters you offer.

For general search form setup, continue with how to create search forms in Listdom. To review the APS product and its other documented capabilities, visit the Listdom Advanced Portal Search product page.