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How to manage the listing location with WPRentals location autocomplete

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How to manage listing location with theme autocomplete in WPRentals. Watch Video on Youtube

WPRentals offers several ways to manage listing locations in the submit form and search forms.

The available location systems are:

  1. Google Places or OpenStreet Places autocomplete
  2. Theme autocomplete based on saved listing location details
  3. Dropdown selector for city and area

This help explains how to use the Theme Autocomplete system.

Important: Theme Autocomplete does not use Google Places or OpenStreet Places suggestions. It uses location data already saved from your listings, such as city, area, county, state, and country.

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How Theme Autocomplete Works

Theme Autocomplete uses the location values saved in your existing listings.

For example, if listings are saved with locations such as London, Paris, or Downtown, these values can appear as suggestions in the location search field.

The autocomplete data can include:

  • City
  • Area / Neighborhood
  • County
  • State
  • Country
Important: Theme Autocomplete can only suggest locations that already exist in saved listings. If a location was never added to a listing, it cannot appear in the theme autocomplete suggestions.

Step 1: Enable Theme Autocomplete for Search

Go to:

WPRentals Options > Search > Location Field Search Settings

Set:

  • Use Google Places or Open Street Places for Location Field in Search? – No

This disables Google/OpenStreet autocomplete and allows the theme location system to be used instead.

Then find:

Use Dropdowns for data saved from properties in Location Search Field?

Choose how the location search field should behave:

  • No – the search field is a text input and shows theme autocomplete suggestions from saved listing data.
  • Yes – the search field shows a dropdown with saved listing locations.

Click Save Changes.

Step 2: Choose How Locations Are Added in the Submit Form

The site admin can choose how owners or site admins add city and area values when creating or editing listings.

Go to:

WPRentals Options > Search > Location Field Search Settings

Find:

Use Dropdowns for Cities and Areas in Submission Form?

Choose one option:

  • No – owners type city and area manually as free text fields.
  • Yes – owners select city and area from dropdown fields.
Important: This setting controls the submit form only. The search field behavior is controlled separately by the option Use Dropdowns for data saved from properties in Location Search Field?.

Option 1: Type City and Area Manually in the Submit Form

Use this option if you want owners or site admins to type city and area values manually when adding a listing.

Set:

Use Dropdowns for Cities and Areas in Submission Form? – No

Then go to:

User Dashboard > My Listings > Add New Listing

or:

User Dashboard > My Listings > Edit Listing

In the submit form:

  • type the city name manually
  • type the area / neighborhood manually
  • select the country from the dropdown
  • complete county and state, if needed
  • save or submit the listing

Use this option if you want owners or site admins to select city and area from predefined dropdown values.

Set:

Use Dropdowns for Cities and Areas in Submission Form? – Yes

Before using this option, add the city and area terms from wp-admin.

Go to:

Wp-admin > Listings, Bookings & More > Listing City

and:

Wp-admin > Listings, Bookings & More > Listing Area

More about listing taxonomies, city and area

Then owners can select the values from:

User Dashboard > My Listings > Add New Listing

or:

User Dashboard > My Listings > Edit Listing

  • Select the city from the dropdown.
  • Select the area from the dropdown.
  • Select the country.
  • Complete county and state, if needed.
  • Save or submit the listing.
Important: Cities and Areas are independent taxonomies. Selecting a city does not automatically limit the area dropdown to areas assigned to that city.

Generate Autocomplete Data

The theme autocomplete search uses saved listing location data.

City and Area are saved as listing taxonomies and can also be used in the autocomplete data. County, Country, and State can also be saved as autocomplete data.

The autocomplete data file updates automatically once a day for performance.

If you add new locations and want them to appear immediately in the search autocomplete, regenerate the data manually.

Go to:

WPRentals Options > Map Configuration > Generate Data & Pins

Click Save Changes, then refresh the page. The autocomplete file is regenerated.

Important: If a new city, area, county, state, or country does not appear in the search field immediately, regenerate the autocomplete data and clear cache.

Search With Theme Autocomplete

If Use Dropdowns for data saved from properties in Location Search Field? is set to No, visitors can type a location and select it from the theme autocomplete suggestions.

Example:

  1. Go to a page with a WPRentals search form.
  2. Start typing a location, such as a city or area.
  3. Select the location from the autocomplete suggestions.
  4. Click Search.
  5. The matching listings appear in the search results.

Search With Location Dropdown Enabled

If you prefer visitors to select a saved location instead of typing, enable:

Use Dropdowns for data saved from properties in Location Search Field?

When this option is enabled, visitors select the listing location from a dropdown in the search form.

Search Forms That Support the Location Field

The Theme Autocomplete settings apply to search forms that include a supported location field.

Hero Media Search

Hero Media Search is available in several variations.

Advanced Search Form settings

  • Type 1 – Vertical Search with default fields.
  • Type 2 – Horizontal Search with default fields.
  • Type 3 – Horizontal Search with custom fields.
  • Type 4 – 3 default fields plus custom fields.
  • Type 5 – Vertical Search with custom fields.

These search forms can also appear as:

  • Mobile Search
  • Search Shortcode
  • Search Widget

Half Map Layout Search

This form is configured with custom fields.

Search Form Builder in Elementor

This form is configured with custom fields.

In these search forms, the location field can appear as:

  • Default Field – “Where do you want to go?”
  • Custom Field – “Location”
  • Elementor Search Form Builder Field – “Location”

Important Notes

  • Theme Autocomplete uses saved listing location data, not Google Places or OpenStreet Places.
  • Set Use Google Places or Open Street Places for Location Field in Search? to No when using Theme Autocomplete.
  • Set Use Dropdowns for data saved from properties in Location Search Field? to No for autocomplete suggestions, or Yes for a search dropdown.
  • Set Use Dropdowns for Cities and Areas in Submission Form? based on how owners should add locations in the submit form.
  • Owners and site admins manage listing locations from the front-end dashboard.
  • The autocomplete data file updates automatically once a day.
  • To show new locations immediately, regenerate data from Map Configuration > Generate Data & Pins.
  • Clear cache after changing location settings or regenerating autocomplete data.
  • Cities and Areas are independent taxonomies.

Google Places or OpenStreet Places autocomplete

Dropdown selector for city and area

Listing taxonomies, city and area

Advanced Search Form settings

Half Map Search Form

WPRentals Search Form Builder for Elementor