SharePoint Search on default Masterpage

Question

Hi, I am trying to enable the search bar on my default master page. In the source code of the master page there is the following:

<asp:ContentPlaceHolder id="PlaceHolderSearchArea" runat="server">
<SharePoint:DelegateControl runat="server" ControlId="SmallSearchInputBox"/>
</asp:ContentPlaceHolder>

In the render of the page in design mode it says [DelegateControl]. When I publish the page, I do not see a search box, I see nothing... can someone point me in the direction as how to enable search on my default master page, thanks.

Answer 1

Are you certain that you MOSS Search service is correctly configured?

If not, check this article: http://www.mysharepointblog.com/post/2008/10/Configure-Search-On-MOSS-2007-(Microsoft-Office-SharePoint-Server).aspx

Answer 2

Have you activated the "Office SharePoint Server Standard Site Collection features" from the site features?

Answer 3

I had the exact same problem but eventually found a very simple solution. You just need to make sure your asp:ContentPlaceHolder is within an html form. I don't know exactly why this is the case, but simply changing your code to

<form id="Form1" runat="server">
 <asp:ContentPlaceHolder id="PlaceHolderSearchArea" runat="server">
  <SharePoint:DelegateControl runat="server" ControlId="SmallSearchInputBox"/>
 </asp:ContentPlaceHolder>
</form>

should solve the problem.

I found this very simple application.master page: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/justguy/archive/2008/08/31/empty-application-master.aspx

When the search boxes worked using this simple master page, I was able to track down the problem and find the needed element.