This tutorial details how to use Elementor's custom CSS capabilities to precisely control the style and layout of your search form. Coverage includes removing default border, outline, and focus (click) styles, as well as horizontally centering a form with CSS. Through specific code examples and operation steps, we help users achieve a search function that perfectly integrates with the website design style.

In the Elementor page builder, although widgets provide rich styling options, sometimes in order to achieve a specific design effect, we may need deeper customization, especially when dealing with widgets such as search forms that have default browser and theme styles. This tutorial will guide you on how to precisely control the visual performance of the Elementor search form through custom CSS code, including removing unnecessary borders and outlines, canceling the default highlighting effect when clicked, and achieving horizontal centering of the form.

Understand the default style issue of Elementor search form

Elementor's search form widget usually inherits some default styles of the theme or browser, such as the border of the input box, the blue outline or box-shadow effect when clicked. These default styles may not match the overall design of your site, causing visual disharmony. Additionally, placing the form precisely in the center of the page may require additional layout adjustments.

Core customization method: using custom CSS

Elementor allows you to add custom CSS code in the Advanced tab of each widget. This is the most direct and effective way to achieve fine control. By writing CSS rules for specific elements inside a widget (such as input boxes, containers, buttons), we can override its default styling.

Operation steps:

1. Locate the search form widget: In the Elementor editor, select the search form widget you want to customize.
2. Access the Custom CSS options: In the Elementor panel on the left, switch to the Advanced tab and expand the Custom CSS section.
3. Write and apply CSS code: Enter your CSS code in the text area provided. Please note that in Elementor's custom CSS environment, the selector keyword automatically points to the root element of the widget you are currently editing.

Detailed style customization code and explanation

Below is a block of CSS code for common customization needs for search forms (removing borders, outlines, focus styles, and centering).

 /* 1. Remove the default background of the search form container*/
/* 
   Elementor search forms usually have a container element, possibly with a background color.
   This rule makes its background transparent to blend into the background of the parent container.
*/
selector .elementor-search-form__container {
    background-color: transparent !important;
}

/* 2. Customize the style of the search input box*/
/* 
   This rule resets and beautifies the search input box (input[type="search"]).
   - background-color: Set the background color of the input box.
   - border: none; removes the default border.
   - outline: none; Removes the default outline that the browser displays when an element has focus.
   - border-radius: 0px; removes the rounded corners and makes the input box appear right-angled.
   - padding: Increase the distance between the text inside the input box and the border.
   - width: 100%; makes the input box fill the available width of its parent container.
   - box-sizing: border-box; ensures that padding and border do not increase the overall width of the element.
*/
selector input[type="search"] {
    background-color: #fff; /* Input box background color*/
    border: none; /* Remove default border*/
    outline: none; /* Remove the default focus outline*/
    border-radius: 0px; /* Remove rounded corners*/
    padding: 10px 15px; /* Increase padding*/
    width: 100%; /* fill available width*/
    box-sizing: border-box; /* Box model adjustment*/
    /* margin-right: 20px; */ /* If there is a gap between the input box and the button, you can uncomment it */
}

/* 3. Remove the style of the input box when it is focused (clicked) */
/* 
   This rule specifically handles the style of the input box when it is clicked or focused.
   Be sure to remove any default borders, outlines, or shadow effects to maintain style consistency.
*/
selector input[type="search"]:focus {
    border: none; /* Ensure again that there is no border when focusing */
    outline: none; /* Ensure there is no outline when focusing again*/
    box-shadow: none; /* Remove possible shadow effects*/
}

/* 4. (Optional) Customize search button style*/
/* 
   If your search form contains a submit button, this rule can style it.
   You can adjust the background color, text color, borders, etc. as needed.
*/
selector .elementor-search-form__submit {
    background-color: #4CAF50; /* Button background color*/
    color: white; /* button text color*/
    border: none;
    border-radius: 0px;
    padding: 10px 15px;
    cursor: pointer;
    /* Other styles such as font size, hover effects, etc. */
}

/* 5. (Advanced) Center the entire search form widget horizontally*/
/* 
   There are generally two ways to center the widget itself:
   a) If the widget is a block-level element and has a fixed width, you can use margin: 0 auto;
   b) A more flexible method is to make it a Flex container and use the justify-content attribute.

   Note: The effect of this method depends on the default behavior of the widget and the layout of its parent container (Elementor column).
   In some cases, you may need to adjust the alignment in the column settings.
*/
selector {
    /* Method 1: If the widget has a fixed width and is a block-level element*/
    /* max-width: 400px; */ /* Set a maximum width*/
    /* margin: 0 auto; */ /* Horizontally centered */

    /* Method 2: Set the widget container to a Flex container to center its internal content (input boxes and buttons) */
    display: flex; /* Set the widget container to a Flex container*/
    justify-content: center; /* horizontally center its internal content*/
    align-items: center; /* Vertically centered (if necessary, such as when the input box and button are of different heights) */
    width: 100%; /* Make sure the Flex container occupies enough width*/
}

Notes and Summary

• selector keyword: In the custom CSS area of ??Elementor, selector is automatically replaced with the current widget's unique CSS class or ID, ensuring that the styles you write only apply to that specific widget.
• Use of !important: The !important declaration is used to increase the priority of CSS rules and force override other possible styles. While it effectively solves priority issues, overuse can make CSS difficult to maintain. It is recommended to only use it if you really need to override third-party styles or theme default styles.
• Testing and debugging: After adding CSS code, be sure to save the page and preview it. If it doesn't work as expected, you can use the browser developer tools (press F12) to inspect the element to see which CSS rules are in effect and debug your code.
• Responsive design: Consider how the form will appear on different screen sizes. You can use media queries (@media rules) to style things differently for mobile devices, tablets, etc.
• Centering issues: Centering a widget can sometimes be complicated because it depends not only on the CSS of the widget itself, but also on the layout settings of its parent container (such as an Elementor column). If the centering CSS above doesn't work, check the Layout settings for the column containing the search form and try adjusting the Horizontal Alignment option.

With the above detailed CSS code and how-to guides, you should be able to fully control the style and positioning of your Elementor search form so that it blends perfectly into your website design and provides a seamless user experience. Custom CSS is a powerful tool for advanced customization of Elementor. Mastering it can take your website design to the next level.

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