Smart Search Index Error With SP Page Builder (Dynamic Content / Collections)
Robert
Hi, I’m having trouble getting SP Page Builder pages indexed by Joomla Smart Search and used in the Helix off‑canvas search.
Environment: Joomla: 6 SP Page Builder Pro: 6.1.2 Template / Framework: Mednic (off‑canvas menu with search enabled)
Goal: I would like the off‑canvas search (Smart Search) to return results not only from Joomla Articles (com_content) but also from SP Page Builder pages.
What I did:
Initially, the search only returned results from Joomla Articles.
I switched to Smart Search and tried to use the “Smart Search – SP Page Builder” integration.
When building the Smart Search index, I first got this error:
Call to undefined method Joomla\Database\Mysqli\MysqliQuery::castAsChar()
I then disabled all other search / Smart Search plugins except the Joomla Content plugin and activated only the SP Page Builder Smart Search plugin in addition.
After that, the previous error disappeared, but now I get a new error when trying to build the index:
Attribute [title] does not exist on this model: JoomShaper\SPPageBuilder\DynamicContent\Models\Collection
Current situation:
All other search / Smart Search plugins are disabled except the core Joomla Content plugin and the SP Page Builder Smart Search plugin.
As soon as I run the Smart Search indexer, it stops with the error above and the index cannot be completed.
It looks like the SP Page Builder Smart Search plugin has a problem with Dynamic Content / Collections (the Collection model apparently has no “title” attribute).
Questions:
Is this a known issue with the current SP Page Builder Smart Search integration and Dynamic Content / Collections?
Is there a fix, patch, or recommended workaround for this error?
Are there specific SP Page Builder or Joomla versions required so that Smart Search can index SP Page Builder pages correctly?
Any guidance or a patched version of the Smart Search integration for SP Page Builder would be very much appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
Toufiq
Accepted AnswerHi there,
Thank you for reaching out. To check the issue from our end, please create a staging site and share its login credentials with us. Make sure you provide only the staging site details, not the live site access. This is important because if any issue occurs while we’re working, it will affect only the staging site, not the live one. We want to maintain full transparency between the user and our support team.
Best regards,
Toufiqur Rahman (Team Lead, Support)
Robert
Accepted AnswerHi,
thank you for your reply.
At the moment, I’m not able to provide a public staging site with a different PHP version. My current hosting setup is as follows:
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The existing (old) site is running as the live site on outdated PHP.
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The new version of the website only exists as development sites in an internal/local environment (Docker) and is not accessible from outside.
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My hosting provider does not allow me to create subdomains with a different PHP version that I could use as a staging site.
Because of this, it is currently not possible for me to set up an external staging site and share access with you. Setting up a separate environment just for this purpose would be quite time‑consuming for me right now. I will only be able to look into the Smart Search index issue in more depth at the very end of the overall website development, when I move the new site to its final hosting environment.
I mainly wanted to report the problem so that you are aware of it. I was a bit surprised that it might be related to a very specific configuration. I hope that either the issue does not appear in the final hosting environment or that you are able to identify and fix the bug without needing direct access to my site.
If you need any additional information about my setup: Joomla 6.0.0 SP Page Builder Pro 6.1.2 PHP 8.3.24 Apache/2.4.65 (Debian)
Best regards, Robert
Toufiq
Accepted AnswerCan you provide me a backup of your site?
Create an akeeba backup zip file. Don't make JPA file.
Robert
Accepted AnswerHi Toufiqur,
thanks for your reply and the suggestion to use Akeeba Backup.
As far as I know, Akeeba Backup is currently not officially listed for Joomla 6 in the Joomla Extensions Directory, and I have also seen some reports about issues in the forums. Because of that, I am not using Akeeba for this project and instead create my backups with my own scripts. However, I can provide you with a ZIP archive of the current site version, including all files and the database.
Best regards, Robert
Toufiq
Accepted AnswerI have shared your backup to our developer team. Allow me time. Once i've got update from the dev team, I will let you know. Thanks
Toufiq
Accepted AnswerDownload the Akeeba backup and install this backup on your staging site. If you think everything is fine, then you can move it on your production site.
How to install akeeba backup.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/16fMwHR2ZAa3yctnP5rn7zm6YlwB7ijQj/view
Robert
Accepted AnswerHi Toufiqur,
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for your outstanding support!
The screen recordings you sent were incredibly helpful. With your guidance I was able to identify and fix the actual causes of the Smart Search issue:
On some pages I had not properly updated the fonts after switching from Google Fonts to locally hosted fonts.
In several Collections the connection to Dynamic Content was missing or broken, because I had removed Dynamic Content that originally came from the template.
All of these problems were related to old pages that I actually don’t need anymore, but had kept as a reference.
Your step‑by‑step approach – unpublishing all pages first, then checking page by page (fonts, Collections → Dynamic Content connections), and only then rebuilding the index – was exactly what I needed. After cleaning up those pages, the Smart Search index runs perfectly and all required pages work fine again. So this was not a bug in SP Page Builder, but entirely caused by my own leftover pages and configuration.
I’m really impressed and very grateful for the time and effort you put into analyzing this issue in such detail. The videos and explanations were clear, patient and very professional.
Thank you again for the excellent support – this kind of help is far from obvious and is very much appreciated!
Best regards, Robert
Toufiq
Accepted AnswerHi Robert,
I am really glad to hear everything is working smoothly now. Your detailed follow-up means a lot, and I truly appreciate your kind words.
If you don't mind, could you share your experience in our social media group, Trustpilot, and the Joomla Extension Directory? Your feedback would help others and support our team as well.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/joomshaper
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.joomshaper.com
https://extensions.joomla.org/extension/sp-page-builder/
Best regards,
Toufiqur Rahman (Team Lead, Support)