Why is my search returning no results?

The search box queries published articles as you type, from three characters onwards. When nothing comes back, it is nearly always one of these three things.

Nothing is published yet

Drafts are not searchable. Check that the articles you expect are actually published rather than scheduled or pending review.

The query is too specific

Search matches words in titles and content. A long phrase typed in full will often match nothing where two or three words from it would. This is why the dropdown suggests trying a shorter phrase.

A security plugin is blocking the REST API

The live dropdown uses the WordPress REST API. Some security and firewall plugins disable it for visitors who are not logged in. If search works while you are logged into WordPress but not in a private window, this is the cause.

The fix is to allow the knowledge base REST routes in your security plugin. Without them, the form falls back to a normal search results page, so the site keeps working — it just loses the live dropdown.