Choosing the right Search Implementation: Template, DIY, or Custom SERP

23 Apr, 2025 Implementation

When implementing Cludo search on your website, you have two primary approaches:

  1. Use MyCludo’s built-in search templates (Inline or Overlay) to quickly embed a ready-made search interface.
  2. Develop a custom search interface yourself using Cludo’s API or React libraries.
  3. Having Cludo create a custom search page to implement into your website.

Both approaches will deliver search results from your Cludo engine, but they differ in setup time, flexibility, and maintenance. Here are the key differences and considerations for each path:

Cludo Global Templates

Cludo provides two pre-built front-end templates which you can access directly via the MyCludo platform.

  • Rich Inline Template: Renders the SERP (search engine result page) on a dedicated page on your site (you typically link to a “search results” page).
  • Overlay Template: Displays results in an overlay popup on whatever page the user is on, similar to an on-page modal.

Using a template is straightforward. MyCludo can generate the script and HTML snippet for you to place on your site​. You can read more about implementing templates in this article.

Advantages of Templates:

  • Ease of Implementation – fast launch: No advanced coding required. Copy-paste the provided code into your site’s HTML. This means that you can have a very fast launch.
  • Safe and Supported: The functionality of the templates is maintained by Cludo. They are tested across devices and browsers​, and Cludo will update them for improvements or browser changes. This means less upkeep on your end. You are only responsible for styling them.
  • Includes Standard Features: Cludo’s templates support common features like filters (facets), language selection, result sorting, etc. These can be configured directly in MyCludo when generating your template snippet, or further customized in your implementation by adjusting the search script. To learn more about customizing your search script, please read this article.
  • Basic Customization via CSS: You can override the default styling (fonts, colors) by adding CSS to your site. The template’s HTML structure is known, so you can target its elements. For instance, if you want the results titles to use your brand font or color, you can include a stylesheet after the template code to adjust that.

Cludo Experience Builder Templates (coming soon)

Note: The templates provided via our Experience Builder are still in development, set to release towards the end of 2025.

The Experience Builder Template allows you to build and design your SERP via a visual editor. Coding-wise, all you need to do is insert a script on your site, and from there, the entire experience is maintained via the builder in MyCludo.

This solution is a great choice if your needs are somewhat basic and you’d like to be able to make updates without having to do any coding.

Advantages of the Experience Builder Templates:

  • Ease of Implementation – fast launch: No advanced coding required. Once finishing the template, you only need to copy and paste the provided script into your site.
  • Safe and Supported: The functionality of the templates is maintained by Cludo. They are tested across devices and browsers​, and Cludo will update them for improvements or browser changes. This means less upkeep on your end. You are only responsible for styling them.
  • Includes Standard Features: Cludo’s templates support common features like filters (facets), language selection, result sorting, etc. These can be configured directly in the Experience Builder.

More information/documentation on this implementation type will be available once launched.

Developing your own Search Interface

A custom implementation means you’ll use Cludo’s search API or search libraries to fetch results and then render them on your site with your own code. Essentially, you’re building the search results page from scratch or with a framework of your choice.

Custom implementations give you full control, but require development skills, ongoing maintenance, and manual setup for analytics tracking. Expect a steeper learning curve compared to using Cludo’s standard templates.

Advantages of Custom Development:

  • Total Control Over UI/UX: You can design the search experience exactly as you want. The placement of elements, the animations and the way results are displayed are all up to you. This is ideal if you need to integrate search into an existing application or follow the same strict style guidelines.
  • Using our React Storybook: You may prefer to use frameworks like React. Cludo offers a React component library to simplify building a custom SERP in React (complete with pre-built components for search box, results list, pagination, etc.). If you’re using React, you can take advantage of that library for faster development while still keeping it “your own”.
  • Custom Features: If you want to implement features that Cludo’s standard template doesn’t support, custom is the way. You may want to include specific crawler fields in the result that standard templates don’t support. Perhaps, after each search, you want to log something to an internal analytics system, which is also only possible with custom code.

Implementing a “Custom SERP”

SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page which is basically, the page that shows your search results. In Cludo’s context, a Custom SERP refers specifically to a fully custom search interface that our implementation team designs and builds for you, as a paid service. It’s a tailor-made solution created to match your branding, functional needs, and user experience goals.

Unlike using Cludo’s out-of-the-box templates or building your own search integration, a Custom SERP is handled entirely by Cludo. We build the frontend, set up the crawlers and engines and host and maintain the search script for you.

Which Implementation Should You Choose?

Global templates

Overlay template

Choose this if:

  • You want the fastest, easiest way to launch search.
  • You’re okay with the default layout and just need to tweak colors or styling.
  • You have limited technical resources or want a no-code solution.

Rich Inline Template

Choose this if:

  • You want a fast and easy way to launch search
  • You have some coding skills but prefer starting off with a solid base
  • You need a solution that can look like an integrated part of your website
  • You would like to have some customization options

Experience Builder templates (coming soon)

Choose this if:

  • You have no coding skills or resources (you just need to be able to insert a script on your site)
  • You would like to work with a visual editor to customize the design of your search

Choose this if:

  • You want full control over the design and behavior of your search experience.
  • You have in-house developers or a partner agency.
  • You need to deeply integrate search into a complex site or app.

Cludo-Built Custom SERP:

Choose this if:

  • You want Cludo to fully manage the frontend implementation and hosting.
  • You want a custom, professionally designed search interface tailored to your needs.
  • You don’t have the time or resources to build and host it yourself.

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