Undefined array key “post_type”
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Copilot log snippet of debugging why my site would not return any results for the word elementor:
I hope this can be addressed in the next version. Thanks 🙂
[04-Sep-2025 04:57:01 UTC] PHP Warning: Undefined array key "post_type" in wp-content/plugins/relevanssi/lib/search-query-restrictions.php on line 81
Excellent! This additional debug info reveals even more details about what was happening:
## **Key Findings:**
1. **Search post_type setting:(empty)** - This shows that your search query itself wasn't explicitly setting a post type restriction
2. **PHP Warning insearch-query-restrictions.phpline 81** - This indicates there's a bug or edge case in Relevanssi's code where it's trying to access$params['post_type']when that key doesn't exist
## **The Real Issue:**
The warning suggests that Relevanssi's internal code was expecting apost_typeparameter to exist in the search parameters, but it wasn't set. When this happens, Relevanssi might have been defaulting to some fallback behavior (possibly searching only pages) or encountering an error that caused it to return no results.
## **Why Your Fix Works:**
Your fix works because by explicitly unsetting$params['post_type'](even when it doesn't exist), you're ensuring that Relevanssi's search logic doesn't encounter this undefined key issue and falls back to searching all indexed post types.
## **Improved Fix to Address the Warning:**
Here's a more robust version of your fix that also handles the undefined key properly:php<br><br>add_filter('relevanssi_search_params', 'fix_relevanssi_post_type_issue');<br><br>function fix_relevanssi_post_type_issue($params) {<br><br> <em>// Ensure post_type is properly handled - either remove it entirely</em><br><br> <em>// or set it to a safe default</em><br><br> <em>if</em> (isset($params['post_type'])) {<br><br> unset($params['post_type']);<br><br> }<br><br> <em>// Alternative: explicitly set to search posts and pages</em><br><br> <em>// $params['post_type'] = array('post', 'page');</em><br><br> <em>return</em> $params;<br><br>}<br><br>
## **Root Cause Analysis:**
This appears to be either:
1. **A bug in Relevanssi** where it doesn't properly handle cases wherepost_typeisn't set in the search parameters
2. **A compatibility issue** between your WordPress setup and Relevanssi's expectations
3. **An edge case** in Relevanssi's search-query-restrictions.php that doesn't account for missing post_type parameters
## **Recommendation:**
Your current fix is working perfectly and is actually a good solution. You might want to:
1. **Keep your current fix** - it's solving the problem effectively
2. **Report this to Relevanssi developers** - the PHP warning suggests there's a bug in their code at line 81 ofsearch-query-restrictions.php
3. **Consider the improved version above** - it's more defensive and handles edge cases better
**Great debugging work!** You've not only solved your search issue but also potentially discovered a bug in the Relevanssi plugin itself. 🕵️♂️✨
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