FAQ by topic

FAQ by topic

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Setup

Where do I add the content?

Open Genesis → Not Found & 404 Page for the setup overview, layout options, search message and optional 404 starter. Use each area’s editing link or Appearance → Widgets to assign content.

Does this work without Genesis?

The page integration requires an active Genesis parent theme. Without Genesis it pauses safely and keeps saved widgets. The Library and updater remain available.

What happens with empty widget areas?

An empty 404 area keeps Genesis output unless the optional 404 starter is enabled. An empty search area shows the no-results message and search form. bbPress keeps its own feedback when its widget area is empty. Assigned widgets take precedence even if their own visibility rules hide them.

How do I use a full-width layout?

Enable the corresponding option under Genesis → Not Found & 404 Page. The search option only changes searches with no results; successful searches keep their usual layout. Existing __gwnf_layout_404_full_width and __gwnf_layout_searchnotfound_full_width helpers remain available.

How do I change the default search message?

Enter plain text under Genesis → Not Found & 404 Page. It appears only when the Search Not Found widget area is empty; the search form stays visible. Leave the field empty to restore the translated default. The existing output filter remains available. Without Genesis, the settings page is under Settings.

Everyday use and troubleshooting

How do I test the result?

Use the frontend test links on the settings page for a normal missing-page request and a search with a random term. The existing Customizer previews remain available. Also check the result while logged out. Search plugins or redirects can change the outcome.

Why is an assigned search widget not visible?

Check its display rule and logged-in-only setting. Single-post and single-page rules do not match 404 or empty-search contexts. Use Global or the matching new rule. The setup overview and saved widget form explain conflicting rules. A hidden assigned widget does not count as an empty area.

Which shortcodes are available?

Use [gwnf-search] and [gwnf-widget-area area="404"]. The other area values are notfound and bbpress-notfound. Search attributes: search_text, button_text, form_label, wrapper, class, post_type. Copy buttons for the search form and the two main areas are available on the settings page; manual selection also works. Area shortcodes do not insert 404 starter content.

Does a 404 still return HTTP 404?

Yes. WordPress and Genesis determine the HTTP status. This plugin changes the displayed content, without redirects or soft-404 handling.

Multisite and data

Does it support Multisite?

Yes. Widgets belong to each site. Network activation is allowed; Genesis features run only on sites using Genesis. Shared Library settings belong to the network. Theme editors manage widgets; network administrators manage network-wide plugin updates.

What happens to data when I remove it?

Deactivation and uninstall preserve widget content and this site’s presentation settings. Final-host uninstall cleans temporary shared Library data; optional Library settings deletion follows its own switch. Other plugins and content are never deleted.

Customization and development

How do I style the widget areas?

Use child-theme CSS with #gwnf-404-area, #gwnf-notfound-area and .gwnf-bbpress-notfound-area. The gwnf_load_styles action allows additional enqueued styles. Custom CSS is not stored by this plugin.

Can I disable shortcodes?

Define GWNF_SHORTCODE_FEATURES as false before init to disable both plugin shortcodes. Define GWNF_NO_WIDGETS_SHORTCODE as true to disable the plugin-added legacy text-widget processing. WordPress’s own modern text-widget shortcode support remains under WordPress control.

How do search attributes work?

wrapper accepts div, section, aside, nav and span, falling back to div. class supports space-separated CSS classes. post_type accepts comma-separated publicly searchable registered post types. Label text is always provided to assistive technology, even with no custom label.

Which developer filters remain available?

Existing gwnf output/title/description filters remain. The intended area-description filters gwnf/filter/widget_areas/404/description and gwnf/filter/widget_areas/notfound/description now receive the corresponding area. gwnf_filter_shortcode_widget_area now filters the captured output.