Integration with vBulletin - CFM: Google AdSense for Search Integration

Title: "CFM: Google Search Results"
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Author: Sal Bezos (webmaster@carforummisfits.com)
Date of Creation: September 3, 2006
Version: 1.0 (9/30/2006)
Home: http://www.carforummisfits.com/
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Purpose:
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This product for vBulletin creates a target page for providing Google Search Results within your vBulletin forums. The Google Search Results (AdSense for Search) will appear in a vBulletin page.

Unlike the previous revision of this product, you will now be able to enter code for a Google Search Box for placement in the Search drop-down menu (or anywhere else you would like to place it). Please make sure that your search box code includes a <form> tag that states something along the lines of action="http://<yourhostname>/forums/cfmgoogle.php".


Tested:
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This product has been tested on a vBulletin 3.6.1 installation. There is no reason why it should not work in the same manner on any 3.6.x or 3.5.x installation, but it has not and will not be tested by the author.


Included Files:
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- README.txt
- cfm-live-demo.png (screenshot)
- cfmgoogle.php
- product-cfm_google_search_results.xml


Installation:
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1. Upload the cfmgoogle.php file to your forum root, usually located at http://<yourhostname>/forums.

2. Register for a Google AdSense for Search account.
----a. Register for a Google AdSense account if you don't have one.
----b. Visit "http://www.google.com/adsense/".
----c. Login with your e-mail and password.
----d. Click on the "AdSense Setup" tab.
----e. Select "AdSense for Search".
----f. Configure your search box.
--------f1. Select either "Google WebSearch" or "Google WebSearch + SiteSearch" depending on whether you want users to be able to Google search your site or not. If you select "Google WebSearch + SiteSearch", enter the URL of sites you wish to be able to search.
--------f2. For Logo Type, I recomment selecting "Google Logo" and checking the "Logo above text box" option.
--------f3. For "Opening of search results page" select "Open results within my own site." Enter the URL of your cfmgoogle.php file (e.g. http://<yourhostname>/forums/cfmgoogle.php)
--------f4. Click "Continue >>".
----g. Configure the appearance of the results page, then click "Continue >>"
----h. You should now receive two sets of code from Google labeled "Your search box code" and "Your search results code".

3. In your forum's admin panel, go to Plugins & Products/Manage Products

4. Click on Add/Import Product

5. Click "Browse..." and select the "product-cfm_google_search_results.xml" product file. If this is your first installation of this product, select the "No" radio button in the "Allow Overwrite" option. If you are upgrading or reinstalling, select the "Yes" radio button. Click the "Import" button.

6. Go to vBulletin Options/vBulletin Options. Scroll through the list and select "CFM: Google Search Results".

7. In the "Google Search Box Code" option, paste the code provided by Google titled "Your search box code".

7. In the "Google Search Results Code" option, paste the code provided by Google titled "Your search results code".

8. In Styles & Templates/Style Manager go into Edit Templates for your style. Open the "Navigation / Breadcrumb Templates" template group and open the "navbar" template.

9. Find the following:

		<form action="search.php?do=process" method="post">
		<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">

And replace with:

		<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="1" border="0">
		<form action="search.php?do=process" method="post">

Find the following:

		</table>
		</form>
	</div>
	<!-- / header quick search form -->

And replace with:

		</form>
		<tr>
			<td class="thead">Search Google</td>
		</tr>
                <tr>
                        <td class="vbmenu_option" title="nohilite">$vboptions[cfmgsr_googlesearch]</td>
		</tr>
		</table>
	</div>
	<!-- / header quick search form -->

10. Pull up a forum page and look under your search drop-down menu for the search box.

11. Enjoy!


FAQ:
----
Q. My search results window is too tall. What's wrong with it?
A. This appears to be a bug in the Google Search Results code. If my assumption is incorrect, please let me know.

Q. Why are the colors all wonky on my search results?
A. The colors of the search results are provided by the search box. Make sure the colors in the search box code are correct.

Q. The background color of the Google search box doesn't match my page -- what can I do about it?
A. If Google's TOS allows it, play around with the settings in the code you pasted in the "Your search box code" option.


Revisions:
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1.0 - 09/30/2006 - Adding instructions and support for the Google search box in the search drop-down menu
0.1 - 09/03/2006 - Initial release


Support:
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Any questions and problems should be reported to the modification's thread on http://www.vbulletin.org. No warranty, express or implied, is granted with this software. Use is at your own risk.


License:
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GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE
Version 2, June 1991

[Hakaslak]

Originally Posted by Throtex

Hakaslak (and others):

Searching on your site causes a vBulletin error that reads, in relevant part:


I think you may have used a search form integration hack from this site that is faulty. If you see this message, it should inform you that for some reason the data is being passed to vBulletin rather than to Google.

The typical culprit appears to be placing the Google search form code inside of the vBulletin search form code.

Hakaslak - in your page source, I see that you have a <form> tag to open the vBulletin search, then the <form> tag to open the Google search, then a </form> tag to end the Google search, followed by a </form> tag to close the vBulletin search.

These should NOT overlap, and I suspect that anyone experiencing this error is doing the same thing. Move the </form> tag for vBulletin up to before the Google search form, or move the Google search form down outside the </form> tag for the vBulletin form. When you're clicking the "Google Search" button, it is actually sending data to the vBulletin search, rather than my php file.

Hope this helps, but I do not intend to support the search box itself.

First thing I thought was - How did he find my site. Oh yeah. My sig. Did I put a link in there? I guess I did. Then I was like... wha...? Then I thought it was working when I installed. Now I'm sad.


Thank you very much for noticing!

[Hakaslak]

OH. I get it. I thought that the form that opens up the vb search was the ajax box that comes out. Didn't really think about it much. LMAO

[SaN-DeeP]

Is it possible to make a seperate search page and use the addon code there ?

Thanks.

[Throtex]

I didn't check your sig ... I just know these things! :ninja: j/k

Glad I could help!

[Throtex]

Originally Posted by SaN-DeeP

Is it possible to make a seperate search page and use the addon code there ?

Thanks.

A separate page to put the search box in, or to put the results page in?

This is a separate page for the search results -- though if you don't want it integrated you can just follow Google's instructions.

As for the search box ... you can put that anywhere you want! Best is to make a template and call it using misc.php if you want it on its own page. (i.e., this function: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=124749 )

[jcodemasters]

I will try this mod today. thanks

[SaN-DeeP]

Originally Posted by Throtex

A separate page to put the search box in, or to put the results page in?

This is a separate page for the search results -- though if you don't want it integrated you can just follow Google's instructions.

As for the search box ... you can put that anywhere you want! Best is to make a template and call it using misc.php if you want it on its own page. (i.e., this function: https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthread.php?t=124749 )

thanks I was looking to add it on a seperate page

[bchertov]

Originally Posted by Throtex

Not really any point I suppose ... though the ads that show up in the search results count for your AdSense payments. Plus you get one more bite at the apple to keep people on your site ... otherwise you'd send them directly to Google as soon as they run the search.

I just think it looks nice. I think this is a fairly recent offering by Google, so maybe more will be possible eventually. And of course, people are free to extend this in other ways.

Well actually now that I look at your demo, the real value is interating a the Google Search box into the VB Search dialog. The fact that the results come back inside of VB is just a nice touch! :up:

In fact this will help me design my new skin! I'll install when I move to 3.6

Thanks!
Barry

[djwins]

has anyone tried with 3.5 yet?

[MarkoXaser]

Originally Posted by Bulent Tekcan

Please specify some words or valid user names to search on. There were no matches for those that you specified.

Everytime I received this message.Any idea ?

hi, i'm an italian boy excuse me for the english..

i have the same problem.....what can i do now?