Plugin name: JEM Finder Plugin
Extension: plg_finder_jem
Plugin group: Finder
Applies to: JEM 5.0 beta 3 for Joomla 5/6 and JEM 4.5 beta 5 for Joomla 4/5, when the plugin is available in the installed package.
Overview
The JEM Finder Plugin integrates JEM events with Joomla Smart Search. When enabled, JEM events can be indexed and returned in Joomla search results, together with taxonomy data such as event type, category, language, author, and venue.
This plugin is intended for sites that use Joomla Smart Search as their main search system and want event pages to appear alongside articles and other indexed content.
Requirements
- JEM component installed and enabled.
- Joomla Smart Search component enabled.
- The plugin enabled in System → Manage → Plugins.
- Smart Search index built or rebuilt after enabling the plugin.
Plugin Options
This plugin has no configurable options in the plugin manager.
What It Indexes
| Indexed Data | Description |
|---|
| Event title |
The JEM event title is indexed as the search result title. |
| Intro text |
The event intro text is indexed as summary content. |
| Full text |
The event full text is indexed as body content. |
| Event dates and times |
Start and end date/time fields are included in the indexed item data. |
| Category |
The event category is added as Smart Search taxonomy data. |
| Venue |
The venue is added as Smart Search taxonomy data when available. |
| Author |
The event author or created-by alias can be added as taxonomy data. |
| Language |
The event language is added to the search taxonomy. |
| Metadata |
Meta keywords, meta description, and author metadata are processed for search indexing. |
Search Taxonomies
| Taxonomy | Source |
|---|
| Type |
Events are indexed as type Event. |
| Category |
JEM event category. |
| Venue |
JEM venue name, when the event has a venue. |
| Author |
Created-by user or created-by alias. |
| Language |
Event language. |
How Indexing Is Updated
| Action | Plugin Behaviour |
|---|
| Event is saved |
The event is reindexed. |
| Event access changes |
The indexed access information is updated. |
| Event is published, unpublished, archived, or unarchived |
The Smart Search state is updated. |
| Event is deleted |
The event is removed from the Smart Search index. |
| JEM category access changes |
Category access changes are reflected in indexed event data. |
| JEM category state changes |
Category state changes are reflected in indexed event data. |
| Plugin is disabled |
Finder handles plugin disable state and indexed content can be affected accordingly. |
Administrator Workflow
- Enable JEM Finder Plugin.
- Go to Components → Smart Search.
- Run or rebuild the Smart Search index.
- Test a search for an event title, venue name, category name, or event text.
- Check Smart Search filters if events do not appear as expected.
Important: Enabling the plugin does not automatically guarantee that old events appear immediately in search results. Rebuild the Joomla Smart Search index after enabling or updating the plugin.
Frontend Behaviour
- Search results link to the JEM event detail route.
- Event routes are generated through JEM routing helpers.
- Only enabled JEM component data is indexed.
- Event state and category state affect whether an item should be visible in search.
- Venue taxonomy is added when an event has a venue.
Indexed Database Sources
The plugin builds its index data from JEM event, venue, country, event-category relation, and category tables.
| Table | Purpose |
|---|
#__jem_events |
Main event data: title, alias, date, time, image, intro text, full text, access, state, author, version. |
#__jem_venues |
Venue name, city, county/state, URL, street, publication state. |
#__jem_countries |
Venue country name. |
#__jem_cats_event_relations |
Relation between events and categories. |
#__jem_categories |
Category title, alias, publication state, and access level. |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | Suggested Fix |
|---|
| JEM events do not appear in Smart Search. |
The plugin is disabled or the Smart Search index has not been rebuilt. |
Enable the plugin and rebuild the Smart Search index. |
| New or edited events do not appear correctly. |
The index may be stale or an event save did not trigger reindexing. |
Rebuild the index and confirm the event is published and accessible. |
| Search results link to unexpected pages. |
Joomla menu routing or JEM route configuration affects generated URLs. |
Check JEM menu items and Joomla SEF routing configuration. |
| Events disappear after category changes. |
Category publication state or access level affects indexed event state. |
Check the JEM category state and access level, then rebuild the index. |
| Indexing fails with an error. |
Smart Search, plugin compatibility, or data integrity issue. |
Check Joomla logs, disable other finder plugins temporarily, and rebuild the index after fixing the data issue. |
Related Development Notes
The following GitHub references are the most useful for this plugin. Direct finder and Smart Search issues are prioritised.
