An empty search dropdown almost always means the search form is reading a different taxonomy than the one MLSImport filled. The values are usually on the properties already, in the wrong place for that control.
Work through these in order. The first two account for most cases.
The search form and the mapping point at different taxonomies
A dropdown is built from the terms of one taxonomy. If your theme’s search form is set to search a taxonomy that no MLS field writes to, it has nothing to list.
- Open MLS Import Settings, then Select Import fields.
- Find the MLS field behind the dropdown and read its Category column. That is where its values go.
- Open your theme’s search form settings and read which field or taxonomy that control uses.
- Make the two match. Either point the Category column at the taxonomy the search form uses, or change the search form to use the taxonomy already being filled.
- Run the import task again so the properties are written into the taxonomy you settled on.
Expected result: the taxonomy has terms under Properties in wp-admin, and the dropdown lists them.
Property type is two fields, not one
This is the single most common version of the problem. RESO splits property type in two, and MLSImport keeps them apart.
PropertySubTypeis the specific type, such as Single Family Residence or Condominium, and it fills the property category taxonomy.PropertyTypeis the broad class, such as Residential or Residential Lease, and it fills the property action category taxonomy, which is what a for sale and for rent control reads.
A search dropdown labelled Property Type in a theme may mean either one. Check which taxonomy that control reads before deciding which MLS field to send there.
Check the terms before you change anything. Open the taxonomy under Properties in wp-admin. Terms present means the mapping works and the search form is looking elsewhere. No terms means the import never wrote there.
The field is stored as a value rather than as a term
A field left unmapped is stored as a plain value on the property. It can be printed on the page and it cannot fill a dropdown, because dropdowns are built from terms.
The fix is to set the Category column for that field to a taxonomy, then re-import. The values become terms and the control can list them.
The properties were imported before the change
Field selection and mapping are applied while a listing is being written. Properties already on the site keep whatever they were imported with, so a mapping change on its own never moves existing data.
Run each affected import task again. Nothing is duplicated, since each listing is matched on its MLS identifier and updated in place.
The values are there but not the ones you expected
Terms are created from the values your MLS publishes, exactly as published. A board that publishes Residential Lease gives you a term reading Residential Lease, not Rentals. Nothing is translated or tidied on the way in.
To present different wording, create your own parent term and nest the MLS terms under it, which keeps the imported terms intact while showing the wording you want.
An empty dropdown on a brand new site is often nothing more than an empty site. The values come from listings, so a taxonomy has no terms until at least one property carrying that field has been imported.
Frequently asked questions
The dropdown lists options but searching returns nothing. Why?
That is a different fault. The terms exist and the properties are not attached to them, which happens when properties were imported before the mapping and the term list was built by a later import. Re-import the tasks so every property is attached.
Can I remove values I do not want in the dropdown?
Delete the term under Properties in wp-admin, and stop importing listings that carry it by narrowing the import task’s filters. Deleting a term while listings still bring it in means it reappears on the next import.
My theme’s search has a field that is not a taxonomy. Can I fill it?
Yes, by putting the theme’s own key in the Property Detail Field (post meta) column for that MLS field. The search control then reads the value it expects. It has to be a field the theme already searches on.
Do I need to rebuild anything after re-importing?
No. Terms and counts are written during the import. If your site runs a search index plugin or a page cache, clear that, since it can keep serving the old result set.
Related
- The Select Import fields screen
- Manual category names like FOR SALE and FOR RENT
- Mapping MLS fields to Houzez fields
- Mapping for WpResidence, WpEstate and Real Homes
Send us the dropdown that is empty and your theme, and we will tell you which side of the mapping to change.