<p>This has to do with Google Structured Data and how your site appears in search results. If you use these fields, your site will show a custom search box in Google Search results, like this:</p>

<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/nM698.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/nM698.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>

<p>Basically, the <code>Search Target</code> is a URL where you'd want any search queries to get directed to. So in the example above for Pinterest and a custom search for "Pizza", the <code>Search Target</code> might be:</p>

<pre><code>pinterest.com/search?q={search_term_string}
</code></pre>

<p>The <code>Search Query Input</code> basically just tells Google what the placeholder is that you used in the <code>Search Target</code>. So in our example it would be:</p>

<pre><code>search_term_string
</code></pre>

<p>I'd recommend reading <a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/data-types/sitelinks-searchbox" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this 
page</a> from the Google Search docs in order to better understand what <code>Search Targets</code> and the <code>Search Query Input</code> are.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-03-26T18:48:53.273Z
2018-03-26T18:48:53.273Z
Jalen Davenport
<p>I am not sure this is the right place to ask this question but I really need to know it, but I couldn't ask it on the plugin's Github as this is not an issue. I am new on Craft CMS and my client need SEOmatic installed on it. I have configured everything but I couldn't understand the need of <code>Search Targets and Search Query Input</code> in <a href="https://github.com/nystudio107/seomatic/wiki/03a.-Configuring-SEO-Site-Meta" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Site Meta Section</a>. It would be very helpful if someone helps me out for this with some real-life examples.</p>

<plugin-seomatic>
What are Search Targets and Search Query Input in seomatic?
# What are Search Targets and Search Query Input in seomatic?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-03-26)

I am not sure this is the right place to ask this question but I really need to know it, but I couldn't ask it on the plugin's Github as this is not an issue. I am new on Craft CMS and my client need SEOmatic installed on it. I have configured everything but I couldn't understand the need of `Search Targets and Search Query Input` in [Site Meta Section](https://github.com/nystudio107/seomatic/wiki/03a.-Configuring-SEO-Site-Meta). It would be very helpful if someone helps me out for this with some real-life examples.

**Tags:** plugin-seomatic

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-03-26. Score: 2

This has to do with Google Structured Data and how your site appears in search results. If you use these fields, your site will show a custom search box in Google Search results, like this:

Basically, the Search Target is a URL where you'd want any search queries to get directed to. So in the example above for Pinterest and a custom search for "Pizza", the Search Target might be:
pinterest.com/search?q={search_term_string}

The Search Query Input basically just tells Google what the placeholder is that you used in the Search Target. So in our example it would be:
search_term_string

I'd recommend reading this 
page from the Google Search docs in order to better understand what Search Targets and the Search Query Input are.


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