# Search function for multi-language sites **URL:** \ **Category:** Questions\ **Tags:** v2\ **Created:** [May 18, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099 "2015-05-18T10:16:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gimesi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7ba0ec/32.png) [@gimesi](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/gimesi)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 10:16am UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/1 "2015-05-18T10:16:31Z")
Hi. I’m new to Kirby and I’m just trying to figure some things out. First, congrats! I had a multi-language test site up and running like a charm in under 5 minutes… Then I added a search function, which also works, **but only** for the English site (English is set as standard language). i.e. When I have one page open in another language and start a search, it throws back a “no results for …”. Is there a way that Kirby (1) loops through **all** languages and shows the results, or (2) only returns results of the currently active language? (By the way… Does this affect also tag functionality for a blog in multiple languages? I haven’t tried it yet…) Thanks for your hints, links, solutions! ---
**Author:** ![JulienS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@JulienS](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/JulienS)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:49pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/2 "2015-10-27T14:49:05Z")
Hi, I have the same problem with a multi-language search function. ``` $site->index()->visible()->search($query, 'title|text'); ``` How can I filter the current language before pagination? Thank you very much! Julien ---
**Author:** ![JulienS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@JulienS](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/JulienS)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/3 "2015-10-27T15:46:29Z")
This is what I learned from user FabianSperrle: ``` foreach ($page->children()->filterBy('languages', $site->language()->code(), ',') as $child) { ``` Source: [Filter child pages by available translations](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/filter-child-pages-by-available-translations/351/5?u=juliens) Where do I find out what can be filtered by filterBy function? The example above is not mentioned in the docs. Is this a working example? Sadly, it does not work for me when applying the filterBy function to foreach function. I also tried to filter after index() ``` $results = $site->index()->filterBy('languages', $site->language()->code(), ',')->visible()->search($query, 'title|text'); ``` but did not succeed. EDIT: I now understand that this example of FabianSerrle only works when adding custom fields to the text files. Is there any other way to filter by language? This should be a basic function of a CMS, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![texnixe](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.getkirby.com/texnixe/32/5754_2.png) [@texnixe](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/texnixe)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 6:48pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/4 "2015-10-27T18:48:16Z")
You could use a custom filter like this: > [@Prevent Default Language](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/prevent-default-language/2024/2): > > $articles = $page-\>children()-\>visible()-\>filter(function($child) { > return site()-\>language()-\>code() == $child-\>language()-\>code(); > }); ---
**Author:** ![lukasbestle](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.getkirby.com/lukasbestle/32/11437_2.png) [@lukasbestle](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/lukasbestle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 9:47pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/5 "2015-10-27T21:47:15Z")
The `filterBy` method can filter by basically everything you can call as method on a page, be it a field or something like `url()`. ---
**Author:** ![JulienS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@JulienS](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/JulienS)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/6 "2015-10-28T13:04:05Z")
That’s interesting! I did not know there is another filter method besides filterBy. This one gives me the opportunity to create my own “comparator”… I will try this soon. Thank you for your help! 😄 ---
**Author:** ![texnixe](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.getkirby.com/texnixe/32/5754_2.png) [@texnixe](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/texnixe)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:12pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/7 "2015-10-28T13:12:29Z")
But this time it’s even in the docs: [http://getkirby.com/docs/cheatsheet/pages/filter](http://getkirby.com/docs/cheatsheet/pages/filter) ---
**Author:** ![JulienS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@JulienS](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/JulienS)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/8 "2015-10-28T13:14:17Z")
Great, I will try this! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![JulienS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c89c15/32.png) [@JulienS](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/JulienS)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2015, 4:20pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/9 "2015-11-01T16:20:20Z")
Hi texnixe, I still have an issue with understanding ``` $child->language()->code() ``` Is language() returning a native attribute of the child page or just the function to retrieve the custom language field I have to use in my text file? The filter method you mentioned only works when explicitly adding a custom field named “language” to the text file. Isn’t there a way to easily filter by file name ending? (like \*.en.txt or \*.de.txt). I would expect this kind of filter to be included as it already has to be used by the core itself!? ---
**Author:** ![texnixe](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.getkirby.com/texnixe/32/5754_2.png) [@texnixe](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/texnixe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2015, 6:24pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/10 "2015-11-09T18:24:28Z")
Yes, the code above requires a special language field. Otherwise you have to use a custom filter that checks if the page is available in the respective language, like in the switch example: [Language switcher example creating invalid URLs for missing translations](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/language-switcher-example-creating-invalid-urls-for-missing-translations/2420/9) ---
**Author:** ![distantnative](https://dub1.discourse-cdn.com/flex017/user_avatar/forum.getkirby.com/distantnative/32/11319_2.png) [@distantnative](https://forum.getkirby.com/u/distantnative)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2025, 5:04pm UTC](https://forum.getkirby.com/t/search-function-for-multi-language-sites/1099/11 "2025-02-06T17:04:15Z")
Archived on February 6, 2025, 5:04pm UTC