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SharePoint 2010: Large Search Box

The OOTB search box in my opinion is hidden and misplaced. In most cases it gets in the way with the top navigation especially when you have a lot of items in it.

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The solution to this problem is to move the search box up to the left of the social tags and make it bigger with CSS and Images.

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Here is what the search box will look like: This design consists of two images one for the search box (searchbox.gif) and the other for the button (searchbutton.gif).

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Moving the Search Control:
In your custom master page simply move the s4-searcharea div up into a new <td></td> before the social tags.

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The final code should look like this: Notice that I kept the div and the “s4-rp” class. This has the “float:right” attribute for the help icon.

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Putting it all together:
I have placed all of the support files to create this large search box style into the following .zip file that you can download and apply to your development site.

Source Files: Download HERE

How to implement:

  1. Upload the custom master page into the master page gallery
  2. Navigate to the following location on your server: “C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\14\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\1033\STYLES”
  3. Create a folder called “LGSEARCH” and place the “lgsearch.css” and the two image files into this directory.
  4. Apply the “lgsearch.master” to your site.
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Comments

Rob Dornbush said…
Wow, this is really great Erik, thanks for sharing that solution. You are absolutely right that it is misplaced on the navigation row, what was MS thinking _ I guess they don't sympathize with us web designers who frequently need more navigational items than one can fit on that row, moving the search box up really helps!
February 17, 2011 at 7:00 PM
Anonymous said…
Dear Erik Swenson,

I don't know how to implement Step 4: Apply the “lgsearch.master” to your site.

Can you tell me how to apply it?
February 24, 2011 at 6:53 AM
Steve.O said…
Hi, thanks for the writeup, its always great seeing people making SharePoint look more like an actual usable product! I wrote up a similar article on the Advanced search box, and it may be useful to folks reading this. Take a look Skin/Restyle the SharePoint 2010 Advanced Search Box
February 24, 2011 at 6:05 PM
Anonymous said…
Dude..seriously nice!
May 25, 2011 at 11:14 AM
Rajesh R.Nair said…
Erik, you are my fav blogger on net, believe you have n number of followers .. even google suggests your blog within 5 when we search for sharepoint material.

have one request for you, could you please change width of your blog to percent 90% - now this days users are having big resolution, it will easy to read.. just my view, all your call

/r
June 13, 2011 at 11:23 PM
Anonymous said…
Great Post, thanks alot
December 20, 2011 at 6:01 AM
Ray S said…
Thank you for sharing! My search box is now exactly where is should have been after installing Sharepoint 2010!
April 22, 2012 at 2:59 PM
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