Integration with vBulletin - vB Google Adsense for Search plus Integration

I've done an overhaul on this and you will need to resetup your adsense for search account for this to work. If you aren't happy with that, please use the 3.6 version of this, which works fine for 3.7 from what I've been told.

Step 1:
You may have to resetup your adsense. If you do, you will get a new pub ID - this one includes your previous pub and tacks on your GALT (which is set up when you resetup your adsense account). I used www.christianboards.org and www.google.com (so it would search my site and the web - you can choose only your site, or any location that is web-accessible for results)

Example: partner-pub-0123456789012345:lnucfbm5dtp

If your partner-pub ID does not look like the example, you will see an error.

Also, keep in mind, all sites you put into the box for the adsense (one per line) will be integrated into the search and the search results.

Step 2:
Edit your searchresults.php file.
Find:

chdir('/path/to/your/forums/');

Put your correct value.

Example: chdir('/var/www/vhosts/yoursite.com/forums/');

Step 3:
Upload this file your forum's root. An example of your forum's root is below.

Example: http://www.yoursite.com/forums/searchresults.php

Step 4:
Install the product
Go to Admincp => Plugins & Products => Manage Products => [Add/Import Product] => Browse for product-davidw_vb_google_search.xml => Import

Step 5:
Configure your Admincp options
Go to Admincp => vBullitin Options => vBulletin Options => Find vB Google Search (Adsense) then click [Edit Settings]
Edit your new Partner-pub ID (the one you just had reset up - see example in red above), Google box width, iframe widthfor your results (I use 800 in the screenshot, but you can change this based on your needs), and the full URL to your searchresults.php.

NOTE! If you do not enter these in, you will see errors.

Step 6: Optional
Edit 1 template:
Admincp => Styles & Templates => Style Manager => Edit Templates (on your style) => Search Templates => search_forums => under $navbar, add $google_siteadsearch

Step 7: Optional (for vBAdvanced 3.x only)
vBa CMPS => Default Settings => Main Options => Portal Output Global Variables

Add these variables:
template_hook
google_navadsearch
homeurl

=> Save

vBa CMPS => Edit Modules => Search Forums => Select Action => Copy Module

Main Options
Module Title Google Search site / Forums
Template To Include search_google

Module Wrapper Template Options
Form Code Replace default code with

<form action="http://www.yoursite.com/forums/searchresults.php" type="hidden" name="search" target="_blank">

Click Save
Edit locations where you want to set this active to.

[luket79]

Seems to work fine in 3.8 right out of the box for me....

Installed.

[Saviour]

Well...I have it working, also...and have made it W3C XHTML compliant.

The only issues I have with this mod is that if I login to the forums...and run a Google search...the search results page comes up , but it doesn't show me as being logged in. Also the Google Search box is not displayed on the search results page.

However, if I login again, from the search results page...subsequent searches do show me as logged in. As far as I can tell...it's a cookie issue, but don't know where to start in order to fix the issue.

Any help is greatly appreciated...

[Saviour]

David...I have noticed on your site, the search box doesn't show up on the results page. However, the Google Search image is located in the same position of your site as it is on mine.

Looking into the google search results template...you have the code for the results but not the search box. Are you going to be fixing this?

I've attached an image to show you exactly where the problem is...and you may already be aware of it. However, it really needs to be fixed in order for this to be truly complete.

If you take a look at what I have circled...this is the text that goes underneath the search box...but there's no search box...and it is totally throwing the page off. The search box should be located to the top/side/bottom...depending on where you want the search box to be...but your mod does not take this into account.

I certainly hope you can have a fix for those who have your mod installed.

Thank you...

[davidw]

Originally Posted by Saviour

Well...I have it working, also...and have made it W3C XHTML compliant.

The only issues I have with this mod is that if I login to the forums...and run a Google search...the search results page comes up , but it doesn't show me as being logged in. Also the Google Search box is not displayed on the search results page.

However, if I login again, from the search results page...subsequent searches do show me as logged in. As far as I can tell...it's a cookie issue, but don't know where to start in order to fix the issue.

Any help is greatly appreciated...

I cannot recreate this issue. I've tried logging out and logging back in and just doing a search and neither have me show as logged out.

Is this temporary - your next search while you are shown as logged out (although you are logged in) - or do you have to log in again?

Originally Posted by Saviour

David...I have noticed on your site, the search box doesn't show up on the results page. However, the Google Search image is located in the same position of your site as it is on mine.

Looking into the google search results template...you have the code for the results but not the search box. Are you going to be fixing this?

I've attached an image to show you exactly where the problem is...and you may already be aware of it. However, it really needs to be fixed in order for this to be truly complete.

If you take a look at what I have circled...this is the text that goes underneath the search box...but there's no search box...and it is totally throwing the page off. The search box should be located to the top/side/bottom...depending on where you want the search box to be...but your mod does not take this into account.

I certainly hope you can have a fix for those who have your mod installed.


Thank you...

The only place the search box is supposed to show up on the search results page is where you have it placed - template-wise. If you have it in the navbar, unless something on your site is preventing it, it will continue to display in the navbar (as does mine correctly). Also, there is a standalone searchbox I coded for someone on one of these pages I believe that can be placed above the searchresults if you need one there.

The results page is a two-part function. The first part is the file/template with the iFrame and the second with the results of your search in that iFrame. The results of your search are displayed via http://www.google.com/afsonline/show_afs_search.js, not my modification. The template only acts as a host and has no control over the results once submitted. This includes any ads or the Google Custom Search image. I have no control over what is displayed so therefore I have no way of fixing that. If the results passed through your [the end user's] site, then that wouldn't be an issue.

[tpearl5]

Great thanks! The only thing I would change is the class for the table in google_search from tcat to tborder

[abqtj]

just installed...had to re-do a few things once or twice, but now it's working fine!

[Gosef]

thanks a lot

[davidw]

Glad you like it - Don't forget to click install

[carrlos]

Originally Posted by davidw

For example, somewhat edited, here is mine:
chdir('/home/xxxxxxx/christianboards/forums/');
This is my /path/to/my/forums/ since searchresults.php is located at forums/searchresults.php
You will never use a file in a path (a path is a directory). In your case, try taking out searchresults.php from your path.

chdir('/home/public_html/');

It has to be the full path to your searchresults.php, but don't include the file itself. Hope that helps

It would be really helpful if you would fix the following:

1. Update "Step 1" to state the above instead of putting a "http" example and giving us a headache. I follow good instructions and shouldn't have to read the whole thread. Over half of the problems in this thread are problems as a result.
2. In the admincp instructions, add partner- before pub-
3. Also, how about zipping up those files and making one download.

[davidw]

1. Updated step 1 the http part is where to upload the searchresults.php.

Forum Root Example: http://www.yoursite.com/searchresults.php
or another
Forum Root Example: http://www.yoursite.com/forums/searchresults.php

2. Where is this not located (where should this be located)?

3. I don't see a problem with zipping up everything