Using WP Spotlight Search

WP Spotlight is designed to make finding and managing your WordPress content faster and more intuitive. This guide will take you through the available search categories, how to perform actions within each, and shortcuts for streamlined navigation.

Opening WP Spotlight Search

Default Key Bind: Use Alt+S (Windows) or OPTION+S (macOS) to open WP Spotlight. This shortcut is customizable; see the [Key Binds Setup Guide] for details on customization.

Spotlight Icon on Admin Bar: Another alternative is to click the Spotlight icon on the admin bar, on the top right just beside the "Howdy" text.

To Close WP Spotlight: Press Esc or click outside the search box.

Upon opening WP Spotlight, you’ll see a search bar. Here’s a breakdown of all the search categories and how to use them.

1. Users

Purpose: Quickly find and manage users based on role or email.

Steps:

1. Select Users from the category list, or use the key bind (Alt+U).
2. Once selected, a submenu will display with all user roles on your WordPress site (e.g., Administrator, Author, Subscriber).
3. Click on any role to view emails associated with it. Selecting an email will direct you to that user’s profile page in WordPress.
4. Alternatively, type a specific email in the search bar to display roles associated with that email (e.g. Administrator > [email protected]).

2. Plugins

Purpose: Manage plugin installation, updates, activation, and deletion.

Steps:

1. Choose Plugins from the category list, or use the key bind (Alt+P).
2. In the submenu, you’ll see options for Repository, Upload, Activate, Deactivate, Delete, and Download.
3. Repository: View top plugins from the WordPress repository, search for a specific plugin, and install, activate, or download it directly.
4. Upload: Drag and drop a plugin zip file straight from your device into the plugin upload zone on search.
5. Activate/Deactivate: Activates or deactivates plugins instantly, with no page reload required.
6. Delete: Deletes deactivated plugins; ensure a plugin is deactivated before deleting.
7. Download: Download a plugin zip file directly from your dashboard on to your device.

3. Themes

Purpose: Search for themes, manage downloads, activations, and deletions.

Steps:

1. Select Themes from the category list, or use the key bind (Alt+T).
2. Repository: Browse top themes, search for specific ones, and install or download.
3. Upload: Upload a theme file straight from your device to your dashboard by dragging and dropping it in to the file up loader on search.
4. Activate: Switch between downloaded themes, with the active theme marked.
5. Delete: Shows all themes except the active one, allowing you to delete any inactive theme.
6. Download: Download any theme from your dashboard directly on to your device.

4. Post Types

Purpose: Quickly view, edit, or delete posts by type.

Steps:

1. Select Post Types or use the key bind (Alt+Shift+P).
2. Choose a post type (e.g., pages, posts, custom post types).
3. Select any post to Edit (open in editor), View (open on the frontend), or Trash (move to trash).

5. Create New

Purpose: Instantly create a new post for any post type.

Steps:

1. Click Create New or use the key bind (Alt+C).
2. Select a post type to open a new post editor.

6. Update

Purpose: Easily update all plugins or themes at once.

Steps:

1. Click Update or use the key bind (Ctrl+Alt+U)
2. Update All Plugins: Updates all plugins that have available updates.
3. Update All Themes: Updates all themes that have available updates.
4. Update Core: Update WordPress core when available.

7. Media

Purpose: Manage media files with actions like insert, edit, upload, delete, or download.

Steps:

1. Select Media or use the key bind (Alt+M).
2. Insert: Select media to insert directly into editable areas on your site.
3. Edit: Modify media properties (e.g., title, alt text).
4. Upload: Access the file uploader from anywhere on your site.
5. Delete: Choose a media file to remove from your library.
6. Download: Retrieve media files to your local device.

8. Logout

Purpose: Quickly log out from the WordPress admin panel.

Steps:

1. Select Logout or use the key bind (Alt+L).
2. WP Spotlight will close, and you’ll be logged out instantly.

9. Key Binds

Purpose: View or modify default and custom key bindings.

Steps:

Open the Key Binds menu using its key bind (Alt+K).

The panel shows default key binds and lets you set up custom ones with up to 4 key combinations.

Review the [Key Binds Setup Guide] to customize for a more efficient workflow.

This guide helps you harness WP Spotlight’s search functionality to navigate and manage your WordPress site faster. Experiment with key binds, customize as needed, and streamline your daily WordPress tasks.